Pique Newsmagazine 3309

‘A LOCAL MOUNTAIN THAT DONE GOOD’

Whistler Mountain’s volunteer ski patrol gathers to remember the early days

Whistler Mountain’s volunteer ski patrol gathers to remember the early days. - By Luke Faulks

06 OPENING REMARKS What truly makes the Fitzsimmons Bridge special is not its architecture, but the sheer amount of advocacy it carries out for Whistler, writes editor Braden Dupuis.

08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter-writers remember the legacy of Trudy Alder, and call for more action on reckless skiers.

18 THE OUTSIDER Columnist Vince Shuley jumps on the Japan bandwagon with a dispatch from the Land of the Rising Sun.

38 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST What does Whistler’s new Public Outdoor Space Regulation bylaw mean for speed on the Valley Trail?

12 ON THE BUDGET Sea to Sky MLA Jeremy Valeriote and Mayor Jack Crompton weigh in on the NDP’s new budget released last week.

13 BACK TO SCHOOL The Whistler Waldorf School is one step closer to securing its new home after council gave third reading to a related rezoning bylaw this week.

22 GAMES OVER Recapping the efforts of Sea to Sky Olympians at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

26 IN THE RED Local author Heather Hendrie discusses her upcoming Red Tent event, as well as her new book, Pillow Talk.

COVER I’ve had more than a few sled trips down the mountain. Many thanks to all the first responders for getting me safely back to the X-ray table! - By Jon Parris // Adobe AI //@jon.parris.art

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Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, VINCE SHULEY, LESLIE ANTHONY, GLENDA BARTOSH, ANDREW MITCHELL, LISA RICHARDSON, LIZI MCLOUGHLIN, TOBIAS C. VAN VEEN

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com

World Something Day

JUST EAST OF WHISTLER Village, beyond the day skier parking lots, there lies a bridge. But it’s not just any ordinary old bridge.

It’s a visually appealing bridge, to be sure—the endless parade of tourists and locals alike taking its photo are proof

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

But what truly makes the Fitzsimmons Bridge special is the sheer amount of advocacy it carries out for Whistler.

At any given moment, the bridge could be lit up for any number of obscure causes.

Case in point: at its Feb. 24 meeting, council approved six different light-up requests for the bridge. There’s Lupus Awareness Month (for which the bridge will be lit purple, on May 10); Alzheimer’s Awareness Day (teal, Nov. 2); Epilepsy Awareness Day (purple, March 26); Lipedema Awareness Day (purple, June 11); World Hemophilia Awareness Day (red, April 11); and Canadian Fertility Awareness Week (green, April 23).

Those six came on the heels of five light-up requests at the Feb. 3 meeting: for World Tuberculosis Awareness Day (red, March 24); World Young Rheumatic Awareness Day (blue, March 14); Global Porphyria Awareness Day (purple, May 18); World Parkinson Awareness Day (blue, April 11); and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (teal, April 10).

Those are just the two meetings in February. January saw four light-up requests itself, and it’s rare to come across

a Whistler council agenda that doesn’t include at least one such request— everything from Liver Health Awareness Month and World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Day to National Dental Hygienists Week and Food Allergy Awareness Month.

This deeply woke bridge, with its endless activism for every cause, illness and disorder under the sun, has always fascinated me.

Where, for example, do these obscure groups and organizations learn of our most compassionate bridge, and that it can be lit for special causes and occasions? How many other Canadian landmarks— bridges, sidewalks, public toilets—are they lighting up for their cause?

And why do they assume lighting an object a certain colour does anything

But what fascinates me most about Whistler’s endlessly illuminated bridge isn’t any individual cause, illness or awareness campaign. It’s more the process itself.

The requests arrive, council obliges, a resolution is passed, and the bridge glows dutifully on cue. No debate or discussion. No real engagement beyond a colour and a calendar date. It’s governance by ambient lighting.

When it was discussed at a council meeting in 2019, staff noted it’s not an intensive process. No lightbulbs need to be changed, and the colours can be switched remotely.

And to be clear, there’s nothing objectionable about the causes themselves. Nobody is going to stand up at council and argue against lupus

Bridge functions less as a symbol of awareness than as a kind of bureaucratic reflex, or ritual. One that exists largely because it already exists, perpetuating itself through precedent rather than purpose. A fun little microcosm of municipal government bureaucracy itself.

It’s not that lighting the bridge is bad. It has just become automatic—a box to be checked, a moment of recognition that allows everyone involved to move on feeling like something meaningful has occurred.

And maybe that’s enough. Maybe the goal was never to spark conversation or prompt action, but simply to acknowledge, however briefly, that these causes exist.

Still, it’s hard not to wonder how many

This deeply woke bridge, with its endless activism for every cause, illness and disorder under the sun, has always fascinated me.

at all to raise awareness for a cause (especially when so many of them choose purple)? Because outside of the council declaration—a formality hand-waved in bunched resolutions—and a small laminated placard, there’s not much in the way of proper recognition of the causes themselves once the bridge lights up.

So to most, it’s just a pretty bridge that sometimes displays different colours.

And yet, the light-up requests just keep coming.

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awareness, or Parkinson’s, or epilepsy. That would be monstrous (and morbidly hilarious). Which is precisely why the system works so smoothly.

The bridge light-ups are the perfect civic gesture: visible, harmless, costfree, and impossible to oppose. They ask nothing of anyone. No policy change, no funding commitment. No uncomfortable follow-up questions. Just a hue, briefly displayed, then on to the next.

At this point, the Fitzsimmons

people walking over the Fitzsimmons Bridge on any given night know what they’re being asked to be aware of—or whether they’re aware of anything at all beyond the fact the bridge looks kind of nice in purple.

Either way, the light-up requests will keep coming. The bridge will keep glowing. And Whistler’s most quietly overworked piece of infrastructure will continue its tireless advocacy—one colour at a time. n

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A legacy in the valley: Remembering Trudy Alder

On Feb. 14, the Whistler community gathered to honour the life of Trudy Alder, who passed away on Nov. 27, 2025. The turnout of about 200 people at her celebration of life served as a testament to the many deep friendships she cultivated over nearly 60 years in the valley. It was clear that Trudy was a cornerstone of the community she helped build.

Born Gertrud Prochaska in 1939 near Kindberg, Austria, Trudy was an accomplished athlete and mountaineer before moving to Canada in 1966. By August 1967, she and her first husband, Helmut Salmhofer, became caretakers of the Tyrol Lodge, making them some of Whistler’s first full-time residents. Trudy’s impact on the town was both social and physical; she was a cherished ski instructor and co-founded a construction company that specialized in Tyrolean-style houses. Her traditional painting and carving can still be seen on many of these homes today.

One of her most unique legacies is her “Cabin Table,” a western wood plank table that sat at the heart of her home for more than 50 years. She invited hundreds of guests, including ski legends like Nancy Greene and Jim McConkey, to etch their names into the wood, creating a physical archive of Whistler’s pioneers.

After Helmut’s death in 1975, Trudy chose to stay because Whistler had “embedded itself in her heart.” In 1981, she married Peter Alder, the general manager of Whistler Mountain. Together, they were a charismatic couple deeply involved in community building and known for their shared love of big dogs.

Trudy was a natural leader with a sharp wit and an “unconquerable zest for life.” She was a talented musician who played the accordion, guitar, and lute, often finding a harmony for any tune. Her

thirst for adventure led her to paddle the Yukon River, dive in the Caribbean, and embark on numerous kayaking trips along the British Columbia coast.

Trudy will be remembered for her courage, humour, and legendary Christmas baking. She is survived by a large extended family, including one sister, her stepsons, her nieces and many grandchildren.Though she is gone, her spirit remains etched into the history of the valley she loved.

Douglas Alder // Vancouver

Lack of action on Whistler’s reckless skiers is ‘astounding’

I had to wait a bit and let the anger and frustration settle, but need to get this out.

Yesterday, Feb. 17, my husband was hit on the slopes. While teaching on Blackcomb. With his group. By a guy just straight-lining it. Another one.

So, to the young person, if you read this, maybe you have left town and travelled back home, but I really want you to know:

You have just sidelined yet another instructor. You have ended someone’s job, career. He is not coming back to work this season, never mind skiing or wanting to come back to teach. You have taken away the fun, joy and an experienced, longtime staff member who had so much to tell, teach and give. Thirty-six years of teaching and more. Done. Too frustrated to come back.

I know you were injured, too. Sorry, not sorry. You will heal quickly and go back out, probably have fun with your friends soon. You are not even 20. You’ll move on. We, however, at no fault of our own, deal with the aftermath. We will still have to make a living here, get over this, and deal with frustration, lost time, lost ability to move and get back to what we love. Heck, this might even affect the summer job. We are lucky, as it could have been much worse, but we are still awaiting more details.

So, think about that. Think for once. Your actions have consequences. How

about that! If you can’t ski—take a lesson. If you can’t ski fast—ski slower. If you can’t do that—just don’t ski.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Are you going to make up for any of this?!

And to the mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Vail Resorts: It’s time to

Backcountry Update

AS OF WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25

After a stormy week of cold temperatures, snowfall, and strong winds, the Coast is poised to deliver something hard to resist: clear skies and fresh snow.

Danger ratings climbed to high and considerable through the week of heavy storm snow and wind, with storm slabs and wind slabs driving instability, especially during and immediately after the storm. As the weather system tapers by the weekend, conditions will look tempting, but don’t let blue skies distract you from what’s going on beneath the surface. It’s a good time to slow down and make sure your trip plan and decision-making processes are solid before heading into the backcountry.

Recent storm snow will likely take time to settle and stabilize. This may not reflect the typical post-storm coastal pattern where the snowpack heals quickly. Use extra caution. New snow and wind loading now sit on

a variety of old snow surfaces, creating the potential for weak interfaces that could remain reactive even while natural avalanche activity decreases. Humantriggered avalanches may still be likely.

This is a weekend to start small, choose simple terrain, and build confidence gradually as you gather information. Keep your head up and always have a backup plan that you can pivot to if you encounter signs of instability or see evidence of avalanches.

If you’re heading into the backcountry this weekend, check the avalanche forecast first—it’s updated daily on avalanche.ca and through the Avalanche Canada mobile app. Make sure everyone in your group is carrying avalanche rescue gear (transceiver, probe, and shovel) and knows how to use it. If you haven’t taken an Avalanche Skills Training course yet, it’s not too late—there’s still plenty of winter ahead to build those critical skills. 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

MacleanLawisheadquartered inVancouverwithofficesacross BritishColumbia.

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act, finally. Do something! As a former employee, I’m not afraid to speak up louder, knowing that staff meetings bring this up again and again, yet nothing changes. The absolute lack of real action is astounding. We need more people with real power to pull passes, right away, and take people off the mountain for speeding out of control BEFORE these things happen. We need real education and much, much more awareness of the Alpine Responsibility Code. It exists for a reason. It’s barely advertised anymore. Maybe it’s time to revamp it. Advertise it. Educate and act on it!

Don’t get me wrong. Skiing comes with risks and skiing comes with speed. I am a longtime skier and instructor myself. I ski race sometimes. There are skiers that are fast and good, and there are skiers that just risk everyone else’s health. Many know how to, but more and more do not.

After seeing those same incidents and collisions increase, my husband is ready to quit altogether. The mountain is just not safe anymore and nothing is done about it. I could go on and will contact the upper powers at Vail Resorts. Kudos to the supervisors, mid-management and direct contacts who do what they can and now are stretched even more by losing more of the good, experienced, and longtime staff.

This is not the first and not the only incident, but the upper management needs to change things! Respect the staff, keep

them safe and happy in their respective work area with their close colleagues. This is a story for another day. So here it is for now. Rant over. Hoping for no surgery, and hoping to get back to what we do.

Stay safe out there and try to stay active where you can.

Heike Stippler // Whistler

A ‘NIMBY’ letter re: the Whistler Waldorf relocation

As some people have no doubt heard, the long-established and wonderful Whistler Waldorf School is no longer welcome at its (temporary) home of 20-plus years in Spruce Grove Park.

To the credit of administrators, they have reviewed more than 50 sites in the corridor and unfortunately were not able to find a suitable location?

A local land development company has recently offered a donation of some land on Alta Lake Road which is currently zoned for an estate residence.

At first blush, this seems like a no-brainer as the Waldorf School gets a new home and the developer gets a school to use as a catalyst for further development and a possible renewed public transit route.

In my opinion, whatever gets built in that location needs an extensive environmental assessment as it sits in a wildlife corridor that gives many

different animals and birds access to Scotia Creek where it runs into Alta Lake. Some years ago, the Resort Municipality of Whistler removed the chain-link fence beside the railway which had hindered the vital animal access to the lake.

Since then I have personally seen many deer, bobcat, coyote, rabbit, black bear, beaver, river otter, grizzly bear, raccoon, etc., pass through that zone. There are also multiple eagles and other birds who live in and near the school site, which will be clear cut to accommodate the school and parking etc.

CN Rail has said it would need the chainlink fence re-installed, which would again close off this important wildlife corridor.

This doesn’t seem to align with the Waldorf core values for land and environmental stewardship?

Also adding in the thousands of hours of driving the rough (out and back) route to drop off the students as well as the 40-plus employees.

Who is going to tell the eagles an environmentally focused school is going to cut down their home?

It seems a bit like ready… fire… aim.

