What will it take to finally implement regional transit in the Sea to Sky? - By Cameron Fenton
06 OPENING REMARKS The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s cost-saving efforts should be commended, writes editor Braden Dupuis—and we should all be willing to do our part.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter-writers weigh in on the end of Daylight Saving Time and passenger rail in the Sea to Sky.
16 THE OUTSIDER Vince Shuley delves into the Deer Valley Experience in Park City, Utah, where snowboards are still banned and customer service is king.
42 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Preteens and teenagers with still-developing frontal lobes ought not to be exposed to an avalanche of gambling material, writes David Song.
10 HOUSE AND HOME Whistler is opening the door to social and supportive housing on select municipal lands to allow emergency, transitional and supportive housing.
12 LAKE NEWS Whistler’s lakes are healthy, but they still need the public’s help, according to the Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation.
26 LEND A HAND Whistler’s Special Olympics squad is in need of volunteers, ski coaches and financial support as it preps for the 2027 Winter Games.
30 WHO’S WHO? Arts Whistler’s flagship fundraiser the Anonymous Art Show returns to the Maury Young Arts Centre this April.
COVER Remember when you could take the bus for free because none of the pass machines ever worked?! - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
TheSLRDBoardis seekingparticipating areaapprovalofelectorsintheServiceArea by wayofAlternative ApprovalProcess(“AAP”).Thenumberofeligible electorsinthe ServiceAreahas been determined tobe22,976 andthenumberofelector responses required topreventtheSLRDBoardfromproceedingwithoutthefurtherassent of the electorsis2,297. ThedeadlineforelectorresponsesforthisAAPis4:30p.m.on April27,2026.TheSLRDBoardmay proceed withtheBylaw unless, bythedeadline statedabove,at least10%(being2,297) of theelectorsoftheServiceAreaindicatethat theSLRDBoard mustobtain approval by assent vote(referendum) Electorresponsesmust be submittedintheform establishedbytheSLRDBoard. ElectorresponseformsareavailableontheSLRDwebsite(www.slrd.bc.ca/insideslrd/current-projects-initiatives/new-SVAP-service), at theSLRDoffice(1350AsterSt., PembertonBC) andatDistrictofSquamishMunic ipal Hall(37955SecondAve., Squamish BC).Theonlypersons entitled to signtheformsareelectorsoftheService Area
FormoreinformationaboutResidentElectorandNon-Resident Property Electorqualifications as well as theAAP,pleasesee the SLRDwebsite(www.slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/current-projectsinitiatives/new-SVAP-service)orcontactCorporateOfficerA Belshamat(604)894-6371(ext.240) orabelsham@slrd.bc.ca.
Whistler’s garbage economics
AS SOMEONE WHO has written repeatedly in this space about the need for efficiency at municipal hall, and reining in spending where possible, I’d like to take this opportunity to commend the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) for its recent efforts on that front.
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
Last fall’s lengthy committee of the whole presentation on the budget, combined with recent changes to staffing, like the retirement of two arguably redundant senior managers, indicate the RMOW is taking the criticism to heart.
It remains to be seen what the ultimate impact on taxes or payroll will be—future budgets and SOFI reports will tell the full story—but from the outside it appears the RMOW is moving in the right direction.
But while we give the appropriate cheers to thoughtful spending, let’s also give jeers to those of us who apparently can’t lift a finger to help.
When the RMOW closed more garbage bins than usual this winter—17 more, to be exact—it caused a local outcry.
Residents were so mad about this modest act of cost-saving that they voted it council’s worst decision of 2025 in Pique’s annual Best of Whistler readers poll.
Never mind that there were still roughly 70 waste stations open around the resort, or that the logic behind the closures was sound.
Garbage volume in Whistler drops by approximately 83 per cent between the peak summer season and the quieter winter months, making it impractical to service the same number of receptacles
year-round.
“This is not a new reality,” Mayor Jack Crompton told Pique in October. “Whistler has always reduced the number of receptacles in winter in response to demand. The difference this year is that communication was more visible, which has caused some concern. We can always be clearer in the way we communicate it and will endeavour to do so.”
It’s worth noting that, as a dog owner, I am not immune from this decision. I’ll admit to feeling the small sting of annoyance coming across closed-andneatly-wrapped garbage bins on my normal walking route, bagged poop in hand. But I also know, having walked the neighbourhood many times, there are several other still-open garbage receptacles in the nearby vicinity.
Knowing this vital information, I now plan to walk by one of the bins I know is
our response is to (metaphorically and apparently literally) dump all over them.
It’s embarrassing that any functioning adult would walk up to the closed garbage bin, read the sign explaining why it’s closed, and still dump their trash on the ground.
But it gives some insight into the difficult job facing our municipality, and the people we elect to lead us.
“We want more efficiency and to see our tax dollars spent wisely,” we say. Loud and clear, the RMOW hears us, and takes action to save some bucks where it can.
“Not like that!” we scream on Facebook, then hurl our shit at a closed garbage can in protest like so many primates.
Only I’m not convinced even monkeys would act so uncivilized in their own backyard; so entitled that they can’t do the simple act of changing their winter walking route so it goes by one of the
want you to be efficient and smart with our money—just don’t ask us to make even the smallest sacrifice to our own comfort to make it happen.”
And so I empathize with our municipality this week—with the elected officials trying to be prudent while responding to never-ending community concerns, and with the poor municipal staffers who will soon have to pick up the mountains of poop bags people left behind this winter because they were too lazy to walk to a different garbage can, or just take it home to dispose of later.
There are so many different, more mature ways to handle this than dumping your shit on a very-obviously-closed municipal garbage can for someone else to clean up.
And yet, here we are.
But if we can’t manage even this, the efficiency game is already lost.
Municipal cost-saving measures should be applauded. And if they require us to do our part, well, we should be willing to do so within reason. Cleaning up after ourselves during the winter months is not a big ask.
still open. Pretty easy, right?
And so it was extra disheartening this weekend to come across one of the “closed” garbage bins on our walking route, with its careful and deliberate wrapping signalling its closure ripped off, and a literal pile of dog poop bags on and all around it (flip to Partial Recall on page 33 for a photo of this lovely sight).
Here our municipality is, trying to be responsible with our money, and
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nearby still-open garbage cans.
That’s what me and my pup did. First we got annoyed, then we adjusted— because I want to see my municipality finding efficiencies like these. If it means a small inconvenience here and there, I can deal.
What kind of message are we sending the municipality with our lazy, entitled dumping?
In my mind, it amounts to this: “we
Municipal cost-saving measures should be applauded. And if they require us to do our part, well, we should be willing to do so within reason.
Cleaning up after ourselves during the winter months is not a big ask.
But with our lazy, stinky tantrums we’re effectively telling the municipality loud and clear what concessions we’re willing to accept.
Themapisalso availableforin-personreviewand comment by appointmentattheBC TS DSQoffice, Monday to Friday from8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,at:
BC Timber SalesChinook –Squamish 101-42000 LoggersLane, Squamish,B.C., V8BO8H
Comments willbeacceptedbetween April 1–April30,2026 Commentsmay be submittedonlineat fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/ public/projects,emailed to BCTS.Squamish@gov.bc.ca, deliveredinpersonattheaddressabove during business hours, or mailed to theaddressabove to theattentionofthe BC TS Squamish Planning Department
If youhavequestionsor requireassistance, please email BCTS.Squamish@gov.bc.ca
DaveBeattie
RE/MAXSeatoSkyRealEstateWhistler PERSONAL REAL ESTATECORPORATION
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Time well spent
Well, this is awkward. I think I’ve run out of things to complain about! For years, I took great pride in lamenting the twice a year clock change. It was my seasonal tradition: grumble in the fall, mutter in the spring, and shake a fist at whoever decided this was a good idea.
Then I remembered that survey from seven years ago, when British Columbians clearly said, “Let’s just pick one time and keep it.” I never imagined it would actually happen, yet here we are! No more fiddling with clocks, missing that extra hour of sleep, or wondering if my phone knows more about time than I do.
So I suppose this is farewell, at least on this topic. Naturally, there are still plenty of local pastimes to keep me occupied, waiting on that free bus system we were promised 30 years ago, hoping for a real traffic solution, watching taxes rise like the tide, and wondering, when it comes to permits, if the word “expedite” has ever been uttered inside municipal hall.
But for today, I’ll raise my coffee (that I finally brewed at the “right” time) and say, well done, B.C.! One down, many to go.
Peter Skeels // Whistler/Pemberton
Passenger rail ‘can’t come soon enough’
There is a move towards improving transit
in the Sea to Sky corridor by reinstating the train on the existing rail line.
There are many reasons to explore this concept—huge backlog of Whistler-bound cars every weekend, increased populations in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, growing volumes of tourists, and people
just trying to get to work!
It can’t come soon enough.
Jeanette
Helmer // Pemberton
‘Broader view’ needed on passenger rail
Thank you and Luke Faulks so very much for
from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Send them to edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com before 11 a.m. on Tuesday for consideration in that week’s paper.
your article in the Jan. 30 Pique, “Expand your imagination on passenger rail.”
Our province’s BC Rail line definitely needs a broader and longer view now with sincere commitment from Victoria’s provincial government along with the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. Genuine respect needs to be expanded further into the Interior communities along the rail line which was built for the province overall.
The limited perception that our railroad should proceed to serve the Whistler tourist industry primarily is an insult to British Columbia’s Interior communities. The single-minded notion of focus upon tourism ignores the fact that the residents continue to dwell as the population grows exponentially beyond Whistler. Why should we be disregarded and overall ignored? For access into Vancouver, Interior B.C. citizens must join in along with the hoards of traffic and unpredictable accident delays on the Sea to Sky, too. The Whistler bus service alternative in and out of the city mainly serves downtown Vancouver and the airport. Add numerous chartered convention busloads with all the individual motorists speeding in treacherous road and weather conditions. Pure chaos!
This public transportation (PGE) BC Rail was truly a lifeline serving both residents and tourists covering travel destinations into B.C.’s Interior as far
As of Wednesday, March 25
The weather this weekend is expected to be generally cloudy, with light snowfall, freezing levels well below treeline, and light to moderate winds.
Following last week’s weather and snowpack reset, several stormy days have refreshed the snowpack. There is now likely enough soft, recent snow on the surface to prevent riders from feeling hard crusts or older wind-hammered layers under skis, snowshoes, or beneath a sled.
The most likely avalanche concerns this weekend relate to the recent snow from the past week. In areas where that snow has not bonded well to the hard crust that formed after the atmospheric river, avalanche activity will be more likely.
Ridgetop winds earlier in the week have also formed reactive wind slabs in some areas. In isolated locations, these slabs may still be triggered by the weight of a rider. Wind slabs typically develop on lee (sheltered) and cross-loaded slopes, often just below ridgelines, in gullies, and around
terrain breaks.
The small amounts of new snow forecast over the weekend are unlikely to create a widespread avalanche problem. However, if you do see the wind moving some of that fresh snow, you may also find small reactive pockets of fresh wind slab.
Watch for signs of instability like evidence of recent avalanches, and cracks in the snow shooting away from your feet or sled as you travel. Those are indicators that you should stick to smaller, more mellow slopes.
If you are just feeling soft, unconsolidated snow under you without these warning signs or evidence of active wind transport, avalanches are less likely, and you’ll probably get some decent turns.
Check avalanche.ca or the AvCan app before heading out. That’s where you’ll get the avalanche danger ratings and updated conditions. Be sure to bring a transceiver, shovel, probe, and partner, even if you are just poking out of the resort boundary. n
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.
as Prince George... until Premier Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark figured upon boosting their BC Liberal balance sheets with the sale of our provincial public railroad in 2002. Not everyone wishes, nor can afford to wine and dine on a Rocky
Mountaineer sightseeing trip. Indeed, as Luke Faulks wrote, “We should expect more from local rail infrastructure … We have to break past the idea that rail is a privilege.”
