The next generation of Lil’wat storytellers reflect on their nation, inspirations and visions for the future. - By Grade 11 and 12 students at Xet’olacw Community School
06 OPENING REMARKS
A close call with wildfire in Squamish serves as a timely reminder for Whistler, writes editor Braden Dupuis.
08
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
This week’s letter writers share thanks for another successful Hike for Health, and call for bold leadership on reducing waste.
20 THE OUTSIDER If and when the next wildfire strikes, Vince Shuley will be prepared, and a little more calm.
42 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST
National Indigenous Peoples Day is more than a date on the calendar; it is a day of affirmation, writes t’ec Georgina Dan.
10 TRASH TROUBLES
A new report to Whistler council shows the community’s goal of reducing waste by 80 per cent by 2030 is in serious jeopardy.
11 NEW LEAF
Council advanced new tree protection and environmental bylaws last week, backed by widespread support from near and far.
26
TEST OF ENDURO
Squamish’s Elly Hoskin reflects on becoming the first nonBritish, non-French woman to win an Enduro World Cup.
30 ISLAND LIVIN’
Five-time Juno Award winner Bahamas kicks off the Whistler Summer Concert Series at Olympic Plaza on Canada Day.
COVER With the state of the world as it is, I’ve found comfort and gratitude sitting quietly and reflecting in nature. Thank you for being so welcoming and sharing the beauty of your land - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Squamish’s close call is Whistler’s timely reminder
WHAT CAN be said about the brave men and women who responded, day and night for close to a week, to the Dryden Creek wildfire north of Squamish?
And what can be said of the thoughtless individual who presumably started it? (More on that later.)
To the firefighters, both local and provincial; the police officers offering assistance any way they could; the locals
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
sharing photos and offering each other help; even the elected representatives and other officials for sharing consistent, timely messaging: the entire Sea to Sky corridor owes you a debt of gratitude.
Because anyone not living under a rock this past decade, seeing the devastation wrought in towns like Jasper, Alta., and Lytton due to wildfire, knows just how bad the Squamish fire could have gotten.
Cooler fortunes prevailed, in this instance, and as of this writing on June 17, the massive Dryden Creek fire is classified as being held at 59.5 hectares, with no homes or structures lost to the blaze.
Consider it a minor miracle, thanks to the amazing folks mentioned above—and a timely reminder for anyone courting complacency here in Whistler.
As of June 17, Whistler’s fire danger rating was high—but local officials are not taking any chances with possible human-caused fires (as the Dryden Creek fire is thought to be).
Effective June 12, all campfires are prohibited in the resort, regardless of the fire danger rating, until Sept. 15, by directive of Fire Chief Thomas Doherty.
“The campfire ban applies to all levels of fire danger rating including low and moderate, and the campfire ban in Whistler will remain in effect until Sept. 15, 2025 to reduce the risk of human caused wildfires,” reads a post on the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s website.
“A CSA-rated or ULC-rated portable campfire apparatus that uses propane fuel is allowed in Whistler, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres, and it is used in accordance with the manufacturer recommendations.”
If you’ve somehow managed to avoid thinking about how a wildfire might impact Whistler, and what you’d do in the event of one, it’s time to change that.
The first call to action is to sign up for Whistler Alert (at whistler.ca/whistleralert), which will be how the Resort Municipality of Whistler communicates timely messaging in the event of any emergency.
But according to former Nelson Fire Chief Len MacCharles, who witnessed the catastrophic effects of wildfire first-hand while serving as incident commander in the aftermath of the Slave Lake fire in 2011, and gave the order to evacuate Calgary during the
Nelson wildfire conference in 2018. “Even with great planning and trained people, and your community being aware, it’s going to be chaotic.”
Ever try to head south at say, 4 p.m. on a powder day? Now consider what a full-scale Whistler evacuation looks like, with our thousands of tourists, carless seasonal residents, spread out permanent population—chaotic doesn’t begin to describe it. But we can all do our part to curb the chaos by being informed and prepared in the event of an emergency.
Beyond that, individuals can help protect their homes and neighbourhoods by employing FireSmart principles (read more at whistler.ca/firesmart).
But the best fire prevention is to not start them in the first place. So if you’re the kind of selfish, stupid, ignorant piece of work who thinks the rules don’t apply to you, I think I speak for all of Whistler when I say: how dare you?
Wildfire risk aside, starting illegal fires is an expensive game to play: anyone in contravention of a BC Wildfire Service prohibition can be ticketed $1,150, or a penalty up to $100,000, and sentenced to up
starting ass could ever hope to have.
In Whistler, the fine for having a fire without a permit is $500, reduced to $300 if paid within 14 days. The fine for having a campfire during a ban, as Whistler is now under until Sept. 15, is $1,000. The RCMP and COS can also issue an additional $1,150 ticket for fire-related infractions.
The Whistler Fire Rescue Service can hand out fines, but typically defers to the municipal bylaw department. Since January 1, 2024, two tickets have been issued for open-air burns in Whistler.
For some added context, last year, the estimated cost of wildfire suppression in B.C. was $621 million—and 2025 is already on track to become the second-worst wildfire season in Canada’s history.
Wildfires have already burned 3.7 million hectares across the country this year (since 2014, the annual average is about 800,000 hectares annually), and the season has yet to truly begin. Natural Resources Canada is forecasting extreme fire risk in southern British Columbia in July, while southwestern B.C.—including Vancouver Island—is expected to be hotter and drier than normal. We can’t control the weather, or dictate
So if you’re the kind of selfish, stupid, ignorant piece of work who thinks the rules don’t apply to you, I think I speak for all of Whistler when I say: how dare you?
2013 floods, there are two main things every individual can do right now to prepare: have a 72-hour kit (containing all the essentials in the event of an emergency: water, food, medication, first aid, important documents, a wind-up flashlight and radio, etc.) and a personal evacuation plan.
“[Evacuating a community] is a huge nightmare,” MacCharles told delegates at a
to one year in prison. If your fire results in a wildfire, you can also be ordered to pay the government’s cost to suppress the fire and other damages.
And if you’re dumb enough to start illegal fires, you probably need this part spelled out, too: it costs a lot of money to fight wildfires in B.C., and even more to replace what they destroy. More than your stupid, illegal-fire-
when and where a wildfire might hit; can’t stop selfish morons from lighting fires or tossing their cigarette butts.
All we can really do is be prepared. So best be prepared.
Find more info and resources at whistler. ca/wildfire. See smoke? In Whistler, report it by calling 911. Outside municipal boundaries, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell phone. n
NickDavies, Whistlerlocal andexperiencedfamilylawyer practisingacrossBCandYukon. Callat 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca
Whistler Health Care Foundation’s Hike for Health took place on Sunday, June 15 on the Ascent Trail on Blackcomb Mountain in the beautiful sunshine. More than 200 hikers showed up to hike up the mountain, and together the community raised a record-breaking $132,000 for the Whistler Health Care Centre.