Normally (I would think), before a municipality would enter into an agreement with a private enterprise to commit taxpayer dollars to a project, there would be some well-thought-out plans as well as some really good attributes to benefit those same

taxpayers and the community as a whole.

At the very least, the private benefactor (whomever it may be) would be transparent as to the plan and work with the community to get this done properly. There has been a cloak of silence surrounding this and some questionable timing.

I realize the Waldorf school is under the gun to get settled in a new home, but the reality is they have known their location was temporary for 20-plus years. Now at the 11th hour the community is supposed to understand this dilemma and accept whatever their plan is?

Please don’t get me wrong as I’m a Waldorf advocate. The issue here is not the merits of Waldorf, but rather finding a sustainable location that works for the community.

We need to use normal community input with data-driven decisions using a thoughtful process and use whatever time is needed to make sure we do it the best way possible. Being in a rush due to time constraints is much more likely to bring remorse; be it to the taxpayers with infrastructure demands, the environment and wildlife, the community and very real safety issues. Not to mention the Waldorf parents who will now be sentenced to hundreds and hundreds of extra hours in their cars driving the (out and back) rough road every school day (four times each).

Who’s going to tell the eagles?

John Ross // Whistler n

Sea to Sky MLA ‘underwhelmed’ by BC Budget, Greens say province ‘managing decline’

VALERIOTE ARGUES THE FISCAL PLAN RETREATS TO MINING AND RESOURCE EXTRACTION IN THE FACE OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, RATHER THAN INVESTING IN TOURISM, TECH AND OTHER SUSTAINABLE SECTORS TO DIVERSIFY B.C.’S ECONOMY

BY LUKE FAULKS

THE NEW PROVINCIAL budget, tabled on Feb. 17, has left Sea to Sky MLA Jeremy Valeriote “pretty underwhelmed and disappointed.”

In an official response to the budget, he and the BC Greens described the fiscal plan as “managing decline” rather than setting out a long-term vision for economic diversification and resilience.

“The area where I’m most disappointed [is] in terms of doubling down on resource extraction, particularly mining,” Valeriote told Pique. “We’re not looking forward in tech. We’re not looking forward in sustainable industries like tourism. And it’s like as soon as we saw threat from the U.S. and tariffs, we retrenched into what we know best. That thinking is 20 years in the past.”

In her budget speech, finance minister Brenda Bailey framed Budget 2026 as a set of “careful choices” aimed at protecting core services while navigating global uncertainty.

The budget projects a $13.3-billion deficit (when expenses exceed revenue) in 2026-27, declining to $11.4 billion by 2028-29. Total spending is forecast at $98.8 billion next year, rising to $103.2 billion by 2028-29, and includes $5 billion annually in contingencies.

The plan outlines $5.1 billion in new funding over three years, including $2.8 billion for health and mental health and

addictions care and $475 million for children and youth with support needs.

The province argues the new budget also signals “restraint” in the public service, with hiring controls and attrition expected to reduce staff by 15,000 jobs over the three-year fiscal plan period.

NO NEW FUNDS FOR TOURISM

Valeriote called the absence of direct tourism-focused investments “a real miss.”

“Tourism [doesn’t] solve everything,” he said. “But there is a lot of meaningful, purpose-driven, environmentally aware work that goes on in tourism and helps to preserve our natural environment because we bank on it.”

He also criticized the plan’s general lack of conservation funding and support for BC Parks, arguing protected areas should be treated as essential infrastructure rather than discretionary spending.

Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton made the economic case for renewed investment in tourism infrastructure.

“We’ll continue to make the case to the province that investing in tourism to Whistler is a wise move for them,” Crompton said. “It’s high-yield, it’s tariffproof, export-ready, and we believe it will generate the revenues that are required to address this challenging economy.”

Crompton said Whistler relies on provincial tools such as the Resort Municipality Initiative and Municipal and Regional District Tax, and is in “promising discussions” about additional financial tools—though he said he did not expect them to appear in this year’s budget.

HEALTH SPENDING AND LOCAL DELIVERY

Budget 2026 includes more than $2.3

billion over three years for primary care and caseload growth, as well as $131 million for mental health and addictions treatment, including Assertive Community Treatment teams and involuntary treatment beds in Prince George, Maple Ridge and Surrey.

Valeriote said increased funding must translate into timely local delivery—particularly in long-term care. He pointed to delays in the Hilltop House redevelopment in Squamish as an example of how projects can stall even as provincial spending rises.

And while the exact distribution of health-care funding is still set to be negotiated, Valeriote suggested the Sea to Sky is “not going to see—probably— most of that health benefit,” due to it being in “a good situation relative to the rest of the province in terms of primary care, [access] to doctors [and] good medical facilities.”

REVENUE STRATEGY AND STRUCTURAL PRESSURES

The speculation and vacancy tax for foreign owners and untaxed worldwide earners will rise from three to four per cent. Taxes on homes valued above $3 million will also increase through changes to the Additional School Tax.

Overall, the province estimates the average taxpayer will pay about $76 more in 2026.

Valeriote argued the government missed an opportunity to drive down the $13.3-billion deficit with a wealth tax.

“We put forward a plan to borrow a wealth tax on the roughly 500 wealthiest multimillionaires and billionaires as a way to bring in revenue,” he said, adding the ruling NDP did “not seem to be

interested enough to discuss it further.” Crompton flagged what he called a growing structural challenge for Whistler.

“More and more of the property tax bill leaves Whistler every year,” he said, linking the pressure in part to provincial property tax changes, including adjustments to the Additional School Tax.

ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE

Valeriote acknowledged “a couple of promising pieces,” including $15 million towards the FireSmart wildfire mitigation program.

Valeriote also welcomed the higher speculation tax and noted continued funding for disability assistance and the Children and Youth Disability Supplement. The budget provides $52 million over three years to remove barriers for couples receiving disability assistance.

Both he and Crompton cited transit funding within the province’s broader $37.7-billion capital plan as a step in the right direction. Valeriote said expanding regional transit remains one of his highest priorities and that groundwork is underway, though sustained pressure will be needed to secure tangible improvements for the Sea to Sky corridor.

WHAT COMES NEXT

With the formal Green–NDP co-operation agreement no longer in place, Valeriote said his caucus will assess measures “case by case,” including confidence votes tied to the budget.

Crompton said Whistler will continue pressing the province on tourism investment and local financial tools as the 2027 municipal budget cycle approaches. n

Whistler Waldorf rezoning clears third reading

THE BYLAW

WOULD PERMIT SCHOOL, DAYCARE

USE ON 0.75-HECTARE PORTION OF LOT 34 OFF ALTA LAKE ROAD

BY LUKE FAULKS

THE POTENTIAL new home for the Whistler Waldorf School has cleared another hurdle.

At its Feb. 24 meeting, council gave third reading to a zoning amendment that would permit school and auxiliary daycare use on a 0.75-hectare portion of Lot 34 off Alta Lake Road.

The third reading follows a Feb. 10 public hearing on the rezoning. The option was exercised by council after public outcry in January over cost, transparency, and traffic safety—particularly from residents on Old Mill Lane, about 100 metres up Alta Lake Road from Lot 34.

After strong turnout at the public hearing from concerned residents and Waldorf proponents alike, staff recommended the bylaw proceed as it was originally presented in January. The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) manager of development planning, Tracy Napier, explained why.

“It’s consistent with the [Official Community Plan (OCP)]; the process has been in accordance with the legislative requirements; a traffic impact study and traffic management plan will be required prior to further approvals; the cost of developing the site is borne by the proponent; access to education and child care are key values in OCP; [and] there’s a unique opportunity where land, funding and municipal approvals can all align,” Napier said.

Once adopted at a future meeting, the new permitted uses would enable the relocation of the independent school.

The Waldorf has operated at Spruce Grove Park since 2002 under a lease with the RMOW. That arrangement was always understood to be temporary. In 2024, the province clarified school use at Spruce Grove is inconsistent with the Crown grant, which limits the site to public outdoor recreation.

RMOW RESPONDS TO PUBLIC FEEDBACK

The Feb. 10 public hearing process drew 60 written submissions (including five by the same person) and 19 speakers. Of the written submissions, 36 expressed support and 24 raised concerns; 12 of the verbal speakers were supportive and seven expressed concerns.

Submissions were grouped into five broad themes: timing and transparency; road safety, traffic and access; cost and liability to the municipality; education and childcare choice; and community benefit and health.

Concerns about process included the initial notice of no public hearing issued on Dec. 23 and the overall pace of

decision-making. Staff noted that under the Local Government Act (LGA), a public hearing is not required if a zoning bylaw is consistent with the OCP. Still, on Jan. 20, council opted to delay third reading until after a public hearing could be held.

Addressing criticism about transparency, Councillor Ralph Forsyth said: “I reject any assertion or aspersions that there was any lack of transparency on our part in doing this, and our record, I think, proves that. The process we follow is laid out in the [LGA].”

He and Coun. Arthur De Jong emphasized the importance of securing a new home for the Waldorf, with its current lease in Spruce Grove set to expire in June.

“We can expedite things, as we did for the daycare at Rainbow. That space was rezoned in two meetings, I believe, without a public hearing,” Forsyth recalled. “So, yes, when it’s important, when it’s daycare, which is very important to the community, we can and I believe should and will expedite it.”

On traffic and safety, many residents cited the condition of Alta Lake Road— described as narrow and lacking sidewalks—as well as concerns about increased vehicle volumes. Staff reiterated that a Traffic Impact Study and Traffic Management Plan will be required prior to further approvals, and that infrastructure costs associated with development would be borne by the proponent.

Following up on concerns over traffic safety, Acting Mayor Jeff Murl inquired whether an expansion of Rainbow Park in mid-2024 had prompted an increase in accidents on the quiet road. Napier referenced collision data provided by the RCMP for Alta Lake Road, noting that in 2025 there were six reported collisions, compared to two in 2024 and three in 2023.

Staff also note the site also falls within a Development Permit Area for protection of sensitive ecosystems. A qualified environmental professional will be required to assess the proposal and recommend mitigation measures, which would become conditions of any development permit issued by the RMOW.

Council ultimately voted unanimously in favour of third reading. Mayor Jack Crompton and Coun. Jessie Morden recused themselves from the meeting, as they have children who attend the school.

Following third reading, the bylaw must be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation and Transit for approval, as required under the Local Government Act. If approved, it will return to council for adoption.

A development permit for the site would be handled by a “delegated authority,” and subsequent building permits would be issued through the building department. n

Trial date set in lawsuit over ‘catastrophic’ 2019 luge crash at Whistler Sliding Centre

GARRETT

REID’S NEGLIGENCE LAWSUIT AGAINST HIS COACH AND SPORT ORGANIZATIONS IS SCHEDULED FOR AN APRIL 2027 TRIAL AT THE B.C. SUPREME COURT

BY LUKE FAULKS

AN APRIL 5, 2027 trial date has been set in B.C. Supreme Court for a civil lawsuit filed by Whistler luger Garrett Reid, who alleges a pattern of abuse, negligence and unsafe coaching practices led to a devastating crash at the Whistler Sliding Centre in November 2019.

The suit names coach Matthew McMurray, the Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society (WSLS), Luge Canada, and the B.C. Luge Association as defendants. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and all defendants have denied liability.

The case traces Reid’s career from a promising young athlete to a survivor of a near-fatal crash, his lengthy recovery and rehabilitation, and a legal battle now stretching toward trial nearly eight years after the incident.

CRASH IN AUSTRIA SETS STAGE

According to Reid’s civil claim, the first major incident occurred in February 2019 during training in Austria ahead of the Junior World Luge Championship. The crash allegedly caused his sled to flip and strike the right side of his helmet, equipment issued by Luge Canada.

Reid claimed he asked his coach for medical attention after the crash, but the suit alleges McMurray “refused and told Garrett to stop asking.”

Medical imaging later revealed healed fractures to Reid’s face, injuries he alleges were sustained in the Austria crash. The lawsuit claims he continued training and racing with those injuries, which went undiagnosed and untreated at the time.

Reid also alleged that his helmet was never replaced after the crash, despite requests from him and his parents, forcing him to continue using it throughout the 2019 season.

Coach McMurray has denied those allegations, stating Reid never reported a head injury or requested treatment. He also asserted a replacement helmet would have been “readily available” had Reid reported hitting his head, in accordance with concussion protocol.

The Austria incident, Reid alleges, marked the beginning of what he described in court filings as “daily bullying, humiliation, hazing, threats and intimidation” by his coach. McMurray denied engaging in any “reckless and abusive coaching and behaviour.”

WHISTLER CRASH ON ‘THUNDERBIRD CORNER’

The defining incident occurred Nov.

16, 2019, while Reid was training at the Whistler Sliding Centre, where he had been nominated to Canada’s Youth Olympic Games team and was preparing for international competition.

During training leading up to the crash, Reid alleged McMurray directed him to add strips of sandpaper to his sled, a technique he said reduced control and made the sled faster. Reid claimed he expressed concerns and requested to reduce the number of strips, but alleged McMurray pressured him to continue using more.

McMurray has denied directing Reid to use sandpaper, saying instead he instructed him to apply duct tape to his sled to “combat the track’s humid condition,” describing it as a standard technique used to adjust performance.

On the day of the crash, Reid said he was placed at the men’s start—the highest and fastest starting point on the track— despite the changes to his sled setup.

According to Reid’s civil claim, he lost control at high speed, crashing after exiting Corner 16, known as “Thunderbird Corner,” and striking the right side of his

helmet against the wall.