Mary Thor and family // Casper Creek n
NickDavies, Whistlerlocal andexperiencedfamilylawyer practisingacrossBCandYukon. Callat 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca
Whistler opens door to social and supportive housing on select municipal lands
POLICY CHANGE ALLOWS EMERGENCY, TRANSITIONAL AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN LOWER CHEAKAMUS CROSSING, ALPINE NORTH AND ALTA VISTA
BY LUKE FAULKS
WHISTLER COUNCIL has approved changes to long-standing land-use agreements that will allow social and supportive housing on select municipal lands. It’s an expansion local advocates say is overdue.
“This decision opens the door for Whistler to provide housing that meets the needs of all our community members, not just those who meet employee housing eligibility criteria,” a coalition of local organizations wrote in a joint letter to council.
On March 10, council voted to modify the Community Land Bank Agreement (CLBA) and three associated covenants, enabling the new housing forms in Lower Cheakamus Crossing, Alpine North and Alta Vista.
WHAT THE POLICY CHANGE DOES
The approved changes add “social and supportive housing” as a defined housing category on municipally controlled lands that were previously restricted to employee housing.
“Modifications will add social and supportive housing as a defined housing category for the municipality’s controlled lands located in Lower Cheakamus Crossing, Alpine North and Alta Vista,” general manager of climate action, planning and development services Dale Mikkelsen told council.
The shift marks a significant broadening of what can be built on CLBA lands, which were originally established
in 2005 to support the development of the Athletes Village ahead of the 2010 Olympics and support employee housing.
“So right now, on all of our CLBA lands, [we] are restricted to affordable employee housing,” Mikkelsen explained.
While the policy opens the door to new housing types, it does not automatically permit development. Individual projects will still need to go through rezoning processes.
WHAT COUNTS AS SOCIAL AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
The newly permitted category includes a range of housing types aimed at more vulnerable residents.
“Social and supportive housing includes housing that may be used for emergency shelter, transitional housing and supportive housing,” a staff report states.
Those categories span different points along the housing continuum.
Emergency housing refers to immediate shelter needs—like people displaced by fire or domestic violence— while transitional housing supports individuals moving out of crisis situations into more stable living arrangements.
Supportive housing, meanwhile, is longer-term housing with built-in services.
“Supportive housing is subsidized housing with on-site supports for single adult seniors and people with disabilities at risk of or experiencing homelessness,” Mikkelsen said. “These supports help people find and maintain stable housing.”
The changes are intended to address gaps identified in a series of municipal and provincially mandated housing studies.
WHY NOW?
The policy shift is rooted in several years of housing analysis.
Whistler’s 2022 Housing Needs
Report and 2023 Housing Action Plan identified growing gaps between market housing, employee housing and the needs of more vulnerable populations.
A 2024 Vulnerable Populations
Housing Needs Assessment sharpened that picture, identifying four priority areas: non-market rental housing, supportive housing, transitional housing and emergency housing.
While Whistler has made progress on non-market rental supply—largely through CLBA lands—the report found the municipality was “lacking [in] the provision of the other three forms of housing,” in part due to limited land availability.
“The most significant issue raised was the other three had not been provided because of the lack of availability of land or funding,” Mikkelsen said.
Staff identified CLBA lands as the best immediate opportunity to address those gaps.
COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND NEXT STEPS
Council members largely supported the change, while probing how the new housing types would be implemented.
Councillor Ralph Forsyth asked about safety considerations and how different forms of supportive housing might affect surrounding neighbourhoods.
“Through the rezoning, there would be that conversation [with] the community and with council as to whether that use is appropriate on the given site,” Mikkelsen explained.
Mayor Jack Crompton also inquired as to whether Whistler could eventually allow supportive housing more broadly across the municipality, similar to approaches taken in Squamish.
Staff indicated that while broader zoning changes could be considered—
potentially as part of a future zoning bylaw rewrite—current approvals are tied specifically to CLBA lands.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE: ‘FIRST STEP’ TOWARD BROADER HOUSING ACCESS
A letter from Zero Ceiling co-executive director Lizi McLoughlin—written on behalf of local housing and social-service providers—celebrated the move, framing it as an important shift towards inclusivity.
“As local organizations who serve our incredibly diverse community every day, we see first-hand how access to stable and affordable housing can transform lives,” McLoughlin wrote.
The letter was co-signed by PearlSpace, Sea to Sky Community Services, and the Whistler Community Foundation, the Whistler Independent Supported Housing Society, Whistler Sport Legacies, and Whistler Valley Housing Society.
“Until now, many people have been excluded from affordable housing opportunities in Whistler, forced to live in unsafe or unstable circumstances, or even to make the hard decision to leave the place they call home.”
The letter highlights a wide range of groups expected to benefit, including women and children fleeing unsafe situations, seniors needing support, and adults with developmental disabilities.
“This is the first step to making Whistler a community where everyone can thrive,” the organizations wrote.
They also urged council to move quickly on implementation, pointing to specific opportunities like The Nest and Whistler Sport Legacies’ planned development in Cheakamus: “This action could immediately create more social housing and provide stability for members of our community.” n
THE ROOF The policy change could allow social housing developments like Squamish’s Under One Roof facility.
PHOTO BY BUSH, BOHLMAN &
‘He lived life to the fullest every single day, with joy, curiosity, and intensity’
WHISTLER SKIER KAI SMART PASSES AWAY AFTER BEING BURIED IN AVALANCHE IN JAPAN
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
WHISTLER IS IN MOURNING after the tragic death of skier Kai Smart, who was buried in an avalanche while skiing in Japan earlier this month.
Kai’s father John shared the news in a social media post Monday, March 23.
“It is with immense sadness that we have to let you know that our kind, brave and beautiful son and brother Kai is no longer with us. We are beyond heartbroken and there are no words to describe the pain we are feeling losing him so young,” Smart wrote.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with messages of love and support—we have appreciated every one of them.”
On March 13, John shared news of the avalanche in an Instagram post.
“To those of you who do not know what we are dealing with, Kai is in critical condition after being buried in an avalanche here in Japan. He is in a coma fighting for his life right now after being severely deprived of oxygen,” he wrote. “He is a fighter but needs all the help he can get. We are hoping to get him back to Canada as soon as possible. Please send all the strength and power you have for him.”
The family was able to fly Kai, 23, home from Japan in an air ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital on March 19, where he underwent more testing.
“Tragically, the severe lack of oxygen he endured during the avalanche had destroyed any chance of recovery. We said our final farewells to him last night,” John said in his March 23 post.
“Kai was a warrior, a mountain man, an explorer of the world, a lover of people of all walks of life, an inspiration to so many, an honour student, a passionate skier, surfer, dirt biker, climber, kitesurfer and so much more... He lived life to the fullest every single day, with joy, curiosity, and intensity, and experienced more in his short time than most do in a lifetime. He truly was a bright light, and his energy—his excitement for life and for learning—touched everyone who knew him,” John wrote.
“He was always searching for the road less travelled, drawn to new places, new ideas, and new experiences. When he wasn’t outside pushing his limits, he was constantly learning, researching, and engaging with the world. We are so glad to be able to tell you that Kai’s heart is still beating in someone else and he is keeping 4 other people alive with his organs. This gives us great comfort.”
There are no plans for a funeral, but rather a “Kai-sized celebration of life for him in Whistler,” John said, adding
details will be shared in due course.
“Kai truly lit up the world wherever he went and will be deeply missed by the many people whose lives he touched—especially all of us who were so close to him.”
So much more than just a skier, Kai graduated with honours from the University of British Columbia in May 2025, and recently finished working on Tien Shan Dream, a ski film now streaming on AppleTV, Roku, and outsideonline.com.
“The film follows our two-week ski traverse in the Tien Shan mountains, along the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, connecting two remote scientific research stations,” Kai wrote on Facebook Feb. 8.
“This was my first foray into the film world and my first proper freeride expedition. I’m really happy with how everything turned out, and if you decide to watch, I hope you enjoy it!”
Tributes are pouring in for Kai on social media.
“Kai had deep roots in our community as a talented athlete and coach that crossed all genres of our sport, from classic freestyle to freeski to freeride,” wrote Freestyle Canada in an Instagram post.
“He was equally known for his kindness and an approachable demeanour, having a positive impact and serving as a true inspiration to anyone who crossed paths with him. Kai was a skier with heartfelt passion, true grit, and a unique soul which vibrated anytime he stepped into the mountain’s playground. Both on and off the mountain, he lived with joy, courage, curiosity, and intensity, and brought light, energy, and kindness to those around him.
“Kai’s love for skiing, adventure, and for life itself will leave a lasting mark on our community, and he will be deeply missed.”
Pique will have more on the life and legacy of Kai Smart in the weeks to come. n
TRAGIC LOSS Kai Smart.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN SMART
WHISTLER |S QUAMIS H| NO RT HS HORE |V ANCOUVE R| OKANAGAN
Whistler Lakes ‘healthy,
BY LUKE FAULKS
ATTEND ANY COUNCIL meeting, and you’ll likely catch the Mayor’s Report. Recently, the regular recap of all things Whistler has come to include a brief discussion of Mayor Jack Crompton’s check-ins with local community groups.
Among the updates shared during a Feb. 24 council meeting, is a message from the Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation (WLCF), which has been monitoring the valley’s five lakes for years. As Mayor Jack Crompton relayed to council, the group’s latest findings suggest the lakes are in good condition.
But that message comes with a qualifier.
“Whistler lakes are healthy—but they still need our help,” WLCF’s Lynn Kriwoken wrote in an email to Pique.
A HIGH-FLUSHING, DIVERSE NETWORK
Unlike many urban systems, Whistler’s lakes don’t operate in isolation.
“Whistler’s five glacial basin lakes are not like a single urban lake giving one signal; together they function like a network of environmental sensors and provide a far richer picture of ecosystem health than any single lake could,” Kriwoken explained.
“They have different personalities, influenced by local factors and stressors [in] their own mini watersheds.”
Those “personalities” are shaped by differences in watershed size, elevation, development and use—ranging from the heavily trafficked Alta Lake to quieter systems like Lost Lake.
Lakes act as a kind of early warning system for broader watershed health, often compared to “canaries in a coal mine.” But
but they still need our help,’ conservation group says
in Whistler’s case, the analogy shifts:
“As for the canary in a coalmine, Whistler lakes are more like crows than canaries—tough, adaptable and able to thrive under stress,” Kriwoken said. “They can shrug off challenges that would overwhelm more fragile systems.”
A natural process called “flushing” helps keep Whistler’s lakes healthy. The process describes the rate at which water is circulated and replaced by fresh water.
“Flushing rate is the most important driver of lake resilience against external impacts,” Kriwoken explained. “High flushing rates of our lakes by generous clean water inputs from snowmelt mean Whistler’s lakes have low algal productivity from human-generated plant nutrients.”
In practical terms, that means clearer water, lower nutrient buildup and, therefore, fewer algae blooms compared to many lakes across Canada.
“The low-temperature, high-volume stream inputs to the lakes also ensures the existence of cold, oxygenated water for fish in summer,” Kriwoken added. “That’s a really important part of what keeps these ecosystems functioning.”
Still, that resilience varies across the system.
“Alta Lake is the most heavily used [and] the most sensitive to human activities of all Whistler’s lakes,” Kriwoken said. “Without annual flushing and sewage treatment, it would be a cloudy green algal soup.”
MOUNTING PRESSURES
Despite their relative strength, the lakes face a growing list of stressors.