We want to thank our event sponsor, the Touchet family, and our event partner Whistler Blackcomb for the contribution of gondola passes, food vouchers, and the use of the beautiful trail. Big thanks to Creekside Market and Nesters Market for donating the food. Thanks to Jim Budge for being our official photographer, and Sue Eckersley from Watermark for donating the audio equipment and staff.
We also want to thank Meaghan Sutter from Peak Training and Rehab Studio for leading us in an amazing warm-up. We could not have done this event without the dozens of volunteers that help put it together. THANK YOU!
This community is so special, and always shows up for the things that matter! Save the date for next year: Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Jennifer Black // Vice-chair, Whistler Health Care Foundation
MAC’s Making Connections program seeks volunteers
Whistler’s Mature Action Community is in its third year of running Making Connections, a weekly program on Wednesday mornings for caregivers and those living with dementia in the Sea to Sky corridor. We have participants from Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish.
This program is possible thanks to a federal New Horizons for Seniors Program grant and is delivered completely by a team of compassionate and reliable volunteers from
across the community. Over the past year, we have brought much enjoyment through 50 weekly sessions.
We consider the program a social club as participants engage with each other in fun activities such as gentle fitness, music therapy and card games, and socialize over a nutritious lunch. They form friendships. It’s a lot of fun for both participants and volunteers, and is particularly rewarding for volunteers.
We are currently recruiting new volunteers. The commitment is not onerous, usually
one session a month, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday mornings, four volunteers per session. A criminal record check will be provided free of charge.
If you would be interested in giving back to your community in this way, please contact [email protected].
Charalyn Kriz // Project lead, MAC’s Making Connections Program
‘Bold leadership’ needed on reducing Whistler’s waste
AWARE Whistler commends Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) staff for their ongoing work on the Zero Waste Action Plan (ZWAP) and supports the steps being taken to implement its recommendations. We are encouraged by the recent progress, including the passage of amendments to the Solid Waste Bylaw through third reading on June 10.
We particularly support the bylaw changes that: Improve options for addressing noncompliance in multifamily housing; clarify banned materials to aid proper sorting; introduce revised wood waste definitions and a pilot reuse initiative; and require solid waste management plans for certain permits. However, as highlighted in the ZWAP update presented by zero waste coordinator Lauren Harrison at the June 10 council meeting, Whistler remains off-track to meet its key target: an 80-per-cent reduction in landfill waste by 2030 (from 2019 levels). The update
made it clear, no new technology is needed. What’s required is a shift in how we manage processes and engage the community.
Bold leadership is needed from council to support staff and empower the community, including the Zero Waste Working Group, to meet this formidable, but achievable, challenge.
It was discouraging to hear Councillor Ralph Forsyth’s suggestion that Whistler’s waste reduction targets may need to be lowered. Targets exist not only to measure progress but to motivate action. Falling short should trigger increased efforts, not diminished ambition. His acknowledgment of personal challenges at the transfer station reflects a broader truth: we must make it easier to do the right thing, and harder to do the wrong thing. That includes clearer communication, improved access, and stronger enforcement.
To accelerate progress, AWARE recommends the following actions: Implement hauler licensing and data reporting to improve oversight and enforcement; require clear bags for landfill waste to promote transparency and source separation; expand local recycling options (i.e., asphalt shingles, furniture, hazardous waste), even ahead of extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs; introduce “pay-as-you-throw” systems, as used in Pemberton; allow free tire dropoff at transfer stations to streamline waste handling; broaden solid waste management plan requirements to cover all new builds,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
major renovations, and rezoning applications; and align mixed-waste contamination limits with Squamish’s five-per-cent threshold.
We echo Mayor Jack Crompton’s view that the municipality should be looking at targets
“We believe Whistler can succeed, if we choose to act.”
- SUE MAXWELL
that “make us really stretch, but if we did, we could hit them.” This is a much more appropriate framing of these challenges.
The ZWAP reflects this mindset. Developed through extensive consultation, it outlines what is necessary, not simply idealistic, to reduce waste and build resilience in our mountain community.
AWARE remains committed to supporting the RMOW in meeting these goals and advancing meaningful climate action. We believe Whistler can succeed, if we choose to act.
Sue Maxwell // on behalf of the AWARE Advocacy Committee n
$2,650,000
$1,088,000
Whistler inches toward zero-waste goals
A NEW REPORT TO WHISTLER COUNCIL SHOWS THE COMMUNITY’S LANDFILL WASTE HAS DROPPED SLIGHTLY SINCE 2019, BUT THE GOAL OF AN 80% REDUCTION BY 2030 IS IN SERIOUS DOUBT
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHISTLER HAS MADE modest progress in diverting waste from the landfill, according to an update presented to council on June 10— but the community remains far from achieving its ambitious goal of reducing landfill waste by 80 per cent by 2030.
Council received the 2024 Progress Report on the Zero Waste Action Plan, which revealed Whistler sent 11,577 tonnes of waste to landfill in 2024—down slightly from the 11,841 tonnes recorded in 2019. The community’s goal is to reduce that total to 2,368 tonnes by 2030, a target some councillors now view as unrealistic.
“We are far, far away from reaching our target, and we do need to work on continuing to reduce our waste,” said zerowaste coordinator Lauren Harrison during the meeting.
The report detailed the breakdown of Whistler’s waste stream: 72 per cent came from the industrial, commercial and multifamily (ICI/MFR) sector; 15 per cent from construction and demolition; and 13 per cent from residential depots.
Councillor Ralph Forsyth questioned how much of the ICI/MFR stream comes from the commercial sector.
“Does that include all commercial like the Fairmont and the restaurants, Whistler Blackcomb? Is there any way to break that down?” he asked.
Harrison responded that the municipality currently lacks access to accurate disposal data by pickup site. While ICI/MFR contracts with GFL are evenly split, the amount collected from each source is still unknown.
On a per-person basis, Whistler’s landfill disposal rate improved to 288 kilograms per person in 2024, down from 350 kg the year prior, and below the provincial average of 479 kg. However, those figures are adjusted to reflect tourism-driven population increases.
“It is based on our adjusted population equivalent. So it’s closer to 40,000. If you look at the 16,000 [population] number, we are not doing this well,” said Harrison, noting the percapita waste figure has remained relatively stable despite fluctuating population estimates.
Forsyth pressed further on the feasibility of the 80-per-cent reduction target.
“So, is there a pivot? Is there some amazing technology that will happen?” he asked.