WSLS president and CEO Roger Soane later confirmed Reid went “severely out of line” during the run. “At some points around Corner 13, he started to get offline. As he went down the track, by the time he reached Corner 15, he was severely out of line and that’s where we believe the accident happened.”

COMA, RECOVERY AND GOFUNDME

The crash left Reid unconscious and fighting for his life. He spent weeks in an induced coma and months recovering from traumatic injuries. Doctors initially gave him just a fourper-cent chance of survival, according to reporting at the time.

By early 2020, Reid was beginning to show signs of recovery, though his longterm prognosis remained uncertain. His mother described his condition as defying expectations:

“He’s definitely exceeded all expectations for recovery and they’re no longer telling us what they expect. He just keeps doing stuff that they didn’t think

he’d be doing for six months or at all.”

Reid’s recovery required extensive rehabilitation, including physiotherapy several times per week, and came with significant financial strain for his family.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help cover rehabilitation costs, which his family estimated could reach $300,000.

Despite his progress, Reid expressed frustration at the slow pace of recovery and the impact the crash had on his career.

“I’m angry. I missed the Olympics. I made the team for the Olympics, then crashed,” Reid told Pique in 2021. “[Rehab is] slow. I want to be better now. I just want to be back with my team.”

His mother, Leesa Reid, described the emotional toll of his recovery and the uncertainty surrounding his future.

“But you can’t put a price on somebody’s health,” she said. “He’s a 16-year-old kid, he deserves to be put back to the way he was and not just get back to a normal life.”

THE CASE

Reid filed his lawsuit in April 2023, alleging his coach and sporting organizations failed in their duty of care.

The suit claims McMurray’s conduct amounted to “abuse of power and exploitation of the trust and psychological intimacy inherent to the relationship between a coach and a young athlete.”

It also alleges Luge Canada and other organizations failed to protect him or investigate coaching practices, exposing him to unreasonable risk.

Reid is seeking general, special, aggravated, and punitive damages, along with compensation for past and future care costs.

In response, McMurray denied the allegations, including claims of abuse or unsafe coaching practices. He also argued Reid’s own actions contributed to the crash, alleging he failed to exercise “reasonable care” and may have competed while impaired or using improper equipment.

McMurray further alleged Reid’s parents were negligent for allowing him to compete under unsafe conditions.

Other defendants also denied responsibility. Luge Canada said Reid voluntarily accepted the risks of the sport, stating he had “full understanding, awareness, and knowledge of the inherent risks, dangers and hazards of the sport of luge and accepted them voluntarily.”

WSLS denied liability and disputed Reid’s entitlement to certain damages under provincial legislation.

The trial will take place at 10 a.m. on April 5, 2027, at the B.C. Supreme Court in downtown Vancouver. n

‘Millions’ in missing tips: B.C. restaurants sound alarm

FINTECH PAYMENT SYSTEM ALLEGEDLY REMOVED MONEY FROM DIGITAL WALLETS IN UNAUTHORIZED WAY, BUSINESS OWNERS SAY

BY GLEN KORSTROM

Business in Vancouver

RESTAURANT OWNERS across B.C. are under stress due to what they say is thousands of dollars in missing money meant to pay workers’ tips from accounts at a fintech company.

The businesses use a payment system branded by XTM Inc. (CSE:PAID), and as of late October has been managed by Everyday People Financial Corp. (TSX-V: EPF) through a jointly formed subsidiary called Everyday People Payments Inc.

BIV emailed that company and XTM CEO Marilyn Schaffer but did not get responses by press time.

While she did not address allegations of missing tip money, in a Feb. 2 news release she did say that a compliance process had started, related to Canada’s Retail Payment Activities Act.

“The transition has included

challenges related to reconciliation and technology alignment,” she said.

Restaurant owners use fintech intermediaries to speed the process of getting tips to workers in part because if they hold on to the money for too long in their own system it may have tax consequences, British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association CEO Ian Tostenson told BIV.

Nancy O’s Restaurant Group president Eoin Foley, who operates three Prince George restaurants, told BIV Thursday afternoon that his digital wallets on the Everyday People Payments platform have been out $15,000 since last week. He has not yet filed a police report, he said, but he has lodged a complaint with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

He received an emailed form-letter response from Everyday People Payments on Monday saying that “we apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience as we work through inquiries consistently.”

The company acknowledged what it called an “incident” on Jan. 28 and said that it “implemented an accelerated shift to an advance-funded processing model as required under the Canadian federal law, the Retail Payment Activities Act.”

The company explained that preauthorized debit “timing and batching were adjusted immediately so that card loads and payouts occur only once funding has been established through the banking system. This was a stabilization measure to eliminate settlement exposure and strengthen safeguarding going forward.”

Whistler-based Eric Griffith, who owns the Alta Bistro and is chair of the Restaurant Association of Whistler, told BIV he is out about $4,400 from a digital wallet and about $11,000 from a bank account.

He told BIV that he has filed a police report, and has spent much time sending emails to Everyday People Payments and

trying to get answers.

He had yet to get a response as of Thursday morning, Feb. 5, and he said, “they don’t answer their phones.”

Tostenson said he has been hearing from restaurant owners across the province, including large operators. All told, the amounts that have gone unaccounted for are in the millions, he said.

He said his association recommends members use Atlas Hospitality Automation.

Glowbal Restaurant Group partner Patrick Austin told BIV that his company switched to Atlas in 2023 after a short stint using XTM’s one, and that he likes Atlas’ operation.

“XTM was offering a variety of services, like rewards programs, insurance programs, added benefits and stuff that I never really felt had any place,” he said. “It had nothing to do with my staff’s tips. They weren’t focused on a simple and direct service. Atlas is.” n

Lawsuit alleges Comor mounted incompatible bindings prior to Whistler crash

A VANCOUVER PLAINTIFF CLAIMS IMPROPER MOUNTING, TESTING AND COMPATIBILITY CHECKS LEFT HIS BINDINGS UNABLE TO RELEASE DURING A 2024 FALL THAT HE SAYS CAUSED EXTENSIVE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURIES

BY LUKE FAULKS

A VANCOUVER MAN has filed a lawsuit against Comor Sports Centre Ltd., alleging the retailer improperly mounted ski bindings—resulting in a broken right leg while skiing at Whistler.

In a Feb. 12 civil claim filed with the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Gregory James Jameson names Comor, an unidentified Comor employee listed as “John Doe,” and ABC Corp. as defendants.

Jameson alleges that on Feb. 27, 2022, he visited Comor in Vancouver to have new bindings mounted on his skis. His old boots, the claim states, were used to inform the measurements of the bindings. But the boots’ “rockered” and “rubber” material rendered them

incompatible with the new bindings.

Jameson maintains the employee “did not advise [him] of the incompatibility and proceeded to mount the new bindings on his new skis.”

Just over two years later, on Feb. 29, 2024, while skiing at Whistler using the new skis, bindings mounted in 2022 and the same boots, the plaintiff fell, breaking his right leg.

At the time of the incident, the plaintiff’s “DIN (release setting on ski bindings) was set at 8,” and he “does not recall the bindings releasing prior to the incident,” the notice states.

The filing says Jameson was transported to Whistler Hospital, was later transferred to Vancouver General Hospital and underwent surgery on his broken leg on March 1, 2024.

The plaintiff alleges a range of

injuries, including to his right leg, knee, and foot, his ankles, nerve, hips, back, and neck, along with chronic pain, numbness in his legs, dizziness and a balance disorder, difficulty concentrating, “psychiatric and psychological injuries, including depression and anxiety,” and “sleep disturbance.”

As a result, the plaintiff claims damages including the loss of past and future income, the cost of rehab and medical treatment (along with transportation associated with those services), medication, loss of enjoyment of “the amenities of life,” “pain and suffering,” and “loss of past and future earning capacity and opportunity,” among others.

The plaintiff hinges his case on the Occupier’s Liability Act and the Negligence Act, alleging that the defendants “owed a duty of care to the Plaintiff.” ABC Corp.

No criminal charges in Highway 99 landslide

is named as the owner of the property on which Comor operates.

The claim sets out several particulars of alleged negligence, including “failing to properly mount and adjust the ski bindings,” “failing to perform appropriate functional and release testing,” “failing to ensure that the bindings were compatible with the plaintiff’s skis and ski boots,” and “failing to set the appropriate DIN/ release values.”

It also alleges failures in training and supervision and “exposing the plaintiff to a risk of injury from which the Defendants knew or ought to have known.”

A response to the civil claim had not been filed at the time of publication, and Comor did not respond to a request for comment before press time.

None of the allegations have been proven in court. n

THE LIONS BAY LANDSLIDE TOOK THE LIVES OF DAVID AND BARBARA ENNS, LONGTIME RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY

BY LIZ MCDONALD

The Squamish Chief

SQUAMISH ROYAL Canadian Mounted Police have concluded their investigation into the Lions Bay landslide that led to the deaths of two local residents.

David and Barbara Enns, longtime residents of Lions Bay, were swept away when the landslide collided with their home.

On Dec. 14, 2024, the Squamish RCMP responded to the disaster that cut off the north and southbound lanes of Highway

99. The Sea to Sky General Investigation Section launched an investigation into the circumstances of the landslide and met with industry experts.

“Following a comprehensive review of all available evidence and expert analysis, investigators determined that the available evidence did not establish a basis to support criminal charges,” the RCMP wrote in a press release.

“Our investigation into this tragic incident has been completed,” said Sgt. Jeff Shore NCO i/c Sea to Sky GIS. “Our thoughts remain with the family, who

have endured so much throughout this tragedy. Squamish RCMP would also like to thank our partner agencies and members of the community for their cooperation and assistance throughout this investigation.”

The investigation is concluded, and the RCMP noted that they would not provide any further information at this time.

It’s still unknown what caused the landslide.

The legal decision does not affect a separate civil lawsuit brought by the Enns children. That case, filed in April 2025 against

the province, the Village of Lions Bay and landowner Steven Vestergaard, alleges negligence and wrongful death. All defendants deny responsibility, and the province argues the incident was an “act of God.”

The plaintiffs allege Vestergaard’s construction, which was above the Enns home, caused the slope to fail during a period of heavy storms.

Vestergaard denies wrongdoing and says he had obtained permits for the construction.

None of the claims have been proven in court. n

‘Low-hanging fruit’: Whistler councillors discuss emissions from open doors

LETTERS REIGNITE QUESTIONS ABOUT PATIO HEATERS, PROPPED DOORS AND WHETHER THE MUNICIPALITY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ACT

BY LUKE FAULKS

IT’S BEEN A TOUGH winter for Whistler. Late snows left the mountain uncharacteristically quiet during the early part of the ski season. That all led to a darkly ironic scene for Councillor Arthur De Jong.

He describes walking down the Village Stroll, looking up at an unusually empty mountain with far less snow than there was when he first arrived in Whistler to work as a ski patrol paramedic back in 1979. As he walked through Whistler’s core, he recalls largely empty patios with burners on. Or doors propped open without patrons entering and exiting.

He said that amount of wasted energy spent “heating the outdoors” represents a potential dual opportunity for Whistler.

“This one is low-hanging fruit for climate [action],” De Jong said. “Improving environmental performance can help [operators’] bottom line. There’s a win-win here.”

BUILDINGS

AS LOW-HANGING FRUIT

The issue lands squarely in the middle of Whistler’s climate commitments.

De Jong noted emissions from commercial buildings form a significant share of the community’s footprint. “Almost a quarter of our emissions come from commercial buildings,” he said, linking patio heaters and open doors to natural gas consumption.

That local breakdown aligns with national data. According to Natural Resources Canada, the buildings sector accounts for roughly 18 per cent of Canada’s direct greenhouse gas emissions, largely from space and water heating, much of it powered by natural gas.

Whistler’s own climate strategy has identified building emissions as a key target area.

OPTICS AND LEGAL TEETH

The latest discussion around “heating the outdoors” was spurred by a letter received by council on Jan. 21.

“Heating the outdoors isn’t just wasteful; it increases energy use at a time when we should be reducing it,” Whistler resident Kat Alderton wrote in her initial letter to the resort municipality.

In a follow-up letter, Alderton wrote that doors were “open well beyond short peak windows and across much of the day.” While she reiterated not want wanting to shame anyone, she urged council to consider education and enforcement.

The sticking point is enforcement. De Jong said back in 2019, council found it did not have “the legal teeth to legislate closed doors and outdoor heaters.” In a recent interview, he reiterated that understanding, saying the municipality could not “bylaw or legislate an operator [to] keep doors shut or legislate outside patios,” due to provincial constraints around negative economic impacts to local businesses.

Council isn’t entirely sold on the need for a campaign, either.

Coun. Ralph Forsyth said retailers have previously framed propped doors as a customer service measure during peak ski traffic. “The doors aren’t open all day. The doors are open between three and 3:30 when 90 per cent of their traffic is walking in and out of the door,” he said at a Feb. 3 meeting.

“I don’t think people are deliberately flaunting anything. I think that it’s a customer service issue,” he added.

Coun. Jen Ford said optics matter. “This is not just about doors being open. This is about heating patios where no one is sitting, or having hot tubs and dollar signs just floating above them all winter long.” she said. “We are wasting energy. We can do better, and I challenge our community to look at ways to do it differently.”