At the watershed level, monitoring has detected traces of contaminants— including fecal coliform, metals, hydrocarbons and pesticides—entering
lakes via stormwater and road runoff, particularly during dry summer periods when dilution is limited.
“There were no alarming contaminant levels detected,” Kriwoken said. “But the results tell us that these are all byproducts of a wide array of human activities.”
That aligns with a broader concern highlighted in the WLCF’s notes: lowerelevation watersheds are heavily used, and cumulative impacts could overwhelm even resilient systems if left unmanaged.
“Alta Lake is the most heavily used [and] the most sensitive to human activities...”
- LYNN KRIWOKEN
“[Whistler’s] lower-altitude watersheds host a huge amount of human use that, if not managed properly, will overwhelm even the extreme toughness of its lakes,” Kriwoken noted.
Climate change adds another layer of risk.
“Climate warming will reduce the quantity and increase the temperature of waters entering the lakes in late summer,” Kriwoken noted. “The temperature increases could reduce habitat quality for coldwater fish and lower flows could reduce the flushing rates.”
Lower inflows could also disrupt seasonal mixing cycles, increasing the risk of nutrient buildup and making lakes more sensitive to existing human pressures.
WHAT STEWARDSHIP LOOKS LIKE
The WLCF’s work focuses on long-term monitoring, data collection and public outreach.
“We can’t manage what we don’t measure,” Kriwoken said. “We’ve got dedicated teams for each of the five lakes, with data going into work with provincial scientists. That’s where professional science and citizen science really come together.”
The foundation has also expanded into watershed monitoring—sampling streams, culverts and runoff sources to better understand how contaminants move through the system.
But stewardship, Kriwoken stressed, extends beyond science: “It’s about humanity that’s recognizing that we’re all part of the watershed.”
Much of that responsibility falls to everyday actions.
Guides produced by the foundation and partners outline practical steps for protecting shoreline and water quality, including: maintaining native plant buffers along shorelines; reducing fertilizer and pesticide use; managing runoff and septic systems; using phosphate-free cleaning products; and practicing low-impact boating and safe refuelling.
The WLCF also encourages reducing invasive species spread, respecting aquatic life and minimizing waste around lakes.
The broader message, Kriwoken said, is simple: “We’re all part of the problem, but we’re all part of the solution, too.”
The WLCF is always looking for new lake stewards to help monitor local lakes. Check out their website, Instagram and Facebook pages for more information about how to sign up. n
Sea to Sky school district projects enrolment decline for 2026-27
DISTRICT SAYS FORECAST IS CONSERVATIVE AS STAFFING PLANS
SCHOOL DISTRICT 48 (SD48) is projecting a drop in student enrolment next year, with the steepest decline expected in online learning.
A district enrolment projection presented to trustees March 11 shows total funded full-time equivalent (FTE) enrolment is forecast at 5,093.9375 for 2026-27, down from 5,408.4375 in the fall 2025 claim—a decrease of 314.5 FTE, or about six per cent.
That decline is not evenly felt across the system.
The number of students in physical classrooms is projected to dip more modestly, from 5,118 to 5,034, a decline of 84 students, or two per cent.
The largest drop is concentrated in Sea to Sky Online School, where enrolment is projected to fall from 547 to 388 students—a 29-per-cent decrease.
Secretary treasurer Danielle Haverstock said SD48 submits enrolment projections to the Ministry of Education
TAKE SHAPE
and Child Care each year, which are then used to calculate initial grant funding for the upcoming school year.
The projections combine several layers of forecasting. A demographer, Univerus Baragar Systems, produces a baseline projection using birth trends and historical enrolment data. School principals then submit their own estimates, which are further adjusted by the district based on current registrations and local conditions.
“We take the actual registrations at the schools as well as Baragar, and we slightly adjust them,” Haverstock said.
The document distinguishes between headcount—the number of students— and full-time equivalent (FTE), which is used to determine provincial funding. The district is funded based on FTE, not simple enrolment totals.
Despite the projected decline, Haverstock said the district is intentionally taking a cautious approach.
“We are very conservative with our projection,” she said. “There’ll probably be more students coming in.”
Some of the projected decrease may be tied to larger graduating cohorts in Grade 12, while kindergarten numbers may still be understated as registration continues.
“There are some bubbles in Grade 12,” she said. “And then I think for some of the kindergarten, they’re also understated … so it’s a combination of that.”
The projections are also used to guide staffing decisions for the fall, meaning the district plans conservatively in case enrolment comes in lower than expected.
“We use these numbers to do our staffing for the fall,” Haverstock said. “Three hundred students is a lot for us, so hopefully that doesn’t come to fruition, but we are being very conservative, and we’re just planning for that in case it does.”
Across the corridor, enrolment changes vary by community.
Pemberton is projected to see a slight decline, from 759 to 745 students (down two per cent), while Squamish remains relatively stable, dipping from 3,316 to 3,283 (a one-per-cent drop). Whistler is expected to see the largest regional decrease, falling from 1,043 to 1,006 students (down four per cent).
At the school level, the picture is mixed.
Mamquam Elementary is projected to grow from 280 to 305 students (a nineper-cent jump), one of the few schools seeing notable increases. Meanwhile, Myrtle Philip Community School is expected to decline from 327 to 299 students (a nine-per-cent drop), and Don Ross Middle School from 751 to 726 (down three per cent).
Final funding will be adjusted after the official Sept. 30 enrolment count, known as the 1701 snapshot, is submitted to the ministry.
-By Liz McDonald n
Naturespeak: Tracking curiosity—from Facebook feeds to forest floors
BY CHLOE VAN LOON
WERE YOU ON A laptop-break stroll or pausing to de-layer on a cross-country ski when you noticed a peculiar arrangement of depressions in the mud or snow? After selecting a few of the photos you took, you shared them to a Facebook group. With five depressions in the crusty spring snow, digital chatter erupts with comments: “definitely not a dog,” and “looks like a cougar.”
Living throughout the Sea to Sky means wildlife corridors don’t just exist “out there”—they run through our back, front, and side yards, as well as overhead. Yet, when faced with a set of tracks, our collective imagination often bypasses the uneventful culprit and jumps straight to the reclusive, four-legged mammals of our forests. Why?
The irony is that the most common culprit of the depressed snow is often sleeping at the foot of our beds… or more likely, in our beds. We intimately share our lives with domesticated mammals, yet we rarely stop to observe their tracks. Many of us couldn’t accurately describe what our own fur-baby’s paw looks like in the mud. By jumping to conclusions, we miss the nuance of the more natural
world around us.
To distinguish a “beast” from a “best friend,” let’s get curious about the shapes within a track. Generally, canines (dogs, wolves, coyotes) show their claws in their tracks. Their overall prints are typically oval, with a distinct “X-shaped” negative space between the toes and heel pad. Conversely, felines (cougars, bobcats) have retractable claws, so are much less likely to show the small dimples of claw marks. A cougar’s track is rounder, and
the heel pad has three distinct lobes at the base, resembling an “M,” whereas canines have only two lobes at the base.
A coyote’s track is a tight, oval-shaped print with a more pointed front end, while a domestic dog’s print is generally wide, with toes splaying outward—a sign of a life lived with pavement, and fuelled by kibble rather than the focused, energyconserving gait of a wild hunter. However, the “athletes” amongst our canine community can have tracks that more
closely resemble their canine cousins.
While initially frustrated at some comment sections, I see the digital chatter as a small flame of curiosity awaiting to be stoked. Curiosity is a skill—one that is often sharpest in childhood but, for many, begins to disappear like a footprint in melting snow as we age. Let’s reverse that.
When we see a track and immediately label it “cougar,” we stop the chain of curiosity. We stop the brainstorm. But when we ask: “what shapes do I notice?” or “what does this remind me of, overall?” and “who could have created this track?” we start to see a series of possible stories unfolding. Even experienced trackers and “ologists” walk away with a mind of questions and potential options rather than a single, certain answer.
With devices of immense computing and broadcast power within constant reach, it’s so easy to shove aside wondering, pondering, and questioning. Curiosity is as simple as inspecting your cat’s toe beans. Do your innately curious brain a favour, and remember, “learning is not the product of teaching, learning is the product of the activity of learners” (John Holt).
Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca. n
Proposal to convert some Whistler tennis courts to pickleball gains traction at council
PLAN ENVISIONS SPLITTING WHISTLER’S 17 TENNIS COURTS INTO A NETWORK OF 28 PICKLEBALL COURTS AND EIGHT TENNIS COURTS
A PROPOSAL to convert a portion of Whistler’s underused public tennis courts into dedicated pickleball facilities is moving into staff review after receiving a broadly supportive reception from council at its Feb. 24 meeting.
The pitch, brought forward by Pickleball Whistler through a letter to council and discussions with Whistler leaders, calls on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) to “consider upgrading a portion of under-utilized public tennis courts to permanent pickleball courts” to better serve both residents and visitors.
Council voted to receive the correspondence during a Feb. 24 meeting and refer it to staff, with the next phase involving review by municipal departments including parks and procurement.
A LOW-COST UPGRADE TO EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
At the core of the proposal is a relatively simple infrastructure shift: repurposing existing courts rather than building new ones.
“The infrastructure is already there, and so all they have to do is come in and paint the lines,” said Suzanne Johnston of Pickleball Whistler. “You’d just have to put up some dividers around the courts and some permanent nets. So it’s pretty limited.”
According to a presentation from the group, the specific upgrades would include resurfacing, painting, nets,
fencing, signage and optional features like lighting and equipment kiosks.
Because the courts already exist, Johnston argued the costs would be “pretty minimal [to] the taxpayer,” emphasizing the proposal as a cost-effective way to expand recreation opportunities.
The proposal also highlights efficiency gains. One tennis court can be converted into three to four pickleball courts, increasing capacity from up to four players to as many as 16 at a time.
SITE SELECTION SHAPED BY NOISE AND GEOGRAPHY
The proposal identifies nine existing court locations across Whistler and recommends splitting them between tennis- and pickleball-specific use.
The letter to council notes that several of Whistler’s public tennis courts are underused and represent “an underutilized asset,” making them strong candidates for conversion.
Site selection was guided in part by proximity to residential areas and the desire to prevent the signature thwack of plastic pickleballs from annoying neighbours.
“We thought about, ‘What’s the vicinity to houses? Are they like right next to the houses?’” said Niamh O’Sullivan, who helped develop the proposal. “Because pickleball is noisy, and some people aren’t into that.”
Courts closer to residential neighbourhoods—like Millar’s Pond in Bayshores or Eva Lake Park in Nordic—
would remain tennis-focused, while sites farther from homes or near tourist hubs would be converted.
Locations identified for pickleball upgrades include Alpha Lake Park, Meadow Park, Bayly Park in Cheakamus, Benchlands near the Four Seasons and the Myrtle Philip sports fields.
The resulting plan would expand Whistler’s current 17 tennis courts into a network of 28 pickleball-specific courts and eight tennis-specific courts.
“We just felt that if we had pickleballspecific courts and tennis-specific courts, it talks to both communities,” Johnston said, adding the proposal responds to a clear gap in Whistler’s current recreation infrastructure.
“Community-wise, they’re very, very limited,” Johnston said of existing public pickleball options. “There’s nine locations of courts throughout the community, and they painted a few lines around using a tennis net. But it’s very, very limited.”
While private facilities like the Whistler Racket Club offer courts, access is restricted by cost and availability. The presentation notes that pickleball is “primarily accessible to community members and visitors that can afford to pay to play at the privately-owned facilities.”
COUNCIL RESPONSE AND NEXT STEPS
During the Feb. 24 meeting, council
members expressed interest in the proposal and its potential to expand access to recreation.