Without significant investments into the plan, and efforts from the community, “it’s unlikely we’re going to meet it,” Harrison replied. “In 2019, and 2020, when this was first created, that was the target that community partners thought was achievable. As we’ve worked through this so far, we have a long way to go.”
Coun. Arthur De Jong asked whether improving waste diversion, currently at 46 per cent, could close the gap.
“If you look at our audit of materials that are still ending up in the landfill that could have been diverted, that could have been composted or recycled, that still doesn’t bring us to the 80 per cent goal,” Harrison said before noting higher diversion would still greatly help reduce Whistler’s waste.
Because diversion alone can’t meet the target, Harrison said the broader system must change.
“We really need to move up the zerowaste hierarchy, and we need people to focus on reducing waste. We need producers to not create so much waste. The whole system kind of needs to change in order to meet that target,” she said.
Whistler’s efforts are guided by two key frameworks: the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s Solid Waste and Resource
Management Plan (SWRMP), which aims to eliminate landfills and incinerators through behaviour change; and the RMOW’s Zero Waste Action Plan (ZWAP), which promotes a circular economy and prioritizes reduction and reuse.
From Forsyth’s perspective, the community’s landfill target needs a reality check.
“It’s just so unrealistic. We can’t have an 80-per-cent reduction by 2030, it’s not going to happen,” he said. “Let’s rethink our policy. It’s not that we don’t want to pursue it, but ... I think we get more traction if we have realistic, achievable targets.”
De Jong was more nuanced in his feedback.
“Even if we were within 10 per cent of that… a team doesn’t have to win every game to make a championship, but we do need to have our targets, I think, realistic to what is possible.”
Mayor Jack Crompton thanked both councillors for their input and said targets could be reachable through hard work. Council accepted the staff report.
SOLID WASTE BYLAW OVERHAULED
At the same meeting, council also gave three readings to an updated solid waste bylaw, which repeals and replaces the 2017 version following years of piecemeal amendments. The overhaul includes updated definitions, enforcement tools, and efforts to bring non-compliant multi-family buildings into the system.
Among the most notable changes is the introduction of a new “Reusable Wood” category, aimed at diverting clean lumber, plywood and pallets from the landfill.
“We are hopeful that this will allow people to reclaim wood for free and keep it out of the waste stream,” said Harrison.
A pilot program at the Whistler Transfer Station will run from mid-July to October. Separated drop-off and pick-up areas will be
set up for eligible wood—clean, untreated, and free of fasteners or adhesives. Materials in good condition will be available for free.
To encourage uptake, the tipping fee for reusable wood will be set at $150 per tonne— $50 less than the clean wood rate. Cedar, even if untreated, is excluded because Whistler’s downstream processor won’t accept it, though staff said that restriction could change with community feedback.
Councillors expressed enthusiasm for the program.
“I’m very supportive of the wood cam,” joked Coun. Jeff Murl, referencing the idea of live-streaming the reuse pile so residents don’t miss valuable finds.
Other changes include updated definitions for clean wood, treated wood and gypsum board. Treated wood now covers OSB, fibreboard, painted or glued lumber, and cedar—all of which must be landfilled. Gypsum has been split into two categories: recyclable gypsum and residential gypsum, the latter of which may contain asbestos and must be double-bagged for drop-off.
Council also approved new rules to help older multi-family buildings comply with waste storage requirements. Properties built before 1981, many of which lack designated waste rooms, will be eligible for a formal exemption and instead pay a Solid Waste Depot Operations Fee per unit.
“We realized it would be very difficult for many of these properties to build a wastemanagement room,” said Harrison.
The updated bylaw also clarifies banned materials, refines recyclable definitions, and removes redundant categories such as “bulky items” and “EPR recyclables.” Fines are updated in two related amendment bylaws.
Several councillors praised the updated bylaw for helping move the community toward its zero-waste goals.
“The more creative we are about getting people to use these available resources, the better equipped we’ll be to drive toward zero waste,” Crompton said. n
RECLAMATION STATION The RMOW will pilot a new reclaimed wood program at the Whistler Transfer Station.
PHOTO BY TIM NASSAR / RMOW
Whistler advances new tree and environmental bylaws amid widespread support
SPEAKERS AND LETTER-WRITERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE APPLAUD STRONGER PROTECTIONS
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHISTLER’S MAYOR and council advanced a pair of sweeping environmental bylaws on June 10 that will introduce stricter rules for tree removal and land disturbance across the resort community.
At its regular meeting, council gave first three readings to new environmental and tree protection bylaws, with 87 letters submitted in support and a wave of speakers appearing in council chambers to back the regulations.
The bylaws were introduced to address long-standing gaps in how Whistler protects its natural areas, following community concern over clear-cut lots, unregulated vegetation removal and heightened wildfire risk. In addition to creating a new permit process for tree removal, the rules prohibit land-clearing in sensitive areas and carry steep penalties for infractions—up to $50,000 for unauthorized tree-cutting.
“This bylaw is more than just a policy,” said Rhonda Milliken, speaking on behalf of Pegah Pourkarimi, executive director of local environmental non-profit AWARE. “It’s a timely and necessary step to help Whistler safeguard its valley tree canopy, reduce wildfire risks and build long-term ecological resilience.”
Pourkarimi, who lives in Squamish, added the need for forward-thinking climate policy is increasingly personal. “As someone currently based in Squamish, where wildfires are an immediate and sobering reality, the need for forward-thinking measures like this hits close to home,” she said. “It’s a reminder that climate change isn’t just a distant threat—it’s here.”
The tree bylaw requires a permit to cut any tree larger than 15 centimetres in diameter within Whistler’s municipal boundaries, except for those within active development permits or deemed hazardous by a qualified arborist. The permitting process includes a $100 application fee and allows exemptions for Indigenous cultural practices.
Violators who cut protected trees without permission face fines of $1,000 per tree, up to a maximum of $50,000, and must replace removed trees at their own cost.
The environmental bylaw, meanwhile, restricts land alteration in designated streamside and environmentally sensitive areas unless permitted by the municipality. It also formalizes requirements for erosion and sediment control during construction, reinforcing FireSmart best practices in at-risk zones.
Council first reviewed the bylaws at its May 27 committee of the whole meeting. During that session, environmental coordinator Tina Symko said the new rules aim to curb the “piecemeal loss of vegetation” observed on many privately owned lots in recent years.
“This bylaw is rooted in protecting ecological function and the character of our community,” she said at the time.
The initiative has garnered international attention from Whistler-lovers. Among the letters submitted, 86 were identical form submissions organized by AWARE, with signatories from across the Sea to Sky, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
The most impassioned letters and speeches, however, came from those who hail as far afield as the United Kingdom and Australia.
Pat Miller, writing from unceded Bundjalung Country in Australia, called tree protection a “key player” in Whistler’s economic model. He urged council to pass the bylaw “and give it teeth.”