THE BANFF EXEMPLAR AND REFERRAL

One province over, the Town of Banff elected to require businesses close their doors during the winter months.

In 2022, the resort town amended its Community Standards Bylaw to require nonresidential businesses to keep doors closed between the Tuesday after Thanksgiving Day [until] the last Friday in April, with exemptions and an education-first approach.

The bylaw remains on the books.

For now, Whistler council has opted to study the issue further.

At its Feb. 24 meeting, council voted to receive and refer the latest letter to the climate action and environment select committee.

De Jong said he plans to conduct an informal walk-through audit and speak with operators and advocacy group AWARE Whistler about a potential renewed education campaign.

For a resort community whose economy depends on winter, he suggested the symbolism matters as much as the kilowatt-hours.

“If you’re not willing to pick up the bucket and at least seize the low-hanging fruit of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings then I feel hopeless, and I refuse to place myself in that camp,” he said. n

Snowboarder dies in large avalanche near Joffre Lakes Park

SEARCH-AND-RESCUE CREWS LOCATED THE RIDER BURIED 1.5 METRES DEEP AFTER A SIZE-THREE SLIDE CAPABLE OF DESTROYING A SMALL BUILDING

BY LUKE FAULKS

A SNOWBOARDER has died after triggering a large avalanche near Joffre Lakes Park, Pemberton Search and Rescue (PSAR) has confirmed.

Pemberton RCMP were notified of a missing person around 2 p.m. Tuesday in the backcountry near Joffre Peak, close to Mount Matier and the Anniversary Glacier. RCMP Insp. Robert Dykstra said there was an avalanche in the area where the person was believed to be.

“Pemberton SAR located the missing person deceased and recovery is ongoing,” Dykstra told CBC News.

In an interview Wednesday morning, PSAR president David Mackenzie told Pique a report came in at approximately 2:13 p.m. on Feb. 24 that a snowboarder was missing after a large avalanche swept him away.

“The avalanche was triggered by the rider who was solo at the time,” Mackenzie said, describing the incident as a “size three”—a slide that “could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a small building, or break a few

trees,” according to Avalanche Canada.

The snowboarder had set out alone from Keith’s Hut while a companion remained behind. The reporting party witnessed the snowboarder get caught in the slide and initiated a search but found no transceiver signal.

Unable to locate the rider, they left to get help in Pemberton.

STAYING SAFE IN B.C.’S BACKCOUNTRY

The fatality comes amid elevated avalanche danger across southwest B.C.

Following a recent storm cycle, the entire Sea to Sky region has been given a high danger rating—the second-highest level on a five-point scale.

Provincewide, this is B.C.’s fourth

“The avalanche was triggered by the rider who was solo at the time.”

- DAVID MACKENZIE

Members of Pemberton SAR, Whistler SAR and Whistler Blackcomb ski patrol responded, along with accredited Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association teams.

At about 4 p.m. the same day, SAR members picked up a transceiver signal, confirmed probe strikes and dug the rider out. The snowboarder was buried approximately 1.5 metres deep near the bottom of the slide path. The deceased has not yet been identified.

The slide is identified through two separate reports on Avalanche Canada’s map.

avalanche death of the 2025-26 season, following fatalities near Revelstoke, Fernie and Tumbler Ridge in recent weeks.

Joffre Peak sits within one of B.C.’s most visited provincial parks. While much of the traffic is concentrated on the popular summer hiking trail, the surrounding alpine terrain is a well-known backcountry ski and snowboard destination.

Mackenzie urged backcountry users to consult and understand avalanche forecasts before heading out.

“Check the conditions [on] avalanche. ca,” he said. “But it’s not just about

checking the conditions. It’s about understanding the conditions. Because we know the situation in the backcountry is very dynamic. It’s always changing.”

He emphasized that terrain, wind, solar input and temperature all influence hazard levels.

“If an area you know is seen as a high hazard, don’t go there,” Mackenzie said. “Wait another day. Wait for favourable conditions.”

Mackenzie said PSAR has seen “a regular start” to the season, with a handful of calls for incidents like backcountry skiers with knee injuries, stranded motorists on forest service roads—“don’t drive on forest service roads in wintertime,” he counselled— and some ice-climbers who ended up self-rescuing.

Avalanche Canada recommends that anyone travelling in avalanche terrain carry essential rescue gear: a transceiver, probe and shovel—and know how to use them. The organization also advises travelling with partners, spreading out in avalanche terrain, identifying safe zones and taking certified avalanche skills training courses like AST 1 or AST 2.

Daily forecasts, regional danger ratings, trip planning tools and educational resources are available at avalanche.ca, which provides updates throughout the winter season. n

Jumping on the Japan bandwagon

IF YOU’RE A SKIER or snowboarder in the Sea to Sky corridor, there’s a good chance you’ve already experienced the exemplary snow of Japan. Ski tourism is booming in the island nation, with postCOVID visitor numbers ballooning in the most popular resorts like Hakuba and

BY VINCE SHULEY

Niseko. As the world’s winter weather grows more volatile, skiers are looking for consistency and reliability for their snow fix. While many resorts in the American West struggled for snow in December and January, Japan was getting dumped on. The European Alps and British Columbia have both had a mixed season thus far, though everyone is hopeful for a stronger pivot into early March.

There’s always somewhere else in the world that’s doing better on snowfall. In January and early February of 2026, that was Japan. But there’s a perception that Japan (or Japow as some like to call it) is somehow immune to warming global temperatures and unpredictable weather. My recent trip there verified it certainly is not immune, but it has quite a few advantages over other snow destinations.

There are a number of meteorological explanations as to why Japanese

mountains experience such intense snowstorms, but the biggest and most obvious is the “Japan Sea Snow Effect,” which is similar to what produces heavy lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes. Japan receives bitterly cold air from Siberia and Manchuria, which is then dragged over the relatively warmer water of the Sea of Japan. This unstable stacking of very cold air above warmer water forms bands of heavy snow that are then blown ashore onto the western parts of the country. On about Feb. 2, a reporting station at Obihiro, Hokkaido, measured 120 centimetres (47.24 inches)

cooked by the solar warming and enjoying a ridgetop picnic in the sun overlooking mountains none of us had seen before. This was an experience in itself.

The warming trend continued followed by a rapid cold change, turning all that sun-softened snow into impenetrable crust in the mountains across the region. While the sunshine soon returned, we only skied two of the following three days in the deteriorated conditions. The ski trip was quickly turning into half-days of resort groomers with culinary and sightseeing stops in the afternoons. For the members of our

There’s always somewhere else in the world that’s doing better on snowfall. In January and early February of 2026, that was Japan.

of snowfall in just 12 hours, with slightly less intense storms hitting the mainland island of Honshu.

Word of such record-breaking storms travels fast, and everyone wants in on it. But like any ski trip, it all comes down to timing. And a whole lot of luck.

My trip began in Tokyo on Feb. 11, with friends flying in on the 13th and the first day of skiing slated for the 14th. We arrived at Nozawa Onsen and were greeted with high snowbanks and a base snow depth well over 300 cm. But it was unseasonably warm with on-mountain temperatures in the high single digits. We made the best of what we had by finding north-facing slopes that hadn’t been

party who had travelled for Japan ski trips in the past, this was nothing new. Then, four days before our trip wrapped, it snowed. Not a metre in 24 hours mind, but a solid 20 to 30 centimetres with the wind accumulating more in certain zones. We witnessed the crazy efficient municipal snow removal infrastructure that made it so easy to drive the morning of the powder day. With the clouds forecasted to clear in the late morning, we picked Arai Snow Resort as our pow-day destination. Lift operations were slow to get started, but once the alpine opened we skied lap after lap with minimal lift lines, the treed ridges and steep gullies fulfilling

the reason we travelled half way across the world. We skied until the final bell, finding fresh lines until the polite lift attendants shook their heads and told us they were done for the day.

The sorely needed reset couldn’t have arrived at a better time. The following two days we toured above the resort lifts in two other local ski areas, finding shaded slopes that retained the cold and dry powder despite the spring temperatures returning. We hustled for as many laps as we could (fuelled by rice balls and 7-Eleven snacks), more than making up for the wry conditions and lack of skiing we had earlier in the week. On our final day in the Japanese mountains, we summited and skied Mount Myoko, the prominent peak of the area and namesake of the town in the valley. The touring route took us down the edge of an ancient volcanic crater before the final push to the summit, the panoramic view at the top reaching as far as the Sea of Japan to the northwest and Mount Fuji to the south. Magic.

Our trip to Japan wasn’t the end-toend pow buffet many others got a few weeks earlier. Having that expectation of your winter ski vacation can set yourself up for a major disappointment. People sometimes travel for weeks to Japan and sometimes receive no fresh snow at all, or worse, they get rained on the entire time. There’s no formula for which weeks of the season are more reliable, you just have to commit and make the most of your Japanese adventure. This time it worked out for us in the end.

Vince Shuley will return to Japan. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. n

Trade without accountability, pollution without borders

A NEW INTERNATIONAL order is emerging, according to representatives at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and at the Munich Security Conference—one of fragmented states acting in their own self-interest, sovereign fortresses sliding toward economic nationalism.

A Munich conference statement places much of the blame on Canada’s neighbour: “The international order is ‘under destruction’ because the country that has long shaped and defended it, namely the United States, is now governed by actors who prefer sweeping demolition over incremental reform and repair.”

and the elderly. When environmental standards collapse in one jurisdiction on a continent with contiguous borders, everyone absorbs the costs.

Yet trade negotiations are framed as matters of national security and economic necessity—arguments used to justify secrecy, speed and public exclusion. Governments insist on prioritizing competitiveness over environmental and health safeguards. This political strategy is designed to shield trade governance from transparency, accountability and scrutiny.

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The political fiction of fortresses hides the fact that dismantling the rule of law in one state shreds environmental, health and human rights accountability across borders, particularly where markets remain deeply integrated.

Canada, the United States and Mexico are bound by one of the world’s most integrated economic systems. Supply chains, energy systems, food production and manufacturing operate across borders that don’t recognize chemical pollution, toxic emissions and other ecological harms.

Yet the forthcoming review of the countries’ trade agreement is unfolding in a context in which one party—the U.S.— is rapidly breaking down environmental, health and safety regulations while demanding deeper market access.

In light of the recent repeal of the U.S. “endangerment finding”—the legal determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare— Canada and Mexico must defend science as the foundation of trade and regulation.

An integrated market with a rogue deregulatory state will inflict damage on the whole continent. Meaningful accountability regarding the human rights, ecosystem and public health impacts of trade is already lacking in the Canada-Mexico-U.S. agreement. Environmental provisions are weak, enforcement is constrained and climate obligations are absent.

As the U.S. accelerates deregulation— allowing factories to pollute more and exempting industries from rules that safeguard air, water, land and human health—any renewed trade agreement will export harm to people in Canada, Mexico and globally.

This is the reality of integration under deregulation. Carbon pollution, contaminated air and toxic water move through connected, borderless ecosystems. Supply chains predictably distribute toxic exposure to workers, Indigenous and other historically marginalized communities, children

The result is a black box: trade agreements are negotiated behind closed doors, insulated from democratic participation and ratified with little opportunity for meaningful challenge. Once in force, they restructure economies, lock in regulatory trajectories and leave future policy spaces without mechanisms capable of responding to the detriments they produce. This model is intensifying globally.

In the face of the U.S. threat, corporate executives are consolidating control over trade and investment policy. Legislatures are being sidelined and accountability mechanisms are being weakened or quietly abandoned. National security language has become the most powerful tool for normalizing this shift. In its shadow, environmental protection and public health are being reframed as expendable.

Canada and Mexico must urgently break the chain of deepened integration with the U.S., as the latter has proven to be driven by violence, openly hostile to regulation, dismissive of international norms and indifferent to the deleterious cross-border consequences of its policies. The only certainty is the increased pollution and regulatory chaos that can’t possibly be contained within U.S. borders.

No executive—in Washington, Ottawa or elsewhere—should have the unilateral power to dismantle protections, bypass accountability and impose dangerous consequences on people beyond their borders. Yet this is the model being normalized: centralized authority, minimal transparency and the erosion of public recourse, all in the name of trade and security.

The global public must wake up to this reality. Trade and investment agreements determine water and air quality. They govern decisions about whose land will be sacrificed and who will bear the long-term health costs. Treating trade governance as a sealed domain governed by security imperatives is reckless.

People across borders must reject the lies of securitized trade, demand transparency and insist that economic integration can’t come at the cost of life itself.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Director-General for Quebec and Atlantic Canada Sabaa Khan. Learn more at davidsuzuki.org. n

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‘A LOCAL MOUNTAIN THAT DONE GOOD’

Whistler Mountain’s volunteer ski patrol gathers to remember the early days

BY LUKE FAULKS

“A

rriving there, [you] just had to bring a sleeping bag,” Joan Guthrie told the Whistler Museum. “If you’re lucky, you got a bed, but usually you just had to throw the sleeping bag on the floor. Then all of us would just lie out there together and sleep.”

Guthrie first came to Whistler in the mid-1970s from Mammoth Mountain. After a “strenuous interview” and a “ski-off,” she became part of Whistler Mountain’s legendary volunteer ski patrol.

For her, the patrol cabin wasn’t just where you warmed up between calls, it was where the volunteer gig became a life. “We’d sit outside, have our beer at the end of the day, talking about what had happened

But in the museum’s gallery space, that long arc came through less as a timeline than as a series of lived scenes—how people got recruited, how they communicated without radios, how they hauled patients down steep runs and how a volunteer organization eventually ran into the realities of control.