Mayor Jack Crompton described the idea as offering “interesting opportunities for relatively inexpensive pickleball infrastructure in and through renovations of some of our tennis courts.”
Council ultimately voted to receive and refer the proposal to staff for further review. The proposal will now be evaluated by municipal staff through the Parks and Recreation team, with staff responsible for determining how—or whether—it advances within existing processes.
Should the court refurbishments move forward, the group also envisions programming like drop-in play, leagues and tournaments similar to other community sports in Whistler.
“Dedicated time allocations for local coaches and sport associations [and] tournament hosting capacity” are outlined in the proposal as potential next steps for activating the courts.
As municipal departments begin evaluating how the concept could fit into Whistler’s broader recreation system, O’Sullivan suggests picking up a paddle.
“Start playing pickleball and join the fun. The more people that are participating in the sport, the better,” she said. “It’s really accessible. It doesn’t matter if you’re 10 years old or 90 years old, you can play.”
- By Luke Faulks n
BRIEF PAWS Who stepped in the silty mud of the Pemberton Valley? Coyote, domestic dog, or gray wolf?
PHOTO BY CHLOE VAN LOON
SLRD, Lil’wat seeking provincial funding for explosive solution to Place Glacier flood hazard
ENGINEERS RECOMMEND A $481,350 PLAN TO REPAIR DAMAGED CHANNELS AND BLAST OPEN A DRAINAGE CONDUIT THROUGH THE GLACIER AHEAD OF THE ANTICIPATED 2026 OUTBURST
BY LUKE FAULKS
THE SQUAMISH-LILLOOET Regional District (SLRD) and Lil’wat Nation are calling on the Province of British Columbia to fund mitigation work aimed at preventing recurring flood hazards tied to the rapidly changing Place Glacier.
“We know this hazard will continue unless action is taken,” said SLRD board chair Jen Ford in a press release. “The SLRD does not have the means to address this on our own. We are asking the Province to support a solution with the funding and resources required to reduce this risk.”
The request follows an engineering assessment that outlines possible solutions to recurring glacial lake outburst floods originating from a lake on Place Glacier, above the Gates Lake community in Electoral Area C. The report recommends repairing existing channels damaged during the 2025 outflow, and using explosives to create a new drainage system through the glacier.
BACKGROUNDER
In 2024 and 2025, the lake rapidly drained, triggering debris flows that travelled down Place Creek and through nearby residential areas. The 2024 event sent roughly 1.2 million cubic metres of water and large volumes of sediment downstream, mobilizing debris and forcing an emergency response to redirect the creek back toward its historical alignment.
Emergency channel repairs were completed in late 2024, but they were damaged again during a smaller outburst in June 2025, leaving the area vulnerable to future flooding.
Under a rapidly warming climate, similar outbursts are expected to continue annually until the glacier retreats far enough to eliminate the lake. Until the glacier has receded enough, the melt will
create an ongoing risk for homes along Place Creek and Poole Creek.
The modelling suggests the 2025 outburst was roughly equivalent to a 1-in-200-year flood event, meaning floods of that scale could occur much more frequently than previously expected.
MITIGATION OPTIONS AND PREFERRED APPROACH
A “conceptual designs summary” prepared by the engineering firm Stantec evaluated five potential mitigation options to manage water levels in the glacier-fed lake and reduce flood risk for residents and wildlife alike.
The options include: installing a siphon system in the lake that forms as the glacier melts; installing pumps to control water levels; drilling a conduit through bedrock adjacent to the glacier; constructing a dam at the cirque lake outlet; and using explosives to fracture open a drainage channel through the glacier.
After evaluating feasibility,
environmental impacts and operational costs, engineers recommended pursuing the final option—using explosives to open a conduit through the glacier while repairing the damaged 2024 channel works—as the preferred approach.
The strategy would “modify the seasonal snow cover, firn or surface glacial ice to change meltwater retention or redirect flow into more optimal and stable pathways.”
“Firn” is a form of precipitation halfway between snow and ice. It is a denser, more compact snow that has remained on a glacier for at least one melt season, and has not yet become compressed into glacial ice.
Stantec suggests carrying out blasting over a three-day period in early May, before the glacial lake becomes a safety hazard in the summer season.
The report notes that the “efficacy of explosives to mitigate potential for the icemarginal lake to form is unknown and would require some research and testing.”
The total cost of the explosive option is estimated at $481,350—substantially lower than options two and four, costed at $19 million and $51 million, respectively. The cost of options one and three were not considered.
All options would also require repairing the emergency channel modifications constructed after the 2024 flood to prevent Place Creek from diverting toward Gates Lake again, which could worsen flooding.
CALL TO THE PROVINCE
To help cover the $481,350 price tag, the SLRD and Lil’wat Nation are appealing to the provincial Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, noting that “there are no disaster mitigation grants that can be approved with enough time for the necessary work to be completed.”
“This situation constitutes an ongoing emergency event that presents an imminent risk to public safety and fish habitat,” Ford wrote on behalf of the regional district. “We have an extremely high level of confidence that there will be disaster impacts in the coming months. The severity, the urgency and the certainty of the Place Glacier hazard require that emergency response action be taken immediately.”
Lil’wat Nation has also voiced support for action, citing potential impacts on salmon habitat in the Birkenhead River watershed.
“Lil’wat Nation looks forward to the resolution of the Place Glacier hazards to ensure the safety of nearby homes and to protect the Birkenhead River salmon populations, which are vital to our food, social, and ceremonial needs,” said Maxine Bruce, the Nation’s territorial stewardship manager, in a press release.
The SLRD says it plans to hold a public town hall once the province responds to the funding request. n
TIME AND PLACE Modelling has shown recent floods rivalled a one-in-200-year event.
The Tertiary Filtrationupgradeisnecessarytoimprovethequalityoftreated wastewaterdischargedtotheCheakamusRiverandcomplywithmunicipal wastewaterregulations.
WHEN A SEISMIC event happens at a ski area (like the landslide on Whistler Peak on March 12), our mountain minds immediately leap to two questions: Was anyone involved or hurt? No? Thank god.
Were any of the runs I usually ski affected? Sort of? OK.
BY VINCE SHULEY
Seeing the result of this geological release of potential energy, it got me thinking, what if the slide had hurt someone? Or what if the slide rendered the entire Whistler Peak area as unsafe to ski for the foreseeable future?
Those of us who’ve skied the Peak for decades would probably shrug our shoulders and say, “Well, I had some good laps over the years.” But what about those who haven’t had the chance to ski Whistler Peak? All those skiers from all over the world who’ve been hearing about Whistler all their lives. All the aspiring young workers who’ve wanted to come work a season since they were kids. What about them?
This is all a big fat hypothetical, but
with what seems to be winter’s death by a thousand climate cuts right now, I’m growing more aware that one day— perhaps in our lifetime—we may not be able to ski certain places at all (just look at some of the Californian ski hills this year). Best get on it and experience as many cool ski destinations as practically possible. That means ejecting out of our Whistler safe space and hitting the road.
In January of this year, I finally got to tick off one place I’d been hearing
demographically I probably matched closer to the clientele in neighbouring Park City Resort or nearby Alta Ski Area, there were things about Deer Valley that really opened my eyes to what the ski experience can be. And no, it’s not all about wealth and luxury, though those elements are very much present among the resort’s return visitors and second/ third/fourth homeowners.
Having parsed through a lot of this resort’s public relations material, a term
When I asked him what’s kept him there for that long, he shrugged and said, ‘It pays well, I work with great people and they let me take time off when I want. It’s just a really awesome lifestyle here.’
about since I started ski bumming all those years ago—Utah. Though it wasn’t the Utah resort I would have expected to visit first.
Deer Valley Resort is famous for three things; exceptional guest service, being a skier-only mountain and most recently, the most aggressive expansion in skiresort history. A bonus feather in the hat is limiting the number of skiers on the mountain to control crowding in its liftlines and lodges.
Having never clipped into a pair of skis in Utah before, I was invited down to Park City to cover the East Village expansion (see “Serious growth ambitions” in the Feb. 13 edition of Pique). While
that kept coming up was the “Deer Valley Difference,” a sort of mantra the staff, managers and executive leadership live by with their work. In the pamphlets, the Deer Valley Difference is described as “exceptional service, genuine care and attention to detail.” The idea is that workers at Deer Valley aren’t just showing up for a season pass and skitown lifestyle, they constantly go above and beyond to make sure you have the best time on your vacation. In turn, the managers are encouraged by leadership to give their employees the best possible working conditions and job satisfaction.
While that’s all great material for a printed prospectus, the evidence of the
Deer Valley Difference was there on the ground. The server I spoke to at the on-hill Fireside Dining restaurant had been happily working the same job for 17 years. When I asked him what’s kept him there for that long, he shrugged and said, “It pays well, I work with great people and they let me take time off when I want. It’s just a really awesome lifestyle here.”
On my final day of skiing, Deer Valley sent me out with Shannon Bahrke, a lifetime Deer Valley skier who won a silver medal in freestyle moguls at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and occasionally guides tourists around the mountain as part of the Ski With A Champion program. I ask for her interpretation of the Deer Valley Difference.
“It’s the people here taking great pride in what they do. Groomers, chefs, snowmakers, housekeepers, even the management… They all put in that extra effort to make it better for the guest. At the end of a vacation, it all adds up.”
Deer Valley’s mountains will never have the terrain that you find on Whistler Peak. But terrain isn’t everything, and even those chunks of solid earth aren’t immune to change over time. When those resort customer touchpoints—the rentals, the ski valet, the coffee shop, the hotel, the parking lot shuttle—all have that extra bit of polish, you genuinely feel taken care of. And that can make all the difference.
Vince Shuley is excited to travel for skiing again. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. n
DEER TO BE DIFFERENT Deer Valley Resort is famous for three things: exceptional guest service, being a skier-only mountain and the most aggressive expansion in ski-resort history.
Fully funded by the Resort Municipality Initiative, this project will replace the playground and splash park, and realign the Valley Trail.
This spring and summer, you will see sections of the park close, along with adjacent parking areas, while our crews get to work.
To learn more about the Meadow Park Rejuvenation project, scan the QR code.
Resort Municipality of Whistler Whistler.ca
KARINEMOND
Cultivating passion for learning
8 WAYS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD
Newspaper Toolbox
Instilling a love for learning in children is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Parents can empower their children to embrace education by nurturing their curiosity and enthusiasm. Here are eight ways to encourage a love for learning in your child:
1. Foster curiosity. Encourage your child to ask questions and explore their interests. Provide opportunities for hands-on learning experiences and expose them to various subjects and activities.
2. Lead by example. Demonstrate your love for learning by sharing your interests, hobbies and experiences with your child. Let them see you reading books and pursuing new skills.
3. Create a positive learning environment. Establish a supportive and stimulating study space and provide access to educational resources like books, games and educational materials.
4. Embrace mistakes. Teach your child that mistakes are a natural part of learning. Emphasize the importance of resilience and perseverance in overcoming challenges.
5. Make learning fun. Incorporate fun and creative activities into learning experiences. Use games, experiments, puzzles and hands-on projects to make learning engaging and enjoyable.
6. Encourage exploration. Support your child’s curiosity by allowing them to explore new interests and pursue their passions.
7. Celebrate achievements. Recognize and celebrate your child’s accomplishments, no matter how small. Praise their efforts and encourage them to take pride in their achievements.
8. Be patient and supportive. Be patient and supportive while offering encouragement and guidance, and be ready to help when needed.
By implementing these strategies, parents can empower their children to become lifelong learners who approach education with passion and enthusiasm.
What will it take to finally implement regional transit in the Sea to Sky?