“In world-heritage-listed rainforest areas in Australia, we have had instances where felling old-growth trees has had enormous detrimental effects on our environment,” Miller wrote. “It was done so an ostentatious house could improve its view, ignoring the knock-on effects that included landslip, catastrophic erosion and subsequent loss of amenity. Their resale value reflected the very poor decision.”
Kirsty Smyth, a member of AWARE’s
ALL IN FAVOUR? Dozens of Whistlerites and guests to the resort wrote in favour of new bylaws strengthening tree protection throughout the community.
PHOTO BY ASCENTXMEDIA / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
Hilton Whistler wins council support for upscale bar expansion
NEW 297-PERSON CAPACITY LIQUOR PRIMARY LICENCE RECEIVES UNANIMOUS APPROVAL
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHISTLER COUNCIL has given the green light to a major liquor licence expansion at the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa, approving an increase in its liquor primary licence capacity from 128 to 297 persons to accommodate a new upscale bar.
The decision was made at the June 10 council meeting, where staff confirmed the new bar will be created by converting an existing banquet room inside the hotel. The lounge will be operated by the Hilton itself and will not have direct access from the street.
“It’s exciting to see reinvestments into tourism amenities and community amenities like this,” Mayor Jack Crompton said.
According to the staff report presented to council, the proposed new bar—labelled “Upscale Bar” in planning documents—will be located near the hotel’s main entrance from Whistler Way. The floor plan for the 203-square-metre space has been reviewed by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) building department and the Whistler Fire Rescue Service and is approved for 169 persons, calculated at one person per 1.2 square metres.
The change is part of a tandem application that will see the 200-seat banquet room removed
from the hotel’s food primary licence, reducing that capacity from 1,434 to 1,234. With the 169seat addition to the liquor primary licence, the overall licenced capacity across both licences will be reduced by 31 seats.
Proposed hours of liquor service will
remain unchanged, from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week—consistent with Whistler Village standards and matching the neighbouring Cinnamon Bear Bar, which is also operated by the Hilton.
The municipality’s good standing review
TREE AND ENVIRONMENTAL BYLAWS FROM PAGE 11
advocacy committee who moved to Whistler from the U.K., told council she was drawn to the community by its “magical” forests.
“We could talk for a long time about all of the benefits of creating policy to protect trees,” she said. “They suppress carbon, they
found no compliance issues from the RCMP, Whistler Fire Rescue, or the building and bylaw departments. The Hilton has entered into a good neighbour agreement and submitted a noise mitigation plan, including a commitment to close doors and windows by 10 p.m. The application is also subject to the RMOW’s noise regulation bylaw.
“The required public notification process (newspaper ads and site sign) did not yield any comments regarding the application,” reads the letter to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) approved by council.
In its final recommendation to the LCRB, council concluded the expansion would provide “greater operational flexibility” for the Hilton without negatively impacting the surrounding community. While the increase in capacity is significant, council’s letter noted the bar will be “operated by Hilton Whistler (not independently operated) and is intended as an upscale adult-oriented bar.” n
reduce noise pollution, they create better air quality [and] better soil health. But I really just wanted to use my three minutes to say that although I’m not from Whistler, I’m not Canadian, I really feel like the magic of this place is the trees.”
The bylaws will return for adoption at an upcoming meeting. Staff said education and enforcement efforts will ramp up over the summer, with resources provided to help homeowners and contractors understand the new permitting process. n
•onlineaccess to yourpropertytax informationthroughthe MyWhistler portal;
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RAISING THE BAR The Hilton is renovating to expand food and beverage operations.
PHOTO BY YORVEN / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
Fees to rise at Meadow Park and beyond as Whistler balances costs with affordability
PILOT PROGRAMS, PASS CHANGES AND AFFORDABILITY MEASURES INCLUDED IN BYLAW UPDATE
BY LIZ MCDONALD
RECREATION FEES in Whistler are set to increase again this fall as council approved a new bylaw aimed at maintaining cost recovery in the face of rising operational expenses, while continuing to prioritize affordability for local users.
On June 10, Whistler council gave first three readings to the amendment bylaw, which updates fees for Meadow Park Sports Centre (MPSC), Lost Lake Nordic Trails (LLNT), Whistler Olympic Plaza Ice Rink (WOPIR), and indoor and outdoor facility rentals.
The new rates are expected to generate roughly $340,000 in additional revenue over the next two years—equivalent to more than a one-per-cent property tax increase, according to recreation manager Roger Weetman.
“We’re doing this, in essence, to balance that conundrum of: do we raise taxes to provide what we need for our operations?” said Weetman during his presentation to council. “We are having rising costs, but at the same time, we try to keep those up
with user fees while balancing that with affordability.”
Key increases include: A 10-percent hike to arena rental rates, identified as underpriced compared to similar facilities; a five-per-cent increase to Meadow Park adult drop-in and pass rates; a 5.8-percent increase to Lost Lake Nordic ski passes and day tickets; a 9.1-per-cent increase to WOPIR admissions and skate rentals; and a three-per-cent increase to most indoor and outdoor rental rates.
The changes follow detailed comparative analyses with other resort and regional municipalities, including Squamish, and were guided by Whistler’s Council Policy I-06. Meadow Park’s cost recovery rate has climbed to 53.4 per cent, exceeding the industry norm of 30 to 40 per cent.
The new bylaw also includes several pilot programs aimed at improving affordability and service quality. A new 10-time pass for WOPIR will be introduced at a discounted rate, while the ski assurance program for LLNT will be reduced from 70 to 50 days to align with Whistler Olympic Park and mitigate financial risks during low-snow years.
Staff are also piloting a new snowshoe night rate for Lost Lake, and rounding down
prices for select affordability products, such as reducing half-price evening swim fees at MPSC from $5.25 to $5.
“We figured out that 20 per cent of our passes are what we call affordable products,” Weetman told council. “So in essence, you can tell that there’s an appetite for affordable products in the community.”
Discussion at the meeting also touched on facility congestion and the feasibility of peak pricing to manage crowding during high-use hours.
Councillor Jen Ford noted how “it’s so busy” in mornings at Meadow Park, and wondered if expanded hours are on the table, while Coun. Cathy Jewett asked whether other communities have adopted variable pricing to even out usage patterns.
“Other communities are experiencing the same issues at certain times,” said Weetman, explaining that while off-peak pricing exists, peak pricing has not been explored.
When Ford asked about expanding pool hours, staff cited ongoing recruitment challenges and reliance on young staff reluctant to work late evenings. “When we resume our staff levels to this place where we’re comfortable resuming, for example,
operating until 10 p.m. again, then that’s a conversation I’m very happy to have. We’re not there as of yet,” said Weetman.