WHO SHOWED UP—AND HOW THEY GOT HERE

Guthrie and Mackenzie were accompanied by seven other ski patrollers, reuniting to share stories, on the record, with the Whistler Museum.

Albert Van Citters is a longtime ski patroller, but said his first connection to the place predated the resort. He came “with the Alpine Club, very early, before anything was open,” and remembers climbing Whistler “on skins,

throughout the day,” Guthrie said. “It was the great camaraderie and the fun of it all.”

Guthrie believes the cabin is still there—“behind the Whistler Mountain Club, [still] there, falling in pieces.”

For Ian Mackenzie—one of the early volunteers who helped scout where the cabin would be situated—the building is a reminder of how much of early Whistler was literally made by the people who worked the mountain. “The roof, [we] all hand-split from a cedar log and that original roof is still on there,” he said.

Those were the kinds of images on offer when a group of early Whistler ski patrollers reunited for a public panel at the Whistler Museum and Archives in January, sharing what it looked like to keep skiers safe when the resort was young and when “patrol” sometimes meant helping build the mountain as much as responding to accidents.

Originally run entirely by volunteers, First Aid Ski Patrol on Whistler started with 12 people in 1965, before construction of the lifts was even completed, and grew to more than 80 active volunteers at its peak. Like ski patrol today, the volunteers were among the first on the mountain and the last to leave—checking terrain before others accessed it and regularly taking risks to save lives.

Over time, as Whistler grew rapidly, professional ski patrollers were brought in, and First Aid Ski Patrol volunteers continued supporting professional patrol until Blackcomb opened in 1980.

seal skins,” and deciding “it must be a nice place to have something to ski there.”

Penny Van Citters—“Penny Taylor when I was on the ski patrol”—joined when “the patrol had been going a couple of years already,” and remembers “the camaraderie and the first aid,” including “firstaid competition teams” that “did very well in the provincials.” She later became a registered nurse, she said, because she “really enjoyed that aspect of it.”

Tony Lyttle—head of the ski patrol from 1965 to 1971—told the room his first view of Whistler came from the air: “my first time up here was with Franz Wilhelmsen by helicopter [to] look at the overall area of the mountain and see where some of the runs might be set up.”

Blair Smith traces his own start to the Varsity Outdoor Club: he “joined about 1964,” did an initiation hike “from the base to the top of Whistler,” helped build a club cabin in “summer of ’65,” and was “introduced to the first day of ski patrol and joined then.”

Ron Royston also came up skiing with the Alpine Club and helped build an Alpine Club cabin “back in the ’65, ‘66 era.” He got wind of “openings on the Whistler ski patrol” from “one of my buddies,” and was recruited for his mountaineering background: “I was to bring my mountaineering skills [and] they would help teach me how to ski.”

Peter Frinton, who served “from 1966 ‘til ’72,” recalled being shown the broader valley before the resort’s focus fully settled on Whistler. He described

Franz Wilhelmsen pointing to Black Tusk and saying, “So, I want to build a ski resort here,” before the group moved on to “the mountain [up] the road.”

The volunteer group’s remit went well beyond first aid: volunteer patrol handled risk management, marking runs, trail maintenance, lift evacuations, finding lost skiers, and, after big storms, helping dig out lift infrastructure.

PATROLLING A MOUNTAIN STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Asked what stood out from his first year, Smith went straight to a moment that doesn’t read like modern “operations” at all: volunteers shuttled up the mountain to help finish lift infrastructure.

Whistler’s first chairlift, the Red Chair, used to have a mid-station where skiers would queue at Tower 9 to take the chair back to the top. Smith remembers stopping at Tower 9, jumping off with skis and equipment in hand, and sinking in up to his waist. Blair had gone up to help one of the “lifties” finish the landing platform.

Then came the “getting-home part” in a fledgling town without regular snowplows and a snowpack unlike anything a warming Whistler has today.

“We skied down and ended up where the village is, and I thought, ‘well, how do we get back to Creekside?’”

Blair recalled. “And the road was all covered in snow,

for emergencies. Patrollers carried cards, and if they encountered an incident, they’d fill one out and hand it to someone heading to the lift’s base, because “the lift had a magneto telephone” to call for support—“the bump patrol,” he said—bringing “additional equipment and support.”

Before portable radios, patrollers rotated between skiing a lap and waiting at the top of a lift so someone could always be found in an emergency—sometimes for long periods out in the elements, in an era before Gore-Tex. Patrol essentials were self-funded, relying on donations, fundraising and the generosity of patrollers themselves.

Later, Lyttle described building out a more formal phone network: “BC Tel [donated] a switchboard [and] a whole bunch of crank phones which we were then able to install at the bottom of each lift,” with wires running back so lift bottoms could call patrol.

When radios finally arrived, the change was immediate. “When we got walkie-talkies, that improved things with no end,” Lyttle said—allowing the first responder to assess what was needed and call in the right gear and backup. A 1972 raffle raised money for portable two-way radios, which revolutionized skipatrol practices.

“Within a decade, we all got more sophisticated,” recalls Lyttle.

and a pickup truck came along, [a] rope appeared from somebody’s pack, and we all got towed back.”

Mackenzie had his own Tower 9 memory—a moment that earned him the dubious honour of being the tower’s first accident.

He’d been given “a big, heavy backpack full of nails” to haul up, but “getting on the chair was quite an adventure. [You] had to make a jump up,” he said. As he pulled himself up onto the seat, “my shoulder popped out,” he recalled, leaving him “half on and half off” until someone “pulled me back on again.” With “no toboggans on the mountain,” he said, “they ended up running the lift backwards to take me down.”

THE SYSTEMS THAT KEPT PEOPLE FINDABLE

If the Tower 9 stories were about building the mountain, the cabin stories were about building the patrol— especially before modern communications.

“We didn’t have radios in those days,” Penny Van Citters said. An early communication tool was a “pegboard” system for checking a run. “Every time you came up to the top of the mountain, you took a peg out and picked it into the next run, and then you went off on that run,” she said.

Mackenzie credits the “clever idea” to Lyttle, because otherwise volunteers “might have only skied our favourite runs.” Instead, the ski patrol covered every run on the mountain.

Royston describes a second layer of improvisation

in a helicopter, set up tables and had staff start dispensing wine while patrollers watched enviously from their posts.

“It was my duty weekend, so I went up to him, and I said, ‘Look, we can’t drink on duty. But could we have something for later?’” Mackenzie recalled. “So he gave me a gallon of royal red. I remember skiing down the mountain [with] royal red. It was a good night.”

“I think that’s the beer fridge out of our cabin,”— Mackenzie remarked, pointing to a small, sticker-covered fridge in the museum’s gallery—” and we had it filled with beer. And so we had some very good, good times.”

Those “good times” could get messy. “Patrollers were feeling a little rambunctious,” Lyttle told the crowd. “One of the patrollers put an apple pie into the face of another patroller.”

What started as weekend fun, several panelists recalled, turned into lifelong bonds. Royston, reflecting on how patrol shaped his life, said the enduring impact was the people.

“The people we met as patrollers, we carried on the bonds,” he said, describing friendships that extended into childcare, games and decades of keeping in touch. “It’s something that it’s made us better people for having this opportunity.”

Albert Van Citters said patrol became a family throughline.

“All my family has been ski-patrolling ever since,” he

WHEN IT WASN’T ONLY FUN

The afternoon wasn’t only nostalgia. Some stories were offered as hard memory.

In the volunteer era, medical support was limited: doctors rotated in to assist with diagnosis, sutures and dislocated shoulders, with flags raised to get a doctor’s attention. There was no medical centre, only a small first-aid room, and without ambulances, most people travelled to Squamish or Vancouver by private vehicle—while only the most serious head or back injuries were flown out by helicopter.

Guthrie recalled responding as second patroller to an accident just under Red Chair, involving a six-year-old boy who was struck by a skier whose ski had come off. The child, she said, was helicoptered out, but sadly died.

She and another patroller attended the funeral, and the question that stayed with her was simple: “why was this child not wearing a helmet?” The experience led Guthrie to advocate for helmets.

And while helmets became mandatory decades later at Whistler during the 2009-2010 season, Lyttle said her advocacy mattered.

PIE FIGHTS AND FRIENDSHIPS THAT STUCK

For all the talk of cold mornings and steep runs, the panelists were clear patrol also built a social world that filled in gaps in a town that, in the 1960s and ’70s, didn’t have much infrastructure for nightlife or dining.

Mackenzie remembers a weekend in the spring of ’67, when Herb Capozzi—“who owned Calona Wines”—flew up

said. “It’s a life. Ski patrol has given us a tremendous opportunity to learn more about people and to enjoy nature as well.”

BOWING OUT

As the resort professionalized, so did the demands placed on patrol structure.

Lyttle described the volunteer patrol as “an entity unto themselves who did not report to the lift company,” a setup that caused problems in the end. The pressure point, he said, was insurance: “the insurance company said, ‘If you don’t have control over those people, [you’re] going to be sued.’”

The conclusion, in his telling, was partly cultural: “we were a proud bunch,” Lyttle said. “We said, ‘No, we didn’t report to the lift company.’ We had our own structure, and that’s when we parted.”

Some patrollers left, while others stayed on. In 2012, at age 74, Albert Van Citters was recognized by Whistler Blackcomb for his 40 years serving on the hills. Royston has racked up tens of thousands of hours working with North Shore Rescue since 1975.

Frinton, reflecting on how quickly Whistler changed, set the early patrol years against the resort’s international rise.

“For this resort, to go from what it was to where it is … I can’t think of a parallel to that,” he said, comparing Whistler’s trajectory to other major ski areas that opened in the same era. “It was a local mountain that done good.”

To learn more about the Museum’s oral history and archival holdings, visit whistlermuseum.org/collection. n

Bianca Ribi, Skylar Sieben 11th at Olympic two-woman bobsleigh race

MARIELLE THOMPSON 14TH IN SKI-CROSS FINAL; EIGHTH FOR MARK MCMORRIS IN SNOWBOARD SLOPESTYLE, JULIETTE PELCHAT NINTH AMONG WOMEN

BY DAVID SONG

MILANO CORTINA 2026 is over, but first here’s one more batch of locally-affiliated performances.

Canada’s bobsleigh team, which trains regularly at the Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC), saw its best two-woman result come from Bianca Ribi and Skylar Sieben who registered a time of three minutes and 51.44 seconds to place 11th after four runs. Melissa Lotholz and Kelsey Mitchell ended up 13th (3:51.53) while Cynthia Appiah and Dawn Richardson Wilson came 14th (3:51.79).

Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi defended their Olympic gold from Beijing (3:48.46), besting fellow Germans Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten who earned silver (3:48.99). Kaillie Armbruster Humphries and Jasmine Jones took bronze for the United States.

Results-wise it is the worst Games outing for Canadian female bobsledders since Salt Lake City 2002, but Ribi and Sieben outduelled their more experienced peers. Lotholz and Mitchell are both three-time Olympians (Mitchell a track cycling champ from Tokyo six years ago), while Appiah and Wilson just

completed their second Games.

“A crazy big stage, crazy moment,” said Ribi in a press release. “It was amazing to share it with Skylar, both of us being first-time Olympians. I feel really proud of how we performed. I don’t think a lot of people thought that I was going to be here. There were probably more times than not that I didn’t think that I was going to be here either. It was really special to be able to do it and kind of be the dark horse and come from behind … start the year Canada 4 and end the year Canada 1 with Skylar.”

Taylor Austin, Keaton Bruggeling, Mike Evelyn O’Higgins and Shaquille MurrayLawrence got into 14th in the four-man race (3:40.29), while Jay Dearborn, Yohan Eskrick-Parkinson, Luka Stoikos and Mark Zanette held onto 20th (3:41.16). It is the first time since Turin 2006 that Canada failed to grab an Olympic medal in any men’s bobsleigh discipline.

Yet Johannes Lochner, Thorsten Margis, Jorn Wenzel and Georg Fleischhauer authored a dominant victory at the end of Lochner’s final season (3:37.57). Lochner has now completed his resurgence over Francesco Friedrich, who has four Olympic golds from Pyeongchang and Beijing. Despite competitive pushes from Matthias Sommer, Felix Straub and Alexander Schuller, Friedrich dropped into second (3:38.14) after also being runner-up to Lochner in two-man.

The Swiss quartet of Michael Vogt, Andreas Haas, David Amadou Ndiaye

and Mario Aeberhard clocked into third (3:38.64), disrupting what would have been a German podium sweep as the unit led by Adam Ammour fell back into fourth.

In other news, Cassie Sharpe had to withdraw from the ladies’ ski halfpipe final after a qualifying crash on Feb. 19 that saw her stretchered away. Sharpe regained her faculties but was not medically cleared to compete, watching from the sidelines instead.

The BC Sports Hall of Famer who resides in Squamish wrote on Instagram: “Not the way I was planning to leave my Olympic experience but forever grateful to my family, friends and medical staff for supporting and loving me through it! Was bittersweet watching the girls knowing I would’ve been right in the mix but so proud of the riding the girls put out! Catch you on the flip side!”

Eileen Gu notched a second straight Olympic halfpipe title at Sunday’s final by way of 94.75 points. Her Chinese compatriot Li Fanghui was second (93.00) and Zoe Atkin of Great Britain rounded out the top three (92.50), just in front of fourthplace Canadian Amy Fraser (88.00).