By Cameron Fenton
The term “alpine start” usually refers to something that happens at a quiet trailhead. The dark sky is full of stars, and the trail ahead is lit by a headlamp and moonlight.
This time, there was the 3 a.m. alarm clock, the hushed scramble to gather gear and the travel mug of coffee, steaming in the dark morning air.
But on this cold, mid-January day, the headlamp and stars were replaced with the dayglow lights of the Scott Road SkyTrain platform. Instead of mountains, it was streetlights and a Surrey skyline. The quiet footsteps were replaced by the chime of an arriving train.
During the 2010 Olympics, commutes like this were common. Each day, thousands of people boarded public transit in Metro Vancouver to travel up the Sea to Sky. For those few weeks, the region was more connected than ever before. But when the Games wrapped, the buses left. Since then, regional transit in the Sea to Sky has been a lingering question, one local politicians hope could finally be answered in 2026.
GROWING UP, Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford remembers regional transit as a Greyhound bus.
“I’d wake up to the snow report, and if it was a good day, my mom would drop me off at the Greyhound station,” he says. “I’d take a bus up to go skiing for the day … it used to be easy.”
Greyhound closed operations in 2018. Today, three companies operate intercity buses in the region. The Squamish Connector runs between Squamish and Vancouver, and both Epic Rides and Skylynx run between
Vancouver and Whistler.
The earliest Epic Rides bus departs the Burrard SkyTrain Station a little after 6 a.m. According to the driver, most winter weekdays are like this, with the bus at or near capacity. Most riders are from Vancouver and heading to Whistler for the day. A few are tourists hauling suitcases.
Whistler councillor and SquamishLillooet Regional District board chair Jen Ford appreciates these buses, but explains they’re not a replacement for public transit.
“A coach bus from YVR that stops downtown [Vancouver] as the only option does not get us to Lions Gate, for example, which is our regional hospital,” she says. Public transit, says Ford, needs to serve not just skiers but workers, families, and First Nations communities throughout the region.
She also thinks buses could help reduce highway traffic.
“Whistler is a busy, busy place,” Ford explains. “We’ve got 3 million skier visits coming to our community every year, and if they’re all coming in single-occupant vehicles, we can’t possibly build our way out of congestion on the highway.”
Ford points out that highway traffic isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a safety issue, a commuting challenge, and a major source of carbon emissions. It’s also a problem that is increasing with population growth, which averages roughly two per cent a year across the region.
“Pemberton is one of the fastestgrowing communities in the province, and Squamish is right behind it,” she says. “To have mobility to things like our hospital, to have job mobility and have access to all of the services of the Lower Mainland, a regional transit service would go a long way.”
Currently, the only public transit bus serving communities in the Sea to Sky is
Squamish
Whistler
Pemberton
Vancouver
Route 99, which connects Whistler and Pemberton. From 2005 to 2010, there was also Route 98, a bus service between Squamish and Whistler that carried 125 to 200 riders a day before it was scrapped for lack of funding.
In 2017, BC Transit published a Sea to Sky Corridor Regional Transit Study. A plan for a public bus service connecting Vancouver to Pemberton, it laid out a timeline to get buses rolling by September 2019. The “Short Term Service Proposal” would have seen eight new buses. Seven of them would be part of a daily service between Vancouver and Whistler, and one would add more service to Route 99. The $3.3-million price tag for the service was proposed to be split, with the province covering $1.4 million and local governments responsible for the rest. That, according to Hurford, is where things got sticky.
“End of the day, it’s funding and political will,” he says. “That hasn’t existed at the provincial level in a substantive enough form to bring it to fruition.”
MLA JEREMY VALERIOTE has been using transit to travel to and from the legislature since his 2024 election.
“I use [transit] all the time to get to Victoria, looking at three different websites trying to coordinate schedules,” he says. He makes it work, but also has plenty of stories about missed buses and late-night rideshares.
“It’s not a commutable option,” he adds.
Those challenges are why, when he rolls up to the Alpine Café for an interview, it’s at the wheel of an electric vehicle. Still, he’s optimistic about regional transit, having written it into the governing agreement that the BC Greens signed with the BC NDP in December 2024.
In February, the Green Party said it would not sign a new cooperation agreement with the NDP government, saying the province has not held up its end of the bargain on things like healthcare, electoral reform and regional transit.
On implementing regional transit, Valeriote’s focus has been on solving the funding problem with a regional motor fuel tax.
In most of B.C., there is a 6.75-centper-litre motor fuel tax on gas and diesel, with the revenue directed to the general provincial budget. But in Metro Vancouver, the levee is higher, and the additional funds go directly to public transit. In Vancouver, the 18.5-cent-perlitre tax funds TransLink, the local transit
authority. In Victoria, the additional levee is 5.5-cents per litre.
Valeriote is quick to explain that while this would be a new tax, it shouldn’t increase gas prices in the region. As the BC Utilities Commission explained in 2019, “the Metro Vancouver transit tax is still being reflected in the price of gasoline” throughout the Sea to Sky.
According to the Commission, Whistler and Squamish gas stations are part of “a single larger market” with Metro Vancouver. Because of this, local gas stations match or exceed city gas prices, despite the fact that “they do not collect the regional motor fuel tax that applies in Metro Vancouver.”
The Commission contrasted this with the Fraser Valley in a 2024 report, showing fuel prices east of the city were regularly lower than in Metro Vancouver, often by an amount similar to the tax.
For local politicians, a motor fuel tax means not hanging transit costs on property taxes or fares, but using money that should already be supporting local infrastructure.
“We’re effectively paying the tax,” says Hurford. “Local governments should have access to that so it’s benefiting the community, not just wealth being removed.”
THE BUS STOP near Alpine Café is busy. The passengers are a mix of mountain staff in blue lift operations jackets, a few people in street clothes running errands and a handful of skiers and riders. They’re mostly locals taking advantage of a local transit system that, last April, expanded to add 6,000 service hours to its network.
“There’s been significant investments for transit in each of the three municipalities,” says local member of Parliament Patrick Weiler, explaining that some of the funding for these expansions came from Ottawa.
He counts himself among the advocates for regional transit and is excited about using federal funds to get it rolling. But, he explains, it’s not the federal government’s role to “direct the operations or the planning of transit.”
That falls to municipalities, First Nations and the province. According to Hurford, there’s been unprecedented “sustained alignment, throughout the corridor, including First Nations and our MLA.”
According to Valeriote, the B.C. government missed its goal under its agreement with the Greens to “focus on regional transit in the Sea to Sky in 2025.”
Cote, Matthew David
November 3, 1952 - February 5, 2026
Captain Matthew Cote died peacefully at his home in Roberts Creek , in the arms of his beloved wife, Dr Deborah Hocking, and his two sons, Sean and Andrew Cote He is also survived by his stepdaughters, Madeline Hocking and Joy Elise Hocking-Tsuruda (Nathan); his siblings, Catherine Cote (Doug), Nancy Yorke, Jacqueline Cote, Bill Cote (Jean), and Odessa Bromley (David) He was predeceased by his parents Paul and Elizabeth Cote, brother Paul Cote, and sister Annabeth Black
Matthew will be remembered fondly by all who met him for his largerthan-life character, sharp sense of humor, tenacity, and endless stories of his adventures sailing the world and skiing in the early days of Whistler
An entrepreneur at heart , in his early 20’s Matthew opened the Sports Market ski shop on West 4th Ave, using the profits to buy a CT 41’ to sail to Hawaii with friends He later became an enterprising real estate developer and broker in Vancouver, and worked with his brother Paul at Genstar Land on projects in BC and California He founded a company creating desalination water purification machines for Seaspan vessels, and consulted for tech companies on scientific tax credits
Matthew was particularly proud of his developments in Whistler where he built some of the first affordable housing opportunities for locals, notably Millar ’s Ridge, 82-units completed in 1997, and Nineteen Mile Creek , 78-units completed in 1999
A master mariner, Matthew ’s expertise was unmatched After earning his MCA Master 3000gt captain's license, he spent 5 years on the charter circuit , commanding superyachts up to 200 ft across the world’s oceans During one Atlantic crossing on his favorite 83-foot yacht , Mustang, Matthew faced a catastrophic dismasting Through sheer ingenuity and grit , he skillfully navigated 1 ,600 miles under a jury rig to bring his crew safely to shore
Matthew was a true visionary, combining his passion for building and sailing to perform the nearly impossible feat of pulling together 17 regulators to create the well-known Milltown Marina and Boatyard in Vancouver, which he operated until his retirement in 2023
After moving to the Sunshine Coast , Matthew and Deborah planned to winter in New Zealand aboard their Oyster45 SV Celta II Sadly, after 2 seasons, their dreams were cut short by his declining healthbut not before they were able to marry on the foredeck of their boat in the Bay of Islands
We will meet you over the horizon, dear Matthew
A celebration of Matthew ’s extraordinary life will be held for family and friends at Milltown Bar and Grill (919 Bentley St , Vancouver) on April 13, 2026, at 4:30 pm.
But he’s cautiously optimistic about it, explaining it wouldn’t take much “to get an MOU in place and instruct BC Transit to order the buses.”
While Pique was unable to speak directly with Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth, his office explained in an email that “the Province has committed to implementing frequent, reliable, affordable regional transit in 2025, with a specific focus on the Sea to Sky.”
Three months in to 2026, the buses have yet to materialize, with nothing set aside in the latest provincial budget to make it happen.
When asked about the challenges with getting buses rolling, the ministry pointed to local governments.
“Like many regions consisting of several communities, the Sea to Sky region requires cooperation at the regional level to come to a consensus on priorities,” a spokesperson said. “The regional partners, led by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and including the two First Nations, are continuing to discuss the regional contribution to the service.”
THE BUS BACK to Vancouver is filled to capacity. It’s one of two sold-out Epic Rides coaches departing this afternoon, each one carrying 55 passengers and all their gear. Traffic is slow leaving Whistler, clearing up south of Function Junction before grinding to a halt beside Daisy Lake. An accident near the Conroy Forest Service Road blocks traffic in both directions.
Moments like this reflect Ford’s view that the Sea to Sky highway presents some unique challenges for regional transit. Traffic, she explains, might require a “queue jumper or transit-only lane … if you’re just stuck in the same traffic, you’re not going anywhere.”
But Ford thinks these challenges are “low-hanging fruit” that can be addressed once a regional transit service is established. She’s an advocate for not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, especially when it comes to conversations about passenger trains in the Sea to Sky.
“THEY’RE LOOKING AT rough numbers of about $10 billion to make a rail system work,” she explains. “$10 billion could pay for a whole lot of transit.”
Still, it’s hard not to get excited about passenger rail, especially after CN announced it would be abandoning the former BC Rail track between Squamish and 100 Mile House.
“We used to have the BC Rail line that would go up there,” says Marc Lee, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. “It’s sitting there, you drive past it when you go up to Whistler. Can you imagine a service from North Vancouver straight into Whistler or Squamish?”
In 2024, Lee worked with the BC Federation of Labour on a proposal to expand transit throughout the province, including passenger rail. He agrees with local leaders that regional buses should be the priority, but argues this shouldn’t stop the province or the federal government from thinking big.
Hurford agrees rail feels like a big swing. He even thinks it “feels like a nation-building project” that could qualify it for support from the federal government’s new Major Projects Office.
But while Weiler says the federal government could be open to the idea, it would need a private backer.
“We had passenger rail [before], we can certainly have it again,” he says. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and most importantly, a private operator aboard to make it happen.”
It’s hard not to fantasize about a train cruising swiftly and smoothly down the corridor in the midst of a three-hour traffic jam. When vehicles finally start moving again on the highway, the Epic Rides bus lurches forward in fits and starts through stopand-go traffic. It’s a harsh reality check, one that drives home the fact that, for now, the most important thing is still just getting buses up and running.