Council also revisited the idea of charging out-of-town users more for services, a concept previously studied but ultimately rejected due to administrative challenges.
“It was interesting to learn that 20 per cent of our pass holders, pretty much right now, are ... from out of town, with most being either Pemberton or SLRD. That is the reality,” Weetman said. “We’ve also come to recognize that most of those people are indeed working in our community. So, there’s a balance there as well.”
Coun. Arthur De Jong questioned whether locals are aware of how much the municipality subsidizes recreation, prompting staff to suggest future communications could help raise awareness.
A full communications plan is expected to roll out in the coming weeks to inform the public of the upcoming changes.
The updated fee schedules are set to take effect Sept. 1 for most services, with other changes coming into force by January 2026. Staff may return to council to formalize some of the pilot programs in the coming year. n
Hikers get ‘armed escort’ due to aggressive cougars at Garibaldi
RUBBLE CREEK TRAIL REOPENS; VISITORS ADVISED TO USE CAUTION
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
RUBBLE CREEK TRAIL to Garibaldi Lake was closed for a week after several hikers encountered aggressive cougars in the area.
A viral TikTok from travel bloggers @the_ exploringduo recounts how an “armed escort” helped them safely out of the backcountry.
“The rangers came around this morning while we were all having breakfast and said that basically a group of five went down last night and were hunted for an hour of their trip, basically down to the trailhead, by cougars, with one sort of behind them and one circling around them,” one of them says in a video posted June 12, which had amassed more than 10,000 likes by June 14.
According to the B.C. Ministry of Environment, BC Parks and the Conservation Officer Service (COS) responded to cougars in the area along Rubble Creek trail on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9.
“Campers and hikers were safely escorted out of the area by Conservation Officers due to the aggressive behaviour of these cougars. COs remain in the area to monitor and assess cougar activity,” a spokesperson said.
“To ensure public safety, BC Parks has implemented a trail closure for the next week, with the Rubble Creek trail anticipated to
PACKING UP A short clip of a bear snatching a suitcase in Whistler went viral last week, though COS couldn’t say if it’s the same bear that entered a home in Bayshores on June 9.
re-open on Tuesday, June 17. This closure is in place to ensure public safety. Reports of cougar conflicts or aggressive cougar behaviour can be made to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.”
Whistlerite Ashley Thompson said she encountered the animals herself on the morning of June 9.
“They were slinking towards us very quickly up to a distance of about eight feet perhaps, and completely undeterred from
our screaming, rock throwing, and general psychotic behaviour, as we tried to fend them off,” she wrote in an email to Pique. “Over time other hikers joined up with us on the trail and we all went down as a group together, but even as a group of 10 people they still followed us for a while.”
Thompson said she wanted to help get the word out, “because there were so many hikers going up after us even after our warnings, and some of them didn’t understand what cougars even really were, nor did they have bear spray.
“It seems a lot of people are frequenting the area with little to no knowledge or safety means! I really worry for these people— tourists or lesser educated folks from the city, and newcomers to the Sea to Sky.”
Access to Garibaldi Lake remained in place via the Cheakamus Lake trailhead, but visitors should note this is an 18-kilometre detour, hiking through snow for long periods of time.
For more information on how to stay safe if you see a cougar, visit gov.bc.ca/ gov/content/environment/plants-animalsecosystems/wildlife/human-wildlife-conflict/ staying-safe-around-wildlife/cougars.
BLACK BEAR SHOWING ‘INCREASINGLY BOLD’ BEHAVIOUR
Meanwhile, the COS is reminding the
public to be mindful of open windows and attractants after a bear entered a home in Bayshores.
According to a wildlife alert shared by the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the COS received a report of a black bear entering a ground-floor suite on Monday, June 9, through a window screen at a Callaghan Drive home in Bayshores.
“The Whistler RCMP attended the scene but were unable to locate the animal. It is unknown if the bear obtained food,” the alert said.
“The COS has received an additional report of the same young black bear in Bayshores showing increasingly bold behaviour, including minor property damage and entering a residence through a ground-floor window to access food.”
The COS asks the public to be mindful of leaving windows open, particularly at ground level, as a bear may attempt entry.
“Bears have an incredibly strong sense of smell, roughly seven times stronger than a bloodhound, making them among the most powerful scent detectors in the natural world,” the alert reads.
“Wildlife-human interactions where public safety may be at risk should be reported to the RAPP Line: 1-877-952-7277.”
Find more Bear Smart tips at whistler. ca/bears. n
SCREENSHOT
Northlands rezoning advances as local business owner urges swift action on staff housing
SUPPORTER SAYS WHISTLER CAN’T AFFORD FURTHER DELAYS AS COUNCIL AGREES TO PUBLIC CONSULTATION THIS FALL
BY LIZ MCDONALD
AFTER MORE THAN three decades of community debate and seven years of developer planning, Whistler’s Northlands site is moving one step closer to potential redevelopment.
On June 10, Whistler council voted to endorse staff’s recommendation to refer the proposed rezoning of 4500 Northlands Boulevard to community consultation this fall, including a public open house and online engagement. The move greenlit recommendations from a May 27 meeting where debate centred on the $38.6- to $47.1-million community amenity contribution (CAC) offered by Beedie Living in exchange for rezoning 4500 Northlands Boulevard to allow more than 300 new housing units.
“I’m just really excited to see the Northlands site back on the agenda here today,” said Matt Woods, a local contractor and owner of Coastal Mountain Excavations, during the public input period. “I think we’ve been talking about it in this community for 30 years—since Jesus was a boy.”
Woods, who employs approximately 150
people from various companies, said the housing shortage has drastically impacted his ability to retain workers locally. “Five years ago, 80 per cent of my staff lived in Whistler,” he told council.
Today, he said only 10 per cent live in the resort. “We pay for people to commute… This year amounted to half a million dollars for people to drive to Whistler—it’s gas, it’s vehicles, it’s emissions. It’s unsustainable.”
He praised the 70 proposed employee units as a crucial step in easing that pressure,
alongside work by council to approve employee housing projects in Cheakamus. “I think six of my employees have bought [at Cheakamus]—it’s amazing, but we need more. And we need it fast,” Woods said.
The Northlands project has been in Beedie Living’s hands since 2018.
“Today marks a meaningful milestone in our application process,” said Nicholas Dhaliwal, speaking on behalf of Beedie Living. “We remain committed to transparent communication and to continuing the
respectful, open dialogue we’ve established with staff and the Whistler community.”
Council’s recent vote does not approve the rezoning outright but allows the developer to proceed to the next step of engagement—one that will see residents weigh in this fall before staff return with a final recommendation.
Dhaliwal emphasized Beedie Living’s desire to listen, not just inform, during that process. “We understand the responsibility that comes with proposing a new chapter in Whistler’s built environment,” he said.