Norwegians swept the men’s 50-kilometre mass start cross-country event on Feb. 21, led by Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (2:06:44.80) who became the first athlete to win six gold medals at a single Winter Olympics. Joe Davies of Pemberton finished 16th (2:14:52.70) but the real story is Klaebo, whose 11 career Games titles have him behind only swimming legend Michael Phelps (23) in

that department.

“It’s been crazy, it’s a dream come true,” Klaebo voiced in an interview with BBC. “I really think this Olympics has been perfect. Being able to crown the Olympics with the 50km was unbelievable.”

MARIELLE THOMPSON 14TH AT MILANO CORTINA SKICROSS FINAL

All good things must come to an end, and that can now be said of the Olympic medal streak for Canada’s female skicross racers.

For the first time since 2010 when ski cross made its Winter Games debut, no Canadians realized a podium. Marielle Thompson ended up a disappointing 14th, while Hannah Schmidt (12th) and Brittany Phelan (16th) were likewise eliminated during quarterfinal action.

Instead Daniela Maier of Germany struck gold by vanquishing two of her sport’s most outstanding competitors. Swiss ace Fanny Smith earned silver to go along with bronzes from Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022, becoming the first ski-cross athlete to obtain three Olympic medals. Fourty-four-time World Cup victor Sandra Naeslund took bronze, unable to defend her Games championship from four years ago.

Thompson faced an uphill climb to qualify for Milano Cortina after injuring her knee last February. She’s also locked horns with hardship outside of sport given her brother Broderick’s lifethreatening accident in 2023 and the

January 2025 passing of their father, George Roderick “Rod” Thompson. For her to even start an Olympic race at this stage of her life can be viewed as a feat unto itself.

“I need to take a minute to kind of absorb this, but I did my best,” Marielle said on CBC’s broadcast. “The start wasn’t great, but ski cross is a fickle beast and I couldn’t quite get [into position to advance]. My quarterfinal, it was almost a final for some of our World Cups. The girls are all firing … Dani [Maier] is skiing super strong.”

The four-time Crystal Globe recipient from Whistler became emotional, adding: “CBC is going to think I cry all the time. This was really hard, but I’m really proud of myself. The result’s not great, but we’re here. I have all my people here cheering me on. [My dad] could have given me a bit more speed, but I know he’s cheering me on every step of the way. All my people are here, I can’t wait to see them.”

Skiing fans will recall that Maier and Smith were embroiled in controversy during the Beijing Games. The German was elevated to third after Smith (who crossed the line before her) incurred a yellow card, with both and their respective federations ultimately agreeing to share bronze.

Maier appears to have had the last laugh, saying in a press release: “It’s insane. I cannot really say what it means to me because I’m not realizing it yet. My full ski club is here. These are the people that are cheering, and it was just an incredible day. I had a lot of fun doing the runs and now I have something really beautiful and golden around my neck … I saw the skis of Fanny, I saw the skis of Sandra and I was like: ‘Dani, you have to push, you have to push, be by yourself.’”

Canucks had won a world-leading seven Olympic medals heading into Friday’s event, six of them by women, but now Switzerland has tied that mark courtesy of Smith. Individually, however, none could rival Maier’s brilliance as she achieved the fastest seeding run and led each of her heats.

EIGHTH FOR MCMORRIS; PELCHAT NINTH AMONG WOMEN

Both Mark McMorris and Juliette Pelchat fell short of the slopestyle podium on Wednesday, Feb. 18, ending Canada’s hope for hardware in Milano Cortina 2026 freestyle snowboarding contests.

McMorris recovered from a brutal training crash on Feb. 4 but was unable to land the run he envisioned. The threetime Olympic bronze medallist’s top score of 75.50 put him in eighth, well back of victorious Su Yiming (82.41) who also won big air in Beijing four years ago. Taiga Hasegawa wound up second (82.13) and Jake Canter got third (79.36).

Cameron Spalding, the other Canadian in the field, was 10th (75.13).

“I’m feeling pretty beat up mentally and physically, but I’m proud of my efforts,” McMorris told reporters. “It’s a tough pill to swallow right now. Disappointed with the way my runs came together … there’s

signs of brilliance in all of them, but it was a tough, tough day for me. In sports, it doesn’t always go your way. For my career, 90 per cent of the events, the big events have always gone my way. This not being one of them, it’s really tough. I am prepared for them all to go my way, but at the end of the day, I’m just super thankful to be in one piece.”

Pelchat found herself ninth (51.76), four spots back of countrywoman Laurie Blouin (68.60). Mari Fukada (87.83) edged out defending champ Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (87.48) for gold, and rounding out the top three was Kokomo Murase (85.80)

Many including CBC commentators Rob Snoek and Craig McMorris were astonished by judging decisions in the ladies’ event, as they felt Fukada’s run did not have enough sophisticated jumps to rival Sadowski-Synnott’s or Murase’s performances.

“I’m kind of sad that it’s done because that was an incredible experience and I got to ride with Laurie … it was her last Games,” said Pelchat in a release. “I cherished every moment that I could. Bittersweet, I’d say, is the best word to describe it, but I’m excited for what’s next to come.”

Earlier, Canadian bobsledders (who all train regularly at the Whistler Sliding Centre) kicked off their Olympic foray, as Melissa Lotholz earned a careerbest sixth place in monobob on Feb. 16 (3:59.24), and a day later Taylor Austin and Shaquille Murray-Lawrence finished 18th in two-man.

Securing monobob gold was Elana Meyers Taylor (3:57.93), the field’s oldest athlete at 41, while Johannes Lochner and Georg Fleischhauer triumphed among men (3:39.70). In so doing Lochner emerged from the shadow of German compatriot Francesco Friedrich, an alltime bobsleigh legend who at last settled for Olympic silver with his brakeman Alexander Schuller (3:41.04).

“Of course every athlete dreams of an Olympic medal, but for me it is all about the process. I think there were wins in every single run. I really struggled in training, so each run felt like a new victory,” Lotholz remarked in a press release. “Elana is an amazing athlete, an amazing person and an amazing mom—she’s really everyone’s bobsleigh mom out here. She has such a big heart and has been at the top of the game for decades, so for her to finally get the win is pretty cool to see.”

Then on Feb. 17, Jasper Fleming helped Canadians Adam Runnalls, Logan Pletz and Zachary Connelly to 17th in men’s 4 x 7.5-kilometre biathlon relay (1:26:26.90). Medals went to France (1:19:55.20) followed by Norway (1:20:05.00) and Sweden (1:20:52.70) in that order.

Fleming said on Instagram: “The amount of gratitude I feel for having been able to experience this is unbelievable. Although my goals and ambitions extend being simply participating, this was a necessary step in my development as a young athlete towards those even bigger goals. Thank you Canada for being there every step of the way! My season is far from over, so let’s show the world what we’ve got!” n

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Champagne on the slopes: Veuve Clicquot’s ‘In the Snow’ brings elevated après-ski experience to the Fairmont

THE MALLARD LOUNGE’S MOUNTAINSIDE TERRACE TRANSFORMS INTO A GOLDEN-HUED APRÈS-SKI PLAYGROUND, PAIRING PREMIUM POURS WITH INDULGENT BITES AT THE BASE OF BLACKCOMB

BY LUKE FAULKS

THERE’S A PARTICULAR kind of magic that happens behind the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in winter: ski boots clomp across stone, lift lines hum in the near distance and the waning light of the afternoon glows off Blackcomb’s flanks.

On a recent Friday, I followed that energy through the hotel’s grand lobby and out onto The Mallard Lounge’s outdoor deck—just steps from the ski piste at the base of Blackcomb Mountain— where Veuve Clicquot has taken over for the remainder of the season.

The pop-up is part of the champagne house’s global In the Snow series, which brings Veuve Clicquot’s après-ski celebration to winter resorts around the world.

Whistler’s launch afternoon on Feb. 7 was a little damp—an atmospheric river’s tail end misting the Coast Mountains— but temperatures have since cooled while precipitation continued, giving Whistler a late but solid start. It felt fitting: champagne in the rain, skis still flecked with fresh snow, fire pits blazing against the chill.

In the Snow runs every Friday and Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. on The Terrace at The Mallard Lounge, transforming the deck into a “vibrant snow beach,” per the organizers’ vision; golden accents, plush seating and heaters lend the space that “solaire touch” promised by Veuve.

The vibe leans into après as performance art: dancing in ski boots, toasting the day’s adventures and letting the mountain’s kinetic energy spill into the glass.

Talking of glasses, servers circulated

Bites are where the terrace really stakes its claim.

Passed around at the launch were wedges of baked brie ($36)—oozing into dried cranberries and pecans, drizzled with maple and paired with poached pears, Raincoast Crisps and sliced baguette. The sweet-savoury interplay is a natural foil for the Brut’s acidity. Lamb chop lollipops ($68) arrived next, lacquered with grain mustard aioli and brightened by pomegranate and mint; they’re scooped up quickly by the crowd.

The vibe leans into aprés as performance art: dancing in ski boots, toasting the day’s adventures...

branded tulip glasses of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut ($43/glass, $215/ bottle)—the house’s iconic cuvée, synonymous with more than two centuries of know-how. For those looking to lean rosé, Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé ($45/glass, $225/bottle) brings red-berry warmth and a slightly richer mouthfeel.

And if you’re marking something big—closing day legs, a birthday, a new job—La Grande Dame 2015 ($107/glass, $535/bottle) is on offer, a prestige pour that feels at home amid the chalet-chic trappings.

Settle in by one of the many fire pits and the rest of the menu reads like a greatest-hits of elevated comfort: West Coast oysters ($30) with classic mignonette, cocktail sauce and lemon; B.C. salmon tartar ($34) layers cured salmon with cucumber, horseradish crème fraîche and dill on house-made crostini, a tidy, coastal nod that pairs beautifully with Rosé.

There’s a warm artichoke dip ($26) with feta and spinach, scooped with house-fried potato chips; fried halloumi sticks ($28) dunked in mahkani sauce

with cucumber raita; and bison sliders ($33) topped with smoked cheddar, B&B pickles and roasted garlic aioli.

If you’re leaning classic après, truffle fries ($20) with lemon Parmesan aioli are non-negotiable, as are chicken wings ($32)—Buffalo, salt and pepper or maple chili—served with pickles and coleslaw. Nachos ($35) arrive fully loaded with mozzarella, olives, jalapeños, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salsa, guacamole and sour cream; chickpea hummus ($24) brings olives, crudité and pita to the party for those pacing themselves.

And for the sweet-toothed? Chocolate fondue ($34)—house-made caramellini, banana bread, strawberries, bananas, meringues, marshmallow and pineapple—feels designed for lingering as daylight fades to blue. If bubbles aren’t your speed, canned cocktails and seltzers are stocked: Cutwater Margarita and Moscow Mule ($15), Muddlers Vodka ($11) and White Claw in Raspberry, Lime, Mango or Cherry ($12).

As the season gathers momentum, the terrace feels well-timed. It’s not just about what’s in the glass, but the choreography around it: friends clinking flutes, steam rising from fondue, the hiss of the fire pit, the mountain’s hum just beyond the deck.

For a town where the après-ski is practically genetic, In the Snow offers a polished new stage—one that invites you to choose neither sun nor summit, but both. n

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Heather Hendrie to facilitate Red Tent event for local women March 6 to 8

HENDRIE’S LATEST BOOK, PILLOW TALK , AVAILABLE NOW

BY DAVID SONG

AS A PROFESSIONAL counsellor, Heather Hendrie endeavours to aid others in working through trauma—but sometimes, doing so incurs a cost. That’s how her upcoming event “Red Tent: Held in Community” came to be.

Throughout January and February, female-identifying people have been invited to a ritual photoshoot with Brian Aikens, a local photographer who captures his subjects in the presence of symbolic red fabric. This is to reflect the metaphor of a “red tent” derived from Anita Diamant’s 1997 novel of the same name, which conceives a social space allowing feminine issues like menstruation and childbirth to be shared among women rather than labelled taboo.

From March 6 to 8, the Squamish Library will host a photo exhibit featuring Aikens’ work open to the public. All who identify as female are also invited to circle discussions across the three days and explore topics

common to their life experiences.

None of it would have happened if Hendrie didn’t first ask colleague Erica Otto for help during a difficult time authoring her yet-to-be-released memoir. Otto recommended bringing Aikens on board.

“It’s just really incredible when you share a vulnerable story and ask for help,

only person who really identifies as male in the space is the one person anchoring the space behind the camera. [Everyone who got photographed] is connected with a red bit of fabric signifying the experience of feminine embodiment.”

Visit vergeartcollaborative.com/redtent for more information about the Red Tent experience.

“It’s an opportunity to witness and be witnessed...”

- HEATHER HENDRIE

the recognition that what would help one also could help so many others,” Hendrie says, noting both Canadians and Americans have expressed support for her Red Tent undertaking.

“[Brian’s photos] really embody and support the menstrual experience, pregnancy, postpartum … there are grandmothers with their daughters, folks who identify with the feminine experience whether they’re born female or not.

“It’s an opportunity to witness and be witnessed, and what’s interesting is the

SPACE TO SHARE

Earlier in February, Hendrie released the latest entry in her Awfully Hilarious anthology: Pillow Talk. A contributor to the previous book, Period Pieces, suggested the idea of another work discussing intimacy and pleasure—which just like menstruation are often considered taboo. Pillow Talk includes submissions from 18 individuals, two of them male, about their own experiences with relationships and sexuality.