“The most immediate and achievable thing is certainly having regional transit,” says Weiler. “That is the priority that can and needs to be done.” n
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSUEUM AND ARCHIVES
Whistler Special Olympics in need of volunteers, ski coaches and financial support
LOCAL ATHLETES RECENTLY EARNED SIX MEDALS AT REGIONAL QUALIFIERS IN MOUNT SEYMOUR
BY DAVID SONG
WHEN VIVIAN MACDONALD became local coordinator of Whistler’s Special Olympics chapter, she did it for some very personal reasons.
Vivian’s son Aidan is a special needs individual, and she has always wanted him to feel embraced by others. That journey began with Aidan learning to ski as a nonverbal four-and-a-half-yearold child. Now he is 22 and one of four Special Olympics athletes in the Sea to Sky corridor: Taylor Mitchell, Sarah Colpitts and Macy Daniells are the others.
It’s exactly why Vivian and her family moved to Whistler three years ago, to take advantage of opportunities provided by the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP).
“Watching my son Aidan grow through Whistler Adaptive Sports … has shown me how transformative sports can be: by giving athletes confidence, making them feel included and capable,” said Vivian. “Being part of this work is deeply personal for me. I wanted to give back to the community that has given Aidan and our family so much.
“By growing Special Olympics in Whistler, I hope to create more opportunities for athletes to build independence, form friendships, develop skills and have fun. Whistler Adaptive and Special Olympics, together, create something incredibly powerful, a place where athletes belong, where they are seen for their strengths and where they are encouraged to believe in themselves.”
WASP has laid a foundation for people with neurological and/or physical
no cost. Annie Deeks, the WMSC Masters coach, is happy to share the venue with Vivian’s athletes.
Aidan, Mitchell, Colpitts and Daniells also participate in the Kokanee Valley Race Series on Whistler Mountain to progress healthily in a recreational racing environment.
“Your support and generosity have helped our athletes build confidence and develop the skills in a welcoming and inclusive environment,” Vivian
“I am so very proud of our athletes’ performance at the qualifiers.”
- VIVIAN MACDONALD
disabilities to recreate for more than 20 years by way of dedicated coaches and 18 adaptive sports. Vivian, however, aspired to cultivate something more: an alpine ski team.
GENEROSITY AND SUPPORT
Such an undertaking would likely not have been possible without the Whistler Mountain Ski Club (WMSC), whose executive director Sandy Nattress provided the local Special Olympics group with a course and gate training times at
said regarding the help lent by WMSC. “Without this support, these athletes would not be representing Whistler in Regional Qualifiers.”
The Special Olympics British Columbia (SOBC) Regional Qualifiers took place on March 14 and 15 at Mount Seymour. Daniells won the novice giant slalom (GS) and held onto second in slalom despite a fall, Aidan was runnerup in slalom and third for GS, Mitchell likewise raked in two medals (second in GS, third in slalom) and Colpitts just
missed the hardware in fourth.
Top Regional Qualifier participants may advance to the 2027 SOBC Winter Games, which in turn are the key to 2028’s Canada Winter Games and eventually the Special Olympics World Winter Games slated for 2029 in Switzerland.
“I am so very proud of our athletes’ performance at the qualifiers,” remarked Vivan. “Watching their confidence grow and seeing the pride and joy they feel in what they have achieved in such a short period of time has been truly moving and inspiring.”
WASP remains an invaluable ally for Whistler Special Olympics by providing coaches and overall support, while former coordinator Ann Franssen now serves as the organization’s treasurer. Yet the athletes’ parents must nevertheless pay for contest registrations, accommodation, food and other expenses out of pocket.
This is not a sustainable model, so Vivian emphasized the need for additional volunteers and financial backing.
“We’re just really new and we haven’t really made a splash in Whistler yet, so I’d like to let people know that we’re here,” she said. “There’s so many other sports … those are all things that we can be part of—but for me right now, skiing seemed to be the most obvious one to start with because we have the mountain, right?”
Vivian invites anyone who might be interested in supporting Whistler Special Olympics to contact her directly at 604831-5607 or bvmac@me.com. n
HIT THE SLOPES Whistler Special Olympics members at the 2026 Regional Qualifiers in Mt. Seymour, left to right: Sarah Colpitts, Macy Daniells, Taylor Mitchell, Aidan Macdonald and Vivian Macdonald.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VIVIAN MACDONALD
SPORTS THE SCORE
Zander Greco wins first Canadian Skeleton Championship
SPORTS BRIEFS: SECOND STRAIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY TRIUMPH FOR ETHAN WOOD IN FAYETTEVILLE
BY DAVID SONG
BACK IN NOVEMBER, Zander Greco secured his inaugural North American Cup (NAC) skeleton medal, a bronze. On Sunday, the 18-year-old became Canadian Champion for his first time in Whistler.
The quickest five men all broke the one-minute, 50-second barrier, but Greco (1:49.20) edged out runner-up Mark Lynch (1:49.35) and third-placer Sebastien Regnier (1:49.73). Josip Brusic, the 2026 Olympian and two-time national champ, was fourth (1:49.80).
“What a fantastic way to end the season! Winning gold at the Canadian Skeleton Championships,” wrote Greco on social media. “Thank you to my entire support system, coaches, teammates, staff, friends and family for helping me along the way.”
Hallie Clarke, fresh off a 19th-place result in Milano Cortina, grabbed her third straight national title (1:50.11). Fellow Olympic athlete Jane Channell took silver (1:50.38) and Grace Dafoe, who announced her retirement earlier this year, received bronze (1:52.46).
“Another great end to the year,” Clarke said on Instagram. “Some people’s last race, some people’s first, some [personal bests] and a whole lot of fun. Couldn’t ask for a better team to be a part of. Congratulations to everyone on a great race. See ya next season! Shoutout to the coaches and volunteers for putting on such a smooth camp/race.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Pidwerbesky became the first skeleton racer to earn the L. Lamont Gordon Spirit Award. Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton’s social media account explains that this accolade is given to an individual who “exemplifies sportsmanship and the core values of commitment, generosity, dedication, and teamwork.”
SECOND STRAIGHT CROSSCOUNTRY TRIUMPH FOR ETHAN WOOD
Pembertonian Ethan Wood can’t seem to lose right now, adding another crosscountry Olympic (XCO) victory from the US Pro Cup to his record. He was the only junior man to break the hour barrier on March 20 (59:09), leaving Rowan Nistal (1:00:30) and Evan Moore (1:00:53) in second and third behind him.
“Pretty awesome time here in Arkansas, stoked to take both Wednesday and Saturday XCO wins!” Wood said on Instagram. “Also really happy to be in the mix in the XCC as well!”
Marin Lowe departed Fayetteville with three fourth-place results, a pair of them on Saturday’s XCO and cross-country short track (XCC) races. Gwendalyn
Gibson took gold in the former, but was edged out by Haley Batten in the XCC (an event where Squamish’s Lowe missed bronze by one second).
“Happy with my start to the season with another P4 in the elite category,” remarked Lowe on social media. “Big thanks to [Pro Bike Mechanic], [Liv Cycling] and [David Sagat] for the good times and support!”
Lacey Dennis also wound up fourth in the junior ladies Olympic discipline, while Ella MacPhee was seventh in short track and ninth in XCO.
RUBY WELLS LAYS DOWN FASTEST CANADIAN WOMEN’S TIME AT TENNESSEE NATIONAL
Ruby Wells emerged victorious in the 2026 Red Bull Tennessee National with the best time of any Canadian female at Windrock Bike Park: two minutes and 54.746 seconds.
It would have been enough for seventh in the pro women’s race, and it was enough to clinch gold among girls aged 17 to 18. Erin Golwyn also broke the three-minute barrier (2:56.798) to grab silver, and Lucinda Cherbaka earned bronze (3:03.297).
Wells, the latest Stevie Smith Memorial Award recipient, took to Instagram to congratulate her opponents and express satisfaction with her performance.
Mikey Delesalle ensured that Canada would be represented on the pro men’s podium by finishing third (2:29.260). Austin Dooley triumphed (2:29.171) and his fellow American Cole Suetos was second by a tiny margin (2:29.175).
“This one feels good, feels like all the hard work is finally showing. 0.08 [seconds] off the win, congrats to all the boys on the box,” Delesalle wrote on social media. “As always, thank you [Matteo Nati] and thank you [Aaron Gwin] and [Lauren Gwin] for putting on this unreal event.”
Gwin, who shares a downhill World Cup record of four straight wins with Jackson Goldstone, crashed during a promising run.
Mack Manietta stayed on his bike to prevail in the boys’ age 15-16 division (2:30.418), with bronze going to Sebastien Harrisson (2:35.648). Sandwiched between the Pembertonians was runnerup Eli Bundy (2:32.507).
“Wow what a week! So hyped to get the win in U17 and even more stoked to get sixth overall,” remarked Manietta on Instagram. “Solid week on the bike, no issues or mechanicals and just a sick week of riding. Overall great week and onto Ride Rock Creek [for the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series] next week!” n
Takenoticethat the GaribaldiHighlandsLandsLtd. of Pemberton,BC, has appliedtotheBritishColumbiaMinistry of Water, LandandResourceStewardship (WLRS),Surreyforatenureforutilityelectricpowerlinepurposesituatedon ProvincialCrownLandlocated at PembertonCreek WLRSinvitescommentsonthis application.TheLands Fileis 2413091.Written commentsconcerningthis applicationshouldbedirectedtotheSeniorLand Officer,LowerMainland,WLRS, at 200–10428153rdStreet,Surrey, BCV3R 1E1.CommentswillbereceivedbyWLRSuptoMay1,2026.WLRSmaynotbe abletoconsidercommentsreceivedafterthisdate.Pleasevisitthe Applications, CommentsandReasonsforDecisionDatabasewebsite at http://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/formoreinformation.
New study puts shared kitchens on the menu for Canada’s food future
THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS HOW SHARED FACILITIES COULD HELP SMALLER OPERATORS AVOID SIX-FIGURE BUILD-OUT COSTS AND TEST NEW PRODUCTS
BY LUKE FAULKS
IN A TOWN where groceries already rank among the most expensive in the province, even a volunteer-run community kitchen is struggling to find a place to cook.
Whistler ROCKS—a local initiative aimed at providing low-cost community meals—has spent months searching for a permanent kitchen space, operating instead out of a borrowed facility as demand continues to grow. The group has served hundreds of meals, but a longterm home remains elusive.
The problem is straightforward: there are few affordable, compliant commercial kitchens available. A new study from the federal government’s Competition Bureau highlights why that might be a problem for Whistler, and how we might improve the situation.
WHY SHARED KITCHENS MATTER
A report from the Bureau released this month suggests that problem is not unique to Whistler; instead, it’s built into Canada’s food system.
Our country’s food sector includes more than 8,800 processing firms—roughly 92 per cent of which are small- and mediumsized businesses. Yet many struggle to enter the market or expand, not because of demand, but because of the cost and complexity of getting started.
“Commercial-grade kitchens,
processing equipment, storage facilities, and packaging systems are expensive,” the report notes. Those upfront costs can easily run into six figures, creating a major barrier for smaller operators.
Layered on top of that is a fragmented regulatory system. Food businesses have to navigate overlapping municipal, provincial and federal rules, often with inconsistent or confusing requirements depending on where they operate.
The result, the report argues, is a system where fewer businesses can enter the market and where competition suffers: “Markets can become concentrated, reducing the diversity of products and limiting the ability of new ideas to reach consumers,” the report finds.
At a time when every month seemingly brings news of the closure of some locallyowned restaurant due to operating costs, while larger chains continue their slow encroachment into the Village, we’re appropriately strapped for solutions.