Issues raised by staff during the May 27 meeting that will be up for community discussion this fall include how Beedie’s CAC is spent and fears that Whistler will lose its only indoor tennis and pickleball facility, located on the future sight of Beedie’s development, for the foreseeable future.
While Beedie has offered a $10-million contribution toward off-site recreation amenities as part of the CAC package, that funding would be staggered over five phases, with most of it arriving in the later stages of construction. With estimated replacement costs ranging from $12.6 to $18.1 million, and no land currently allocated, the community could be left without indoor tennis for more than a decade unless additional funds are secured, or CAC priorities are shifted. n
SURVEY SAYS Whistler’s Northlands rezoning is considered “the last piece of the puzzle” as far as Whistler Village goes. The proposal is headed to another round of public consultation this fall.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER
Naturespeak: The gorgeous native plant you’ve never noticed
BY CHLOE VAN LOON
WE LOVE OUR LUPINES, paintbrushes, and saxifrage flowers—but there is a truly stunning plant I get the feeling most of Whistler’s trailtraversing folk have not yet laid their eyeballs on. Personally, I think it’s a tiny tragedy this plant exists in our landscapes without the admiration it deserves. After multiple instances of introducing this plant to locals who at first didn’t believe such a plant lives here, I am compelled to give it a proper spotlight.
The spotlighted plant today is Capnoides sempervirens, also called pale (or pink) corydalis. Corydalis is the old, but still often used genus name. These common names don’t do justice to its visual flamboyance. It’s giving part lupine, part bleeding heart, part cotton candy. But the common name I know this plant by is rock harlequin, which will make sense shortly.
Let’s start my introduction of the C. sempervirens with the general habitat type. It likes dry woods and rocky ledges, which tend to provide an open canopy with a good view of the sky. So it thrives in the kinds of conditions we moisture-loving southwest B.C. folks would call poor and dry—but that’s exactly what it loves.
To learn to recognize a plant requires
a little breakdown of its morphology. C. sempervirens is a biennial plant that starts with a basal rosette in its first year, then grows branched stems topped with drooping pink and yellow tubular flowers in its second year. These colourful flowers eventually turn into long, narrow seed pods that split open to release small, shiny black seeds. Its bluish-green leaves are compound—made up of multiple small, finely divided leaflets.
She’s tall and lanky like Columbia lilies (Lilium columbianum) or Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), swaying tall at 20 to 80 centimetres in height.
So it thrives in exposed, summer-baked rocky trail sections, hence the rock portion of its name, plus harlequin, meaning varied colours or clown-like—so voila, the rock harlequin!
Its uniqueness amongst our other native wildflowers is illustrated further by the fact it
is the only species in the Capnoides genus. This may sound boring to most, but essentially, it has no close relatives alive today. It’s like being the last branch on a family tree—there are no siblings or cousins that share some of its traits. This means it likely has unique characteristics or survival strategies that are different from those of any other species. If such a species were to disappear, say, due to the current climate crisis, we wouldn’t just lose one plant—we would lose an entire evolutionary twig.
So, you might be asking, “Great, now where can I find this thing?” At this time of the year, in Whistler, look around the rock outcrops in Emerald Estates or north of Lost Lake. Elsewhere, north of Shadow Lake on either side of Highway 99, around Nairn Falls Provincial Park, in the Lower Mackenzie trails in Pemberton, and in Squamish on the trails around Brohm Lake and Smoke Bluffs Park.
If you haven’t learned to recognize a new local plant in a while, consider starting with the sorbet-coloured, sun-soaking rock harlequin. Then next summer, choose another one—you’ve got nearly 700 native vascular plants to choose from!
Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca. n
ROCK ON Look out for these characteristics this spring to find yourself a rock harlequin!
PHOTO BY CHLOE VAN LOON
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Xet ’ ólacw alum unveils mural for Lil’wat community school
‘IT’S BURSTING WITH THE MAGIC OF OUR CULTURE’
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TOWARDS THE bottom-left-hand side of N ’ kakíhen Qestíts ’ a7 Vania Stager’s latest mural, is a young girl blowing a dandelion. The seeds drift across the rest of the mural—floating between drawings representing Lil’wat legends and over the Ts’zil mountain range known to settlers as Mount Currie.
“She’s based on one of my relatives, Loretta Stager, that died in Saint Mary’s residential school in Mission in 1957 when she was 12 years old,” explained Vania. “She’s like an angel, and she’s blowing a dandelion wish flower because she could only dream to go to a school like this, where she and the others could speak their language and learn their culture.”
Vania is a graduate of the Xet ’ ólacw Community School (XCS), to whom she has gifted the mural. And while she doesn’t have any formal artistic training, she credits the school with giving her a chance to develop her painting skills. The new mural— kw7íkwl ’ acwmin Xet ’ ólacw skul, or “Dreams of Xet ’ ólacw School”—is her fifth piece.
LIL’WAT LEGENDS
The three-piece mural, designed and painted with funding from the Pemberton Arts Council, depicts Vania’s experience as
a student, parent of a student, and former culture and language worker at XCS.
Just in front of Loretta Stager sits a ts’la7 (berry-picking) basket. “It’s bursting with the magic of our culture,” explains Vania. “And spreading out from [the basket] are rock pictograph designs from our territory.”
Around the picking basket are representations of Lil’wat legends, including á7en ’ was nk ’ yápa (the two coyotes) and Nk ’ yap múta7 ts ’ úqum ’ a (Coyote and the Chickadee).
Moving toward the centre of the mural, you’ll see representations of Snéqwem
another former student at XCS.
“She’s my muse!” exclaims Vania with a smile. Isabelle was on hand to commemorate the mural’s completion.
Alongside Vania’s niece are students and language teachers and a former principal from the immersion school. The salmon being tended to at the bottom right of the mural represents an annual barbecue tradition at the Lil’wat Land School.
Vania also wanted to show what life would have been like for her ancestors. Above the XCS staff on the mural is a cut-out version
“I learned how to speak my language here at the Xet’ólacw school. Speaking that language gives us strength.”
- VANIA STAGER
múta7 t ’ ánam ’ ten (The Sun and the Moon), hovering over the valley’s most imposing mountain range. Just below is the story of I wa7 saqw ’ sqw ’ ezézwes (The Flying Brothers), etched into the face of Ts’zil.
“They were warriors that had supernatural power,” recounts Vania. “With their spiritual training, they could run up a mountain just to say a prayer and then come back down for the rest of their training.”
At the bottom-right, you’ll find some caricatures of influential figures in Vania’s own story. Taking centre stage is Vania’s niece, Kakwíkwes Isabelle Stager,
of a winter house dwelling, or S7istken. The mother and child inside are based on Vania and her son, Shikari King Málhaltsem Qestíts ’ a7. The baby rests inside a tsépalin basket made of cedar roots, cherry bark and canary grass. A grandmother is climbing out with a ts’la7 basket hanging from her forehead.