While men are welcome to participate, “we’re trying to amplify and share stories that have been formerly silenced … stories that might have been featured less often in mainstream publishing,” Hendrie says. “It just has happened that a lot of our contributors to our projects do identify as female. I think it may actually just be that in some ways, women have been underrepresented in literature and may just have not felt they’ve had other spaces to share.

“There might be something about how we’re offering editorial support in a very trauma-informed way that encourages women—or it may be that they’re a big part of our Awfully Hilarious audience.”

Pillow Talk’s entries run the gamut from poignant to whimsical. Some pieces reflect seriously on issues like consent, queer connection and first-time sexual encounters, while another recounts a shy teacher’s struggle to impart a sex education curriculum to their students.

“Some things will have you laughing uproariously, and there are others where you’re thinking, ‘oh wow, I’ve been there too,’ or, ‘I wish I could have held your hands for that moment,’” remarks Hendrie.

Pillow Talk is available throughout the Sea to Sky corridor at locations like Armchair Books. n

The Bookshelf: The Ridge by Robert Bringhurst

BY MARY MACDONALD

“TIME,” says Jorge Luis Borges, “is the substance I am made of. Time is a river that carries me away, but I am the river.”

So it is, in the living breathing collection, The Ridge, Bringhurst is coming home. And I with him.

The ridge is Harriet Ridge on Quadra Island. There was a great fire on Quadra Island in 1925 that destroyed many trees. It is a loss Bringhurst still mourns.

These poems are of the earth— touching the vastness of language, music, geology, and nature.

The mind of the Ridge is as large as the ridge, in the mind of the world as large and as varied and far as the world.

The book is also an homage to the poets and writers, composers, and artists Bringhurst admires—including Robert Frost, Stan Dragland, Barry Lopez, Gary Snyder, P.K. Page, Joseph Hayden, and his wife, poet Jan Zwicky.

It is a treatise on who we are as humans. On the magnificent earth. On the human animal. Of which we are one among many. And we are passing through.

I lived with the woman I loved in the house that we built on the flank of the Ridge At the end of the road at the start of the trail.

It’s taken us our lives to get this clear. You know it’s what our lives are for.

Italian writer, Italo Calvino, in his book The Written World and the Unwritten World, hypothesized that we write to learn what we don’t know. It is not the

our understanding.

This is a book written from the heart. I loved this book for its unpretentious unity. For the gift he has given us.

Robert Bringhurst, winner of Governor General’s Award for literature and a Guggenheim Fellow, is a poet, essayist, linguist, and typographer and one of the most respected writers in Canada today. His latest book, The Ridge, is a poetic amalgamation of his entire life’s work. Both in its beauty and its grieving. Published in 2023 by Harbour Publishing.

The Bookshelf is presented by the Whistler Writing Society, hosts of the Whistler

This is a book written from the heart. I loved this book for its unpretentious unity. For the gift he has given us.

desire so much to teach others that makes us want to write but rather to capture a trace of the knowledge or wisdom that each of us touched in this life and might immediately lose.

I felt all of this in The Ridge. Bringhurst telling his story, his truth, weaving together a life’s work, and then the simple truth of what touches a person. There is both solitude and companionship here. He has written what he knows and what he does not know, tapping the universe of

Writers Festival. Mary MacDonald has written poetry for ballet, public art, and libretto. Her work has appeared in  Room Magazine and  Pique Newsmagazine. Her chapbook,  Going In Now, was published in 2014 by NIB Publishing and her short story collection,  The Crooked Thing was released in fall 2020 by Caitlin Press. She is a member of the Whistler writers’ group The Vicious Circle and serves as curator and moderator for the poetry division of the Whistler Writers Festival. n

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ARTS SCENE

PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE

Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events

FIRE AND ICE

PEAK TO VALLEY RACE

The Peak to Valley Race, presented by See Ya Later Ranch, celebrates its 40th year on Whistler Mountain. This unique race is not only long-standing, it’s also the longest GS race of its kind on the planet, challenging teams of four to race down Whistler Mountain.

> Feb. 27 to 28

> Whistler Mountain

WHISTLER COMEDY CLASSIC

Jokers Canada is bringing the laughs back to Whistler! Get ready for a night of top-tier stand-up comedy as some of Canada’s best professional comedians take over Maury Young Arts Centre. This must-see showcase features Ryan Williams (Just For Laughs, CBC Debaters), Ty Boissonault (National Touring), Emily Woods (CBC LOL), and more comics to be announced. Big laughs, sharp wit, and an unforgettable night out that you won’t want to miss!

> Feb. 28, 7 p.m.

> Maury Young Arts Centre

PORTOBELLO FAMILY APRES

Inspired by Whistler’s ski culture, Family Après brings together live music, kid-friendly activities, and tasty bites for the whole family every Saturday. After a day on the slopes, it is the perfect way to celebrate and start a new tradition of mountain weekends. Highlights include complimentary maple taffy, cookie decorating kits with the purchase of a kids’ meal, and a variety of games and colouring kits.

> Feb. 28, 3 to 5 p.m.

> Portobello

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.

> March 1, 1 to 5 p.m.

> Maury Young Arts Centre

TEEN ART COLLECTIVE

A safe, supportive space for teens to explore their thoughts and emotions through creative expression. Guided by a trained art therapist, classes encourages self-awareness, emotional growth and personal insight using a variety of art materials and techniques. Whether coping with anxiety, stress, self-esteem issues, or simply seeking a creative outlet, this class empowers teens to use art as a tool for healing, growth, and self-discovery.

> March 1, 3:30 to 5 p.m.

> Audain Art Museum

FIRE AND ICE SHOW

Where else but Whistler would performers entertain you with an electric mix of music, dance and spinning fire? Watch world-class athletes flip and twist through a burning ring of fire, then finish the night off with a first-class fireworks display.

> March 1, 7:30 p.m.

> Skiers Plaza

PUBLIC SKELETON EXPERIENCE

Try Whistler’s most unique activity and slide like an Olympian! Ride solo on your skeleton sled through six corners with speeds of up to 100 km/hr. Don’t worry that your run might be over too fast; you get to go twice! Public Skeleton runs rain, snow or shine. No experience required and limited availability. Ages 16-plus.

> March 1

> Whistler Sliding Centre

YOUTH ART COLLECTIVE

The Youth Art Collective fosters curiosity, experimentation, and creative community, offering teens a supportive environment to make art, develop new skills, and connect with the cultural vibrancy of the Audain Art Museum. Led by an experienced art instructor, this weekly art program designed for students in Grades 7 to 9 who are eager to deepen their creative skills and explore the world of visual art through a museum lens.

> March 2, 3:30 to 5 p.m.

> Audain Art Museum

TheRMOWinvitessubmissions ofunpublished,originalpoems fortheannual Poet’s Pause PoetryCompetition.

Thechosenpoemswillbedisplayed atthetwo Poet’s Pausesculpture sitesinAltaLake Park

Eachwinningwriterwillreceive$250. Submissionsareopennow, until Wednesday, March18,2026.

The Bucking Bronco of Après: a not-so-Dusty tale

BY BRONWYN PREECE

DUSTY’S BAR & BBQ is about as synonymous with Whistler’s après party scene as snow is to skiing, fish to water… or, in the memories of many locals and longer-timers: a stuffed bronco is to beers (and braless bawdiness!).

Dusty was a horse. A taxidermied bronco forever frozen in mid-buck. A stuffed relic, with an origin story that begins, however, with three different “Once upon a times…”

The first: He was from 1920s Texas— an award-winner in his time, one who had surely earned many of his rodeo riders big-buckle bragging rights. Naturally, this would translate to him finding his “rightful” place at the base of a snow-bawllin’ slope, in a bar named after him some 100 years later. Dusty’s opened in 1983.

The second, according to Dusty’s website (the bar’s not the bronco’s): “Some say Dusty [was] bred on a farm

when he arrived here. In 1979, Dusty rolled up in the back of a truck (sadly, in a missed moment of potential corollary— or corralary—synchronicity, there is no mention that he rodeoed in in a Bronco). He was destined to be the centrepiece of the newly re-branded, mountain-base, post-slope watering hole: converting from the original L’Après to Dusty’s. However, the bar was locally, Creeksidecolloquially, known as The Deadhorse.

Much for being dead, Dusty had a lively après-life, a Whistler “after”-life. Rules, necessarily, soon needed to be put in place. Management became wranglers: if riders rode the bronco with their clothes on, they had to buy the house a round. If clothes were shed, well, legends were born and tall-tales were spread from the fogginess of fact versus fiction…

Perhaps one of the most famous stories, from which many re-tellings have been told, involves a young woman in mountain management, some “bareback” bouncing, a sudden supposed full moon and claims that she was subsequently fired. Some 20 years

owned by the local druggist in the town of Hope. It was said this pharmacist was the best in the Fraser Valley, and upon Dusty’s untimely passing, the kindly druggist had him stuffed and placed in front of his store.”

The third: “Dusty was a Hollywood stunt horse. His trainers were forced to shoot poor Dusty when he threw [an actress from his back]. It is said that Dusty, a rock-and-roll horse at heart, couldn’t take it when the star stopped singing that Broadway tune. The actress had Dusty shot.” (dustyswhistler.com.)

The tales of Dusty’s tail only start there… but what remains undisputed is

later, the woman who raised the bar— and the bar’s profile—overnight, wrote a letter to Pique to set the riding-record straight. She was not fired, but remains known as “Lady Godiva” ever since.

The bar and barbecue joint re-branded in the late 1980s, setting Dusty off from the raunchy ranch into the “realm of mythology.” The nowbattered-up bronco hit the fundraising circuit. He was auctioned off on Timmy’s Telethon. The buyer never picked up his rodeo cocktail champ, and that’s when ski patrol stepped in and “rescued” him.

Dusty’s adventures will be continued in next week’s column… n

ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 27 BY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In woodworking, “spalting” occurs when fungi colonize wood, creating dark lines and patterns that make the wood more valuable, not less. The decay creates beauty as long as it isn’t allowed to progress too far. Here’s the metaphorical moral of the story for you, Aries: What feels like a deteriorating situation might actually be spalting, Aries. Are you experiencing the breakdown of a routine, a certainty, or a plan? It could be creating a pattern that makes your story even more interesting and heroic. So keep in mind that an apparent decomposition may be transforming ordinary into extraordinary beauty. My advice is to play along with the spalting.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I suspect you will soon be invited to explore novel feelings and unfamiliar states of awareness. As you wander in the psychological frontiers, you might experience mysterious phenomena like the following. 1. An overflow of reverence and awe. 2. Blissful surprise in the face of the sublime. 3. Sudden glimmers of eternity in fleeting moments. 4. A soft, golden resonance that arises when you hear arousing truths. 5. Amazingly useful questions that could tantalize and feed your imagination for months and even years to come.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If I were your mentor, I’d lead you up an ascending trail to a high peak where your vision is clear and vast. If I were your leader, I’d give you a medal for all the ways you’ve been brave when no one was looking, then send you on an all-expenses-paid sabbatical to a beautiful sanctuary to rest and remember yourself. If I were your therapist, I’d guide you through a 90-minute meditation on your entire life story up until now. But since I’m just your companion for this brief oracle, I will instead advise you to slip out of any silken snares of comfort that dull your spirit, cast off perks and privileges that keep you small, and commune with influences that remind you of how deeply you treasure being alive.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Biologist Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize by developing what she called “a feeling for the organism.” She cultivated an intimate, almost empathic relationship with the corn plants she studied. She didn’t impose theories on her subjects. She listened to them until she could sense their hidden patterns from the inside. When you’re not lost in self-protection, you Cancerians excel at this quality of attention. Here’s what I see as your task in the coming weeks: Transfer your empathic genius away from people who drain you and toward projects, places, or problems that deserve your devotion and give you blessings in return.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Sufi writers describe heartbreak, grief, and longing as portals through which divine love enters. They say that a highly defended ego and a hardened heart can’t engage with such profound and potent love. In this view, suffering that makes the heart ache strips away illusions and fixations, allowing greater receptivity, humility, and tenderness toward all beings. I’m not expecting you to get blasted by an influx of poignancy in the near future, Leo, but I’m very sure you have experienced such blasts in the past. And now is an excellent time to process those old breakthroughs disguised as breakdowns. You are likely to finally be able to harvest the full power they offered you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In traditional Balinese culture, Tri Hita Karana is a concept that means there are three causes of well-being: harmony with God, harmony with people, and harmony with nature. When one is out of balance, all suffer. I’m wondering if you would benefit from meditating on this theme now, Virgo. Have you been focused on one dimension at the expense of the others? Are you, perhaps, spiritually nourished but socially isolated? Or maybe you’re maintaining relationships but ignoring your body’s connection to the earth? Here’s your assignment: Do a Tri Hita Karana audit. Which harmony is most neglected?