The study suggests leaning into the idea of shared kitchens.
These facilities provide licensed, fully equipped spaces where multiple businesses—or groups like Whistler ROCKS—can prepare food without building their own infrastructure. In some cases, they operate on an hourly rental model; in others, they are part of larger food hubs that include cold storage, packaging equipment and distribution support.
The benefits, according to the report, are both immediate and systemic.
Shared kitchens can: eliminate the need for expensive build-outs; reduce compliance costs by centralizing food safety requirements; allow businesses to launch more quickly and test products at lower risk; scale production up or down
based on demand; and support a wider range of producers, from caterers and meal programs to packaged food makers
They can also strengthen local economies by creating clusters of producers and reducing reliance on long, import-heavy supply chains.
In brief, more kitchens means more competition and a more stable way for groups like ROCKS to help feed residents of B.C.’s costliest town.
A SYSTEM THAT LIMITS ITS OWN ALTERNATIVES
Despite their potential, shared kitchens remain difficult to establish and scale in Canada.
The same regulatory fragmentation that affects individual businesses also applies to shared facilities. Licensing rules can vary across jurisdictions, approvals may be tied to a single address, and businesses looking to expand across regions may face additional federal requirements.
Even within a single community, navigating those rules can be costly and time-consuming.
The Competition Bureau estimates regulatory “red tape” costs Canadian businesses roughly $18 billion annually and consumes hundreds of millions of work hours.
Those costs fall disproportionately on smaller operators—the very businesses shared kitchens are meant to support.
To address that, the report outlines three key recommendations: Harmonize food safety and licensing rules across municipal, provincial and federal jurisdictions; Standardize inspection and compliance processes for shared facilities;
And use shared kitchens as “testbeds” to pilot new, more flexible regulatory approaches.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN WHISTLER
In Whistler, structural challenges are layered on top of local realities.
Commercial space is limited and expensive. The market is small. And nearly all food is transported in, making it highly sensitive to fuel and supply chain costs. Those conditions help explain why food prices are persistently high and worsening.
A February Bank of Canada analysis found grocery prices have risen about 22 per cent since 2022—significantly faster than overall inflation. The increase reflects a combination of import costs, energy prices and transportation expenses moving through a long supply chain.
Meanwhile, Canadian businesses are preparing to pass on higher costs. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported in March that concern about fuel costs jumped from 36 per cent to 50 per cent in a single month, with businesses’ planned price increases rising to 2.7 per cent.
In a place like Whistler, where food travels long distances before reaching shelves, those pressures are magnified.
Whistler ROCKS was created to make food more accessible in a high-cost community. Its search for a permanent kitchen highlights how difficult that work can be.
The Competition Bureau’s report suggests that expanding shared kitchens and food hubs could be one way to address that gap, lowering barriers for local producers and increasing competition in the food system.
But until those changes take hold, communities like Whistler remain dependent on a system where costs rise quickly, alternatives are limited, and even the simplest solution—finding a place to cook—can be out of reach. n
TEAM EFFORT Whistler ROCKS highlights structural barriers and a potential solution to rising food costs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIE KINGI
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH
OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
*some exceptions apply
‘The creativity never ceases to amaze us’
EIGHTH ANNUAL ANONYMOUS ART SHOW IN WHISTLER FEATURES A RECORD-BREAKING 442 PIECES, BUYING NIGHT SET FOR APRIL 10
BY DAVID SONG
ARTS WHISTLER executive director
Maureen Douglas is pleased to report that this year’s Anonymous Art Show is the biggest one yet, with an unprecedented 442 submissions from 318 participants.
Locals aren’t known for submitting ahead of time, so Douglas and her peers were worried as deadline day began to loom. Those fears proved unnecessary as “an extraordinary amount of work” arrived in the nick of time—not just from Sea to Sky artists but also across British Columbia, Ontario, the United States and even Australia (itself a new record for distance travelled).
“We were thanking our postal delivery guy on the regular because he was like Santa showing up with these massive sacks filled with 10-by-10 [inch] boxes that had eight-by-eight work in them,” Douglas recalls.
The show can be enticing for beginners precisely because it is anonymous. Families and friend groups may organize their own painting sessions, and some discover a heretoforedormant talent. Arts Whistler staff have received feedback over the years from numerous folks who felt inspired by their maiden Anonymous Art Show to
explore art intentionally: sharing more pieces with loved ones and contributing to future exhibits.
Professional artists, meanwhile, relish a challenge to experiment with new styles and submit something fans won’t immediately pigeonhole as their content.
“There’s a little glint in their eye about that,” says Douglas. “It allows people to be as different and as weird in some ways as they want to. You see some of the work on the wall and it is unusual. It’s unique. It’s cheeky. The
not unheard of. In 2026 there is one specific piece composed exclusively of gold chains arranged to resemble a mountainous landscape when viewed from a distance.
‘THE ADRENALINE ARTFUELLED EVENT OF THE YEAR’
The Anonymous Art Show also functions as Arts Whistler’s big recurring fundraiser, bringing in $20,000 to $25,000 each year. Commission is limited to 30 per cent, as opposed to
“It allows people to be as different and as weird in some ways as they want to. You see some of the work on the wall and it is unusual. It’s unique.”
- MAUREEN DOUGLAS
creativity never ceases to amaze us.”
The first Anonymous Art Show was held in 2018 and featured a relatively straightforward lineup of only eight-byeight inch paintings. Kathleen Tennock, a ceramicist based in Pemberton, innovated the following year by making a bevy of small happy faces affixed to canvas with their mouths formed into various shapes. People marvelled at the show’s first three-dimensional offering.
Three-dimensional submissions have continued to be an exhibition mainstay, with sculptures and full-blown metalwork
the 50-odd per cent usually charged to participants by commercial galleries.
“It means that we’re able to put on a variety of shows: some that might have a deeper social significance, some that might explore a more unique arts genre or the way the work is presented,” Douglas explains. “Not every show we do in the gallery necessarily has a ton of work that would sell, but it’s important to be [highlighting] our local artists with whatever their message might be. Some are more populist and sell better, but this allows us to balance our year with stuff that
might be more easily accessible and stuff that gets people thinking a little more.
“[The Anonymous Art Show] allows the gallery to be more creative with what we do, take some risks here and there and not have to worry about how we are going to generate every last cent of revenue. Artists have now seen this little eco-cycle of: ‘you support us by doing this wonderful work, which allows us to support you by creating shows that elevate different types of artists.’”
Each year the show culminates with a Buying Night that invites people to check out and purchase submissions in an upbeat environment. This year it will be held on April 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Maury Young Arts Centre, with local cheesemonger Flute and Fromage on hand to provide refreshments.
Douglas would argue that Buying Night is usually one of Whistler’s most energetic events, bar none.
“We’ve always got a DJ in the theatre, and it’s a format that really works. Because the focus of the audience is so much on hoping they’re going to get what they chose, it’s a spectator sport,” she elaborates. “The other thing the audience could expect to see is just excitement from the rest of the audience. People will just stop and hug me—people I don’t know—because they’re so excited [getting] the piece they wanted. The adrenaline art-fuelled event of the year, it holds up to its name.”
The Anonymous Art Show is open until May 9. Visit artswhistler.com/ anonymous for more details. n
SIGHT UNSEEN The always-popular Anonymous Art Show returns to Whistler this April.
Comeinforlunch WednesdaythroughSunday before3p.m.toget astamponyourcard. On Wednesday,youget2stampsonyourcard! Howgoodisthat?! Childrenarewelcomeuntil10pmever yday. (*Somerestrictionsapply)
Broads on boards
BY BRONWYN PREECE
“THE MOST EXCITING thing to watch right now is women’s snowboarding, women’s skateboarding,” exclaims Jen “Jibber” Godbout—one of the original gals who made her mark amongst the ’90s “bad-boy” local boarding scene.
This week we feature the reflections of three pioneering women from the early “golden age of snowboarding”— “Punchy” (Sherry [Newstead] Boyd), “Nes” (Vanessa Stark) and Jibber—on the progression and progress of the sport, of the culture. These three ladies are all still making their respective marks and all helped carve a track for girls to come. All three have also been instrumental in helping the Museum develop its snowboarding archive, coming in and recording oral histories. This is an important step in helping gather, save, share and honour the rich snowboarding history here in Whistler.
During the early genesis of snowboarding, there is no denying that the focus was on the men of the era. “It really proves the point that we needed a showcase and we needed equal opportunity … We just weren’t given the same opportunities. We didn’t get the same exposure,” reflects Jibber, a respected former snowboarding coach, current backcountry split-board guide and member of Whistler Search and Rescue.
There were fewer girls shredding back in the early ’90s. There were “not a lot of us,” reflects Nes, but women were definitely there. There were “amazing standout girls,” recalls Punchy; gals who both inspired and defied norms, they just weren’t being featured much in magazines or vids. It is important to note that the under or mis-representation of women is not exclusive to snowboarding… and the intention here is not to finger-point, rather to honour and celebrate.
“It was so much harder back then” for women in snowboarding, comments Nes. Recognized as being the first female to ever do Air Jordan on a board, and equally celebrated as a visual artist, the former snowboard park ranger and Camp of Champions coach beams as she says: “I love seeing what’s going on now. Females are so much more supported, so much more, and they’re all in it together … there’s way more community … Back then, it was like, you’re on your own.”
“When you have that equality, it really brings the whole sport back,” remarks Jibber, who was told directly that “they were never going to take a woman to the Olympics as a coach.” At the time, she was coaching Mercedes Nicoll, before her debut at her first Olympics.
And things aren’t entirely equal yet—“It’s much better than it used to be,” qualifies Nes—but females in snowboarding are getting recognition beyond just the stigmatized status of being “pro hos”; rather, as legitimately strong athletes, competitors, coaches and powerhouse “chargers,” as Punchy puts it. “I think there was a certain sense, amongst the boys, that girls were just inherently lame,” she says. Boyd earned her nickname, though affectionately granted, for her noted ability to be able to assert herself as “one of the guys.”
Nes recalls: “Back then, I’d be the token girl on this company, and they’d say, ‘Oh, yeah, all the guys are going and gonna hit all these sick pillows’— which was what I wanted to do—‘but the girls are gonna do a shoot on the icy mountain.’” There simply wasn’t as much funding or willingness to back female riders. “Girls weren’t even allowed to do big-air contests,” Nes says.
But, as Punchy—a former member of the National Team, alpine dispatch worker and snowboarding stuntwoman for film—recalls, “if a girl wasn’t lame and actually, you know, was a charger, then they were welcomed in.”
Check back next week for Part 2. n
CHARGED UP Left to right: Nes, Jibber and Punchy.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM
ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS & ASTROLOGY
AFTER SCHOOL ART (GRADES K-2)
After School Art offers students discourse and activities, which will deepen their knowledge and understanding of the history and methods of artmaking in British Columbia.
> March 27, 3 to 4:30 p.m.
> Audain Art Museum
WEE & RCOW FASHION SHOW FUN’RAISER
The Whistler Elders Enrichment Society (WEE) and Rotary Club of Whistler are hosting a “50 Years of Whistler Fashion Show Fun’raiser” on Saturday, March 28 at the Maury Young Arts Centre. The après-ski themed event will celebrate half a century of local fashion while raising funds for seniors’ programming and facilities in the resort. Doors open at 3 p.m. for a social featuring music, appetizers, a cash bar and silent auction, followed by the fashion show from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at showpass.com/50yof or at the Maury Young Arts Centre box office, subject to availability.