Vania doesn’t just want her mural to be nice to look at. She hopes teachers at XCS might one day use it in their lesson plans.
“It’s an interactive learning tool where they can share stories of the legends, they can point out things in the language and they can talk about our practices,” she says. ”And
they can sit with it outside—on Truth and Reconciliation Day, on Orange Shirt Day— and they could honour my relative Loretta.”
GIFTING THE MURAL TO XCS
Together, the mural’s three panels stand eight feet tall and 12 feet wide. Vania’s not sure yet where the school plans to put the mural, but she made sure to paint with exterior house paint and caulk around the edges to reinforce the work against water in case they’re looking to mount it outside.
“I was very nervous to share my art with the community,” Vania wrote to Pique after the event. “Most of my art I give to my family or I keep it in my house. I felt so nervous and vulnerable sharing this, but I was also excited, it was painted with love and my cherished memories of the school.”
The mural was unveiled in the XCS gymnasium to students on June 13—the last day of school. The afternoon was marked by speeches, as well as singing and drumming by students, staff and Lil’wat Chief Dean Nelson.
“I sing in my language,” Vania told the assembled students. “I learned how to speak my language here at the Xet ’ ólacw school. Speaking that language gives us strength.”
XCS principal Rosa Andrew received the mural on behalf of XCS.
“We really want to thank you for sharing with us your beautiful voice, her story about being a student here at the school, and the importance of learning your language, learning your culture, learning your identity and being proud,” said Andrew.
“It’s very important to be proud of who you are.” n
PAINTING THE PAST Artist Vania Stager shares her mural with the XCS language teachers featured in her work.
PHOTO BY LUKE FAULKS
Pemberton SOFI reveals surplus, rising wages, growing capital investment
VILLAGE POSTS $2.6M SURPLUS IN 2024 FINANCIALS
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
ACCORDING TO TWO reports presented to council on June 10, the Village of Pemberton (VOP) ended 2024 in good financial shape, recording a multi-million-dollar surplus, investing in capital infrastructure and posting strong returns from its community forest partnership—all while wages for senior staff and elected officials continued to climb.
The audited financial statements and the provincially mandated Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) provide a detailed look at where municipal money was spent and who benefited.
According to the audited financial statements—prepared by the independent accounting group MNP—the Village posted a $2.64-million surplus in 2024, bringing the total accumulated surplus to $42.36 million. The result, though below the $6.1-million target in the 2024 budget passed by council, reflects rising revenues.
Municipal revenues hit $15.06 million, led by $4.3 million in government grants, $2.98 million in taxation, and $2.43 million in utility user fees. Meanwhile, the Village spent $5.8 million acquiring new infrastructure—up from $5.3 million the previous year—and increased its long-term debt to $3.78 million— up from $3.28 million in 2023.
One of the biggest financial wins came from the VOP’s 50-per-cent stake in the Speìkúmtn Community Forest, which yielded $820,539 in revenue for the municipality—up from a loss the previous year. The Village’s investment in the partnership is now valued at just over $1 million.
SOFI data shows that chief administrative officer Elizabeth Tracy was the Village’s highest-paid employee in 2024, earning $199,813 in total remuneration and claiming $1,730 in expenses.
In total, 25 employees made more than $75,000, with deputy fire chief Adam Malpus ($138,238), manager of operations and projects Tom Csima ($130,705) and fire chief Cameron Adams ($123,875) rounding out the top three after Tracy.
The top 25 employees earned a combined $2.47 million, while all other staff received $1.96 million. Total municipal payroll for the year came in at just over $4.43 million, with nearly $77,000 in expenses claimed.
On the elected officials side, Mayor Mike
Richman earned $41,532—up from $33,397 in 2023—and expensed $3,160, down from $3,789 in 2023.
The four councillors—Ted Craddock, Jennie Helmer, Katrina Nightingale and Laura Ramsden—each made $20,764—up from about $16,500 in 2023—with expenses ranging from $409 to $1,401.
Together, council members earned $124,587 and expensed $6,845.
The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District topped the list of suppliers, receiving just under $2.6 million from the Village in 2024. CATA Management Ltd., which manages Pemberton’s water and sewer utilities, followed at $2 million. The provincial ministry of finance also received a hefty sum—nearly $1.9 million—for school taxes.
Other major payees included NDY Contracting Ltd. ($1.27 million), Sunstone Ridge Developments ($633,630), and ISL Engineering & Land Services ($437,102). In total, the Village paid out $18.7 million to suppliers, of which $17.2 million went to vendors who were paid more than $25,000.
The Village noted the difference between total supplier payments and actual expenses—about $6.3 million—can be attributed to factors such as capital additions, intergovernmental transfers, and accounting adjustments like amortization.
The annual SOFI report is a legislative requirement under B.C.’s Financial Information Act and provides transparency into how municipal governments use public funds.
The Village also continues to hold a large share of its $2-million Growing Communities Fund (GCF) grant from the province, with just $58,000 spent to date and nearly $2 million reserved for future infrastructure needs. The GCF is designed to help local governments develop infrastructure and amenities that match a growing population.
Despite the surplus and infrastructure gains, the Village’s net financial assets shrank from $2.53 million to $658,404—a reflection of higher liabilities and aggressive capital expansion.
Still, the year ended with nearly $7.8 million in reserves—an increase of more than $500,000 from 2023—a growing capital asset portfolio valued at $41.4 million and a steady rise in core revenue sources.
The SOFI report and audited financial statements are both available to read on the VOP’s website as part of the June 10 council meeting package and addendum agenda. n
SOFI SAYS Infrastructure upgrades, like a new water treatment plant to reduce iron and manganese in the village’s water supply, accounted for $5.8 million in expenditures in 2024.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON
Learning to live with fire
IN ALL THE TIMES I’ve written about wildfires in this column, it’s mostly been about how lucky Whistler has been. A mountain town nestled amongst coniferous rainforest—baked dry during spring and early summer heat waves—is incredibly susceptible to the swift and destructive nature of an out-of-control wildfire (just ask the residents of Jasper, Alta.).
BY VINCE SHULEY
During my years here I’ve seen Blackcomb Mountain ablaze in 2009 (a fire ignited by a lightning strike that almost burned down the old Crystal Chair) and several summers when smoke has blanketed the town from fires in surrounding valleys. But other than the odd flare-up from careless human behaviour (the story about the guy burning his toilet paper in the woods and the wind picking it up is a prime example of not-funny), there hasn’t been a fire in Whistler where I’ve genuinely feared for our homes and lives. It always seems to happen somewhere else.
That changed for me last week. Not in Whistler, but at my new home on the northern end of Squamish. As I write this, the Dryden Creek wildfire is classified as “being held,” which is an immense relief after six days of watching the DeBeck’s Hill smoke plume up from my bedroom window.
It began as a video in a group chat in the early evening on Monday, June 9, showing an Avro RJ85 Airtanker dropping its bright red fire retardant payload. The caption from
my straight-to-the-point friend reading: “DeBeck’s Hill fire.” A couple hours later, I was sitting on my patio doing my best to relax during a warm summer evening. In the span of about 90 seconds, I spotted three fixed-wing aircraft flying to and from the fire with the thwap of a couple helicopters soon thereafter.
The social media wave soon hit with Squamish locals posting images of a wall of flame making its way down the hill toward their homes. Few folks slept well that night, even those of us who weren’t in immediate danger. The evacuation alert was in place for dozens of homes in the Brackendale and Tantalus Road areas, but no one was ordered to leave yet. Have your bags packed and be ready, was the word.
As all this was shaking out, I was doing my best to manage my own preparation. I was texting with neighbours who were visiting family in Ontario, asking them to send me a list of what I should grab from their house if our part of town had to evacuate in a hurry. I made my own list and plan, tracking down
Concentrating on my work responsibilities for the first half of the week proved challenging. I was in my home office, checking for online wildfire updates every few hours (shoutout to the team at The Squamish Chief for their diligent reporting) and more often looking out my bedroom window for first-hand evidence of how the fire was progressing. The southern flank near the Brackendale homes was holding, with a few of the residential lots on the frontline now
Few folks slept well that night, even those of us who weren’t in immediate danger. The evacuation alert was in place for dozens of homes in the Brackendale and Tantalus Road areas…
higher-value items that still hadn’t found their permanent place in my new home after the recent move. I placed them all in a corner of my room next to a duffle bag of clothes, rain gear and warm layers. I made sure I had enough dog food for a couple of weeks and checked my truck had at least three-quarters of a tank of gas.
rigged up with sprinklers constantly spraying the roofs, trees and ground brush (kudos to the community members who pitched in for this hard work alongside the BC Wildfire personnel). I had done all I could at this point. Now came the anxious wait. While me and my home were not directly threatened during the Dryden Creek wildfire,
I understood the anxiety of people who were affected. You crave information—how big is it now? Is it growing? When can I expect the next update?—but the people communicating that information can only tell you what they know. The size of fire can become difficult to estimate when smoke or hazy skies are obscuring aircraft observation. The state of the wildfire is given a binary designation of being held or out of control. But out of control doesn’t necessarily mean the fire is expanding on all fronts and raging toward you, your family and your community. It just means the fire is not shrinking. Waiting it out a few kilometres away from an out-of-control wildfire certainly didn’t make me more comfortable last week, but it did make me realize the situation is very much, well, out of my control. I did my best to take the advice from the evacuees of the Sandy Lake First Nation wildfire in northern Ontario: “Don’t panic. Eat bannock!”
With the spring and summer seasons as hot and dry as they are now, I know this won’t be the first time I’ll be on edge about a wildfire encroaching on my community. But if and when it does happen, I know I’ll be prepared, and a little more calm.
Vince Shuley is ready for more rain. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email [email protected] or Instagram @whis_vince. n
SMOKE SHOW The Dryden Creek wildfire in Squamish is officially being held at 59.5 hectares, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
PHOTO BY JILLIAN A.
B.C. eyes new rules to rein in municipal mayhem
BY ROB SHAW
B.C.’S HOUSING MINISTER says he’s fed up with squabbling municipal councils, and will bring in changes to provincial oversight of dysfunctional local governments before voters go to the polls next in 2026.
Ravi Kahlon said he’s willing to listen on potential solutions, but will not go as far as to dismiss mayors and councillors deadlocked in petty squabbles that overwhelm the business of local government, as is occurring in communities like Kamloops.
“We’ve been hearing from many mayors, and councils and [Union of BC Municipalities] as well, on a better path forward, something that puts better, clear rules in place for local governments,” Kahlon said in an interview.
“And the biggest challenge we hear is, what happens when there’s rules and people continuously break those rules knowingly?”
Kahlon’s willingness to move on the issue was first reported by B.C’s. ChartMaster General Justin McElroy over at CBC, who has the unenviable task of chronicling municipal dysfunction.
Mostly, it occurs in the form of mayors who can’t work with some or all of their municipal councillors.
That leads to turmoil, such as in the District of Sechelt, where an outside advisor recommended the mayor apologize to council and senior staff for contributing to dysfunction in the organization. Or, major turnover in staff in Lions Bay, amid a culture of silence. Or, the debate in Sayward about whether the village should even continue to exist after five mayors in five years. Or, months of infighting in Harrison Hot Springs culminating with the mayor offering a $5,000 reward to find the so-called mole writing critical anonymous
Kahlon said he’s not envisioning going that far, because the Union of BC Municipalities and others have not asked for it.
“We haven’t heard that yet from any local government, and I suspect it’s unlikely that we will,” said Kahlon.
“And so I don’t want to get too much into a hypothetical situation, because that hasn’t been the scope of what UBCM has suggested or other local governments. I mean, even Kamloops, with all their challenges, haven’t even suggested that.
“And so I’m not going to go down that route till we see what comes back.”
Instead, the province intends to consult this summer to try and get something on the books before the Oct. 17, 2026, municipal elections.
“My commitment is that we have something in place by the next round of elections, so that any new mayor or councillor that comes in understands their responsibilities, not only to each other at the table, but also to their staff and to the public,” said Kahlon.
Municipalities are creatures of the provincial government.
A UBCM report in 2024, spurred on by what it said was a rise in irresponsible conduct by elected officials, has raised possibilities such as a municipal integrity commissioner, who could give local governments fair and unbiased advice on conduct violations, conflict of interest and bullying. It has also suggested considering mandatory education for elected officials and mandatory codes of conduct.
“None of the current sanctions available to local governments in British Columbia are established through legislation,” read the report. “As a result, the range of sanctions varies considerably from one local government to the next. In many cases, councils and
letters about him in the community.
But the worst, by far, has been the City of Kamloops, where several years of complaints, allegations, mudslinging, legal threats and code of conduct investigations have occurred between the mayor and council members. At one point, the entire council asked Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson to resign. Most recently, council produced a 433-page report outlining multiple sanctions and 30 code of conduct complaints.
“It’s clear that this kind of dysfunction cannot continue as it undermines public trust and the democratic process,” Kahlon has said publicly about the situation in Kamloops.
But what can be done? Currently, the province can provide outside advisors and recommendations when asked for help by municipal leaders. It does not have the legislative authority to intervene directly to fire councillors or