ROB BREZSNY

Add to your altar, call a friend, or go walk in the great outdoors—whichever one you’ve been shortchanging.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are a diplomat in the struggle between beauty and inelegance. Your aptitude for creating harmony is a great asset that others might underestimate or miss completely. I hope you will always trust your hunger for classiness even if others dismiss it as superficial. One of your key reasons for being here on Earth is to keep insisting on loveliness in a world too quick to settle for ugliness. These qualities of yours are especially needed right now. Please be gracefully insistent on expressing them wherever you go.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The bad news: You underestimate how much joy and pleasure you deserve— and how much you’re capable of experiencing. This artificially low expectation has sometimes cheated you out of your rightful share of bliss and fulfilment. The good news: Life is now ready to conspire with you to raise your happiness levels. I hope you will cooperate eagerly. The more intensely you insist on feeling good, the more cosmic assistance you will garner. Here’s a smart way to launch this holy campaign: Renounce a certain lackluster thrill that diverts you from more lavish excitements.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In classical music, a “rest” isn’t the absence of music. It’s a specific notation that creates space, tension, and meaning. The silence is as much a part of the composition as the sound. I suggest you think of your current pause this way, Sagittarius. You’re not waiting for your real life to resume. You’re in a rest, and the rest is an essential part of the process you’re following. It’s creating the conditions for what comes next. So instead of anxiously filling every moment with productivity or distraction, try honouring the pause. Be deliberately quiet. Let the silence accumulate. When the next movement begins, you’ll understand exactly why the rest was necessary.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Interesting temptations are wandering into your orbit. You may be surprised to find yourself drawn toward entertaining gambles and tricky adventures. How should you respond? Should you say “Yes! Now! I’m ready!”? Or is open-minded caution a wiser approach? Conditions are too slippery for me to arrive at definitive conclusions. What I can tell you is this: Merely considering and ruminating on these invitations will awaken uplifting and inspiring lessons. PS: To get the fullness of the blessings you want from other people, you must first give them to yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The engineer Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) said he envisioned his inventions in intricate detail before building them. He didn’t need literal prototypes because his mental pictures were so vivid. I suspect you Aquarians now have extra access to this power. What scenarios are you dreaming of? What are you incubating in your imagination? I urge you to boldly trust your thought experiments. Your mental prototypes may be unusually accurate. The visions you’re testing internally are reconnaissance missions to futures that you have the power to build. Regard your imagination as a laboratory.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Sufi mystics tell us that the heart has “seven levels of depth,” each one bearing progressively more profound wisdom. You access these depths by feeling deeper, not thinking harder. Let’s apply this perspective to you, Pisces. Right now, you’re being called to descend past surface emotions (irritation, worry, mild contentment) into the layers beneath: primal wonder, the wild joy you’re sometimes too cautious to express, and the sacred longing that can lead you to glory. This dive might feel risky. That’s good! It means you’re going deep enough. What you discover down there will reorganize everything above it for the better.

Homework: What’s the most taboo thing you want? Can you make it any less taboo? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES

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

WHISTLER’SLEGENDARY FUNDRAISINGEVENT!

Re gister at eamtotakepar tint heentirea ctionpacked weekend,orsimplypurchaseevenin ge ven tt ickets!

FRIDAY,MARCH 6&SATURDAY,MARCH7

TWO-DAY QUARTET -$3,200 (4 skiers/snowboardersperteam)

Teampackageincludes:BuffetBreakfasts,2-DayLift Tickets,PriorityLiftL ine Privileges,SkiWith aPro AdventureDay,Après-Ski,the Race Classic,plus ticketstotheWhistlerWinetasticandMountain TopGala.

FRI DAY, MARCH 6

MARCH 6&7,2 026 SOLD OUT

PRESENTED BY RE/MAXSE ATOS KYREALESTAT E MacDonaldBallroom,FairmontChateauWhistler

6:45p mto7 :3 0pm |V IP F irs tS ip -$ 30 * *Maineventticket requiredaswell.Exclusivespecialpoursonly availableatVIPFirstSip.

7:30p m|M ain E vent -$ 95

Auniquetastingeventwithliveentertainmentandanextensivecollectionofw ine, beer ,cider ,andspirits.Also,enjoydelectableb itesfromlocalrestaurants:TheGrill Room/Mallard,BearfootBistro,LoretteBrasserie,HunterGather ,andAraxi/BarOso.

SATURDAY,M ARCH 7

MOUNTAINTOPGALAPRESENTED BY SAMSUNG RoundhouseLodge,WhistlerMountain

6:45pm-midnight |$275

Joinusfor asoiree-of-playontopofWhistlerMountain,whereimaginationand nostalgiawillcometolife!Letusigniteyoursenseofwonderasyouenterthis immersiveandmagicalworldoflivingtoys,games,andgadgets. TheGalahas itall –dinner,cocktails,dancing,liveentertainment,andanauctionhostedby celebrityauctioneer, JonMontgomery. Youdon’twanttomissthistrulyuniqueand spectacularevent!

To purchase ateamand/or eventtickets,pleasevisit: WHISTLERBLACKCOMBFOUNDATION.COM

EmployeeHealth &WellnessPlanavailable

HEAVYEQUIPMENTOPERATOR– Minimum5yearsor5,000hoursoperatingexperienceon excavator.CrushingExperiencepreferred.

Full-time,Monday –Friday.$33-$46perhour.

CONSTRUCTIONLABOURER– Greatopportunitytolear non-the-job.Staminaforphysically demandingworkandperseverancetobraveinclementweatherrequired.Previousexperience preferredbutnot required. Trainingprovided.$28-$33perhour.

PIPELAYER –Minimum 5yearsexperienceincivilconstruction. Full-time,Monday –Friday.$33-$43perhour.

TRUCKDRIVER –BCDLClass 1orClass3withairbrakes required.Manualtransmission. 2yearsexperiencepreferred.$35-$41.50perhour.

CRUSHING &EARTHWORKSMANAGER– Musthaveexperiencewithcivilconstruction. $33-$46perhour.

APPRENTICEMECHANIC –Gainhands-onexperienceworkingwithheavyequipmentand fleetvehiclesin afast-pacedenvironment. We offer aclearpathwaytoRedSealcertification. Entry-level:$27.03perhour.

GroupFitnessClasses

Friday

I9:00-10:00a.m.FunctionalStrength-Anna

Saturday

I10:30-11:30a.m.Zumba-Susie

Monday

F9:00-10:00a.m. Yin& Yang Yoga-MelK

Tuesday

I8:45-9:45a.m.AquaFitDeep-M-A

Wednesday

I6:30-7:30p.m.Zumba-Carmen

Thursday

I6:30-7:30p.m.MountainReady-Francesca

Seeourfullpage scheduleadin thisissueofPique fordetails

Part-TimeMixerTruckDrivers

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ApplyToday: INFO@CARDINALCONCRETE.CA

Come buildandgrow withthebestteam.

Ourteamofpeopleis whatsetsusapartfromotherbuilders.As wecontinue to growasthe leaderinluxury projectsinWhistler,ourteamneeds to expand withus. We are currentlyhiring:

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CarpentersHelpers/Apprentices1st to 4th year ($25-$35hourly)

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Rates vary basedonexperience andqualifications.RedSealisabonusbutnot required.Crane Operatorexperienceconsideredanasset.

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Sign o’ the times: the brakes are off

NEW YEAR, new regulations—new ways to become brainless?

THE VALLEY TRAIL: AN E-BIKE SPEEDWAY?

The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has proposed new Valley Trail regulations under the Public Outdoor Space Regulation (POSR) bylaw. (By the way, did anyone read that out loud? I mean the ’90s are back, but… POS(e)R?). And it seems that, at the heart of it, the brakes are off: feel free to take your e-bike on the Valley Trail and let’er rip! Because as far as I can tell, you can now zip around

BY TOBIAS C. VAN VEEN

at motorized speeds of 32 km/h… now that might not seem all that fast, until you realize it’s faster than the speed limit for residential roads

Even fondo-fit road cyclists only average speeds of 25 km/h on most flats—meaning many folks have never biked this fast, yet can now throttle up to speeds as fast as car traffic on our busy little Valley Trail.

Think about this for a split second: In 2021, the RMOW passed a Speed Limit Schedule, stating that residential streets will be limited to 30 km/h. Well, the streets might be safer—theoretically— but as for the Valley Trail, with all its blind corners peppered with pinecones, stonered locals, and unleashed canines? You tell me how this is going to go, given the Valley Trail has none of the space, safety regulations, or policing of the roadways.

As far as I can tell from POSR, the so-called speed limit on the Valley Trail doesn’t actually exist in law. Instead,

the POSR allows throttle-driven, Motor Assisted Cycles (MACs) up to 500 watts that stop “providing power at 32 km/h.” Effectively, council has allowed us to ride throttle-style e-bikes as fast on the Valley Trail as cars on the streets. And while the POSR bylaw states riders must not operate a bike, e-bike or mobility device “at a speed that endangers people or animals, is unsafe for conditions, creates collision risk, or unreasonably interferes with others’ enjoyment,” with violations potentially resulting in fines up to $50,000, the bylaw stops short of introducing a speed limit.

And so effectively (legally, if not realistically), the speed for e-bikes on a mostly pedestrian and pedal-powered trail often no more than 10 feet across is the same as full-sized cars on a twolane roadway This raises significant questions. It leads me to thoughts.

CRASH TEST DUMMIES

As a GenXer, I survived the ’80s—and ’90s—learning to ski, cycle, and mountain bike without a brain bucket. Times have changed. Today, as soon as I head out to hit the dirty singletrack, stretch on the spandex, or slay the slopes, a helmet is always on my head. It took awhile for helmet culture to kick in, but it would be weird indeed to now see a rider without one. But do you know where I often don’t see helmets? On the heads of folks with cargo-style e-bikes. And I’m particularly looking at you, parents. Given the number of breeders I have seen scooting around without helmets—but with strapped-in kids—I can only hazard that they are letting Beelzebub, god of the brainless, take the wheel. Then there’s the parents who have a helmet, but their toddler doesn’t—which is one way to offer up a child sacrifice to Mammon. Or vice-versa: what do you expect to happen if your kid survives, but you don’t? It seems that soon as electrification comes into play, our brains get all Cronenberg with e-stim Crash fantasies.

So let’s be clear as to what happens when you crash. Teens loading up their friends side-saddle, take note—because it seems Gen Alpha will need fewer “don’t

drink and drive” high-school specials, and more speakers sadly recounting just how badly an unprotected e-bike crash can, and will, ruin your life. At 30 km/h, you can expect to break bones and teeth. I know—I’ve crashed in a road cycling peloton at 42 km/h, going over the handlebars into a face-saving tuck, and even that left me with 19 screws and 12 cm of titanium in my left wrist and a permanently wonky left shoulder that tells me when the rain is comin’. Then there’s the road rash: you can expect to leave a good foot or two of skin on the ground. Imagine skinning yourself with a carrot peeler and then rubbing in the gravel. As for the young’uns with soft skulls, all those babies with big innocent eyes whipping by at 30 km/h, without any kind of dummy-safe metal cage, well, you’ll be lucky if they take a quick, and not protracted, exit to the tunnel of white light.

TOO MANY SIGNS, NOT ENOUGH TIME—TO READ THEM

At the same meeting at which the POSR was introduced, council heard that some 230 new signs had been installed. While this sounds… expensive, I’m about to offer something most folks think is counter-intuitive: social science. In short, more signs is not necessarily a good thing. Too many ambiguous signs are mostly, if not roundly, ignored by most people, and that’s not just a hot take, it’s in the social science. And the fact is—as in studied, particularly by Dutch engineer Hans Monderman—the more signs you throw at people, the less they notice their surroundings. The Dutch, who perhaps more than anyone else have pioneered safe cities for shared modes of transportation, came to realize that oversignage is a form of cognitive offloading. Guess what the Dutch traffic safety organization, Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN), did when they figured this out? They directed councils to remove, and not add, signs. Turns out when you remove signs, people pay more and not less attention. Why? Because then your survival awareness is on you and so

travellers of all kinds become more alert and cautious.

So what are we to make of the new, entirely ambiguous signs saying “Going Fast? Take the Road!”? How fast, I wonder? What does “fast” mean when the Valley Trail is about the same speed limit as the road? And why would we want kid-carryin’ e-bikers—and presumably the sign is aimed at riders of some sort, and not speedwalkers, racing dogs, or rollerbladers—to take the road, where they can be more easily mowed down by traffic? One of the chief points of the Valley Trail, at least I thought, was to protect pedestrians and pedal-pushers from the metal boxes with nasty blind spots and big engines. Now we have signs saying, hey, if you want to go fast, compete with cars! It’s a sign o’ the times, as Prince once sang, and all it signifies to me is a cop-out from providing truly safe and modern cycling infrastructure. In a town chock-full with pie-eyed tourists riding the RMOW’s own e-bikes, this sign only adds chaos to confusion. So, as usual, expect all this brainy innovation in policy and technology to come to a crashing halt at an oversigned intersection near you.

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION, SMARTY PANTS?

E-bikes are a good thing. They provide a climate-friendly, useful mode of transport capable of handling groceries and groundlings. So with new technology we need new ways of reorganizing our roadways. At this point, what we really need is an e-bike designated corridor with concrete barrier protection adjacent to our main roads. Take the shoulder, and make it a properly protected, designated e-bike and road cycling lane. As the many letters to the editor show, throttle-bikes on the Valley Trail are leading to chaos and conflict. And it’s not just speed, but the sheer weight of cargo e-bikes that needs to be considered. As for the Valley Trail, we need a speed limit, something akin to 15 km/h, certainly not 30—no matter what wheels you whip around on.

tobias c. van Veen is still taking the high road, one pedal stroke at a time. n

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