> March 28, 3 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
BORN AS ART COLLAGE WORKSHOP
Children ages eight to 12 are invited to explore creativity and self-expression in this hands-on mixedmedia collage workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring existing artworks and photos from home, which they’ll combine with various mediums. Each child will also have the option to incorporate simple personal astrology or birth-chart details into their piece, adding a unique, reflective layer to their artwork.
> March 28, 1 to 4 p.m.
> Audain Art Museum
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
FASHION SHOW FUN’RAISER
PORTOBELLO FAMILY APRÉS
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 coloring kits.
> March 28, 3 to 5 p.m.
> Portobello
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries poet Maya Angelou proclaimed, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” In that spirit, Aries, I urge you to tell everyone everything—all your secret thoughts, hidden feelings, and private opinions. Post your diary online! Confess your fantasies to strangers! Share your unfiltered inner monologue with authority figures! APRIL FOOL! I lied. Angelou urged us to bravely communicate our authentic truths, but not to overshare or be careless about observing good boundaries. Here’s the deep wisdom: Express thoughts and feelings that make you feel real and whole, but be discerning about when, where, and to whom.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus writer Charlotte Brontë said, “I would always rather be happy than dignified.” Given your current astrological potentials, I think you should tattoo her motto across your forehead so everyone knows you’re committed to pleasure over propriety. Burn your dressy clothes! Quit doing boring duties! Dance naked in the woods! APRIL FOOL! I don’t really think you should tattoo your forehead or dance naked in public. But Brontë’s sentiment is sound: In the coming weeks, if forced to choose between joy and respectability, pick joy every time. Just do it with a modicum of common sense.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini actress Marilyn Monroe said, “A wise girl knows her limits. A smart girl knows that she has none.” I propose we expand that counsel to include all genders. And I especially recommend this approach to you right now. It’s time to shed, ignore, and surpass ALL your so-called limits. Be as wild and free and uninhibited as you dare. APRIL FOOL! I worry that it’s irresponsible to give you such utter carte blanche. Would you consider honouring one or two limits that prevent you from indulging in crazy and extreme behaviour? Otherwise, be wild and free and uninhibited!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Psychologist Carl Jung wrote
extensively about the importance of embracing our shadows: the dark, problematic aspects of ourselves we would rather not acknowledge. In the coming weeks, I recommend that you stop hiding that weird stuff! Throw a coming-out-ofthe-closet party for all the questionable parts of you. Let your inner monsters run wild! APRIL FOOL! Please don’t do that. What Jung actually advocated was recognizing and integrating your shadow, not being ruled by it. So yes, explore your moody, unruly impulses, but with consciousness, kindness, and containment, not reckless expression.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo author James Baldwin observed, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” With that in mind, I advise you to spend the next two weeks obsessively staring at every dilemma in your life. Don’t look away! Don’t take breaks! Just face every dilemma constantly until you’re overwhelmed! APRIL FOOL! Baldwin’s insight is brilliant, but it doesn’t require masochistic endurance. Here’s the truth: Yes, you should courageously acknowledge what needs attention, but do so with care and discernment. And then actually work on changing it! Awareness is the beginning, not the entire process.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo author Agatha Christie wrote 66 detective novels in which she meticulously planned every plot twist. I think you should apply her approach to your daily life: Script every conversation! Anticipate every contingency! Control every variable! Leave nothing to chance! APRIL FOOL! Christie’s obsessive planning worked for fiction, but life requires improvisation. For you, the coming weeks favour spontaneity and flexibility. So make rough plans, sure, but stay loose enough to experiment with whatever emerges. Over-control would diminish the magic.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My favourite Libran writer didn’t capitalize her name: bell hooks. I recommend you stage a similar rebellion against all rules and structures. Ignore
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 29, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
> Audain Art Museum
social conventions! Flout traffic laws! Pay your taxes with paintings and poems you’ve created! APRIL FOOL! I was exaggerating. I do love hooks’ charming revolt, but it would be counterproductive for you to randomly break all the rules of daily life. Instead, be judicious and selective as you question conventions thoughtfully and only violate those that genuinely deserve to be spurned. Be a strategic rebel, not a chaotic one.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet Sylvia Plath wrote this passage in her journal: “I desire the things which will destroy me in the end.” I think you should consider embracing her approach—for the sheer, exotic thrill of it! Pursue interesting chaos! If it might unravel you, welcome it passionately! The more unruly, the better! APRIL FOOL! I lied. Plath was describing her struggle with depression, not offering us advice. Here’s what I think you should actually do: Examine which of your yearnings serve your evolution and which ones undermine it. Fully embrace the fact that intensity is one of your greatest gifts, but channel that intensity into experiences that build you up, not tear you down. Choose ardent aliveness over fervent destruction.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian philosopher Baruch Spinoza spent years alone in his room developing his radical ideas about God and nature. I recommend total isolation for you, too. In accordance with astrological omens, avoid human contact! Put your relationships on hold while you contemplate the infinite! APRIL FOOL! I totally lied. Spinoza’s solitude served his unique genius, but a similar approach won’t work for you—especially now. Here’s what I really think you require in the coming weeks: periods of meditative alone time balanced by intervals of rich connection with interesting humans. You need to commune with both your deep inner sources and nurturing alliances.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn astrologer Linda Goodman wrote that your sign’s “ambition is boundless” and that most Capricorns dream of ruling the world. In
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 29
> 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 30, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
> Audain Art Museum
ANONYMOUS SNEAK PEEK
The Art Party of the year is back! This free event is open to all, so bring your friends and come celebrate the incredible artists behind the Anonymous Art Show. Mingle with fellow art lovers, toast the talent, and enjoy a food spread from Flute & Fromage. Remember, this is the ‘Sneak Peek’ event with art sales starting April 10 during the Anonymous Buying Night.
> April 1, 6 to 8 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to indulge this attribute. Launch a campaign for global domination! Start with your neighbourhood and work your way up to more and more conquests! APRIL FOOL! The truth is, world domination is exhausting and impractical. What Goodman was referring to is your gift for structure and leadership. Use your organizational genius to improve your corner of the world, not tyrannize it. Think stewardship, not empire.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian inventor Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” In the spirit, I recommend that you falter spectacularly in the coming weeks. The more blunders and bungles, the better! Engage in a holy quest to seek as many fizzles and misfires as possible! Make Edison look like an amateur! APRIL FOOL! I lied. Edison wasn’t deliberately courting snafus, of course. His approach was similar to that of many creative artists: driven by exploratory persistence that capitalizes on mistakes and hassles. Here’s your real guidance, Aquarius: Experiment boldly, yes, and don’t fear stumbles and bumbles. But learn from each one and adjust your approach. The goal is eventual success that’s informed by humility and resiliency.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean physicist Albert Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” In the spirit of his genius, I recommend that you abandon logic completely! Never think rationally again! Make all decisions based on fantasy and feelings! APRIL FOOL! Einstein was advocating for the creative power of imagination, not the abandonment of reason. What you truly need is a marriage of visionary thinking and practical logic. Ask your imagination to show you possibilities, then call on lucid logic to help you manifest them.
Homework: What’s a good prank you could play on yourself to be liberated from a stale fear? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com. n
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We should do more to protect adolescents from gambling
GAMBLING IS FOOLISH . Period.
The house always wins, especially in the long run, otherwise casinos would go broke. No level of research or skill translates into good odds consistently, yet the mirage of success and the fleeting taste of an occasional payout draw many back to a well that can suck them dry.
BY DAVID SONG
dsong@piquenewsmagazine.com
Whether you’re on a slot machine or betting that a given athlete scores X number of points this week, gambling can be a fast track to financial instability— and sometimes outright ruination. Most people lose more than they win, and illadvised bets can yield severe losses.
I’m not deeming myself superior to anyone who does gamble. We all have our vices—however, there’s a difference between merely having vices and encouraging them. Our society insists on doing the latter by way of rapidly proliferating online game platforms, fantasy sports and video games with random number generator (RNG) or payto-win elements.
Want to know who’s particularly vulnerable to these temptations? Youth.
On Aug. 26, 2025, the McCreary Centre Society unveiled its most recent report on betting and gaming in the lives of British Columbian teenagers. Across more than 38,000 Grade 7 to 12 students surveyed, 34 per cent had engaged in at least one of eight specified gaming or
wagering activities for money.
Twenty per cent overall had gambled for money in the past year (an increase from 18 per cent in 2018). The percentage who played cards or dice online had more than doubled (five per cent versus two per cent) as had the ratio of those engaged in online sports betting (four per cent versus two per cent).
Internet sports betting was less common than other activities like buying lottery tickets, however, it was found to be what youngsters engaged in most regularly. That isn’t shocking, given how major sports networks push gambling-related content every day and that athletes like Connor McDavid have featured in such messaging.
McCreary report co-author Dr. Annie Smith spoke on additional risk factors in a press release: “The outward signs that a young person is potentially struggling with their gaming or gambling might be different to those which are present when they are struggling with substance
streamed gameplay for financial boons. A particularly insidious form of gaming microtransaction is called a “loot box”: a virtual item that offers randomized— instead of guaranteed—rewards.
(As a quick tangent: the McCreary Centre also found that adolescents who do extreme sports four or more times per week are more likely to gamble. This point might be noteworthy for Sea to Sky residents, although correlation does not mean causation).
‘THE YOUNGER YOU START, THE HARDER IT IS TO STOP’
Some might label me a buzzkill and a prude for writing this column. To them I’d respond: spend your money however you like if you’re an adult. Just be willing to face the consequences when your efforts come up snake eyes.
Yet preteens and teenagers with stilldeveloping frontal lobes ought not to be exposed to an avalanche of gambling material.
“With nearly all kinds of addictive behaviours ... the younger you start, the harder it is to stop.”
- ELIZABETH SAEWYC
use addictions, but we do see some of the same systemic risk factors such as experiencing poverty, as well as some similar health and well-being impacts, including youth being more likely to disengage from school.”
Video games are also a notable culprit. Twenty per cent of surveyed youth had spent real money on in-game purchases, nine per cent entered gaming tournaments and seven per cent
“With nearly all kinds of addictive behaviours ... the younger you start, the harder it is to stop,” said University of British Columbia (UBC) professor Elizabeth Saewyc, who is not affiliated with the McCreary report, during an interview with CBC. “It affects your concentration, it affects your mood, it affects your memory, it affects your ability to do well in school and ... it actually can contribute to anxiety.”
I’ve already written about how fantasy sports may drive grown-ups to harass or even threaten underperforming athletes. CBC reported in 2022 that educated men can actually be more vulnerable to the pitfalls of single-event wagering than others. Dom Luszczyszyn, an NHL writer for The Athletic who spent much of his career providing gambling advice, said that the first rule of sports betting is: don’t do it.
Other forms of wagering can also trigger irrational or self-destructive behaviour, so youth especially need to be steered clear of this unhealthy practice.
Both Smith and Saewyc posit that family members and other guardians can help adolescents by teaching life skills, putting electronics away at night, having respectful conversations about gambling, etc. In addition to that, society’s decision-makers need to crack down on forms of gaming that prey on one’s lack of impulse control.
Ontario banned the use of pro athletes to endorse online gambling in 2024, and McDavid now appears in safebetting ads like BetMGM’s “Mullet Over” campaign. The problem with this kind of lip service is that “responsible gambling” can be an oxymoron—many lack enough disposable income to fund their habit, and/or enough self-control to quit when necessary.
In a perfect world, everybody would just make prudent financial decisions. That isn’t going to happen, but we can push back against the flashy advertisements and stakeholders who portray gambling as desirable. We can lobby our elected representatives for stricter laws and amplify honest discourse such as that from Luszczyszyn. We can also help parents become more savvy about the kinds of video games they buy their kids.
Gambling isn’t cool. More often than not, it’s reckless. n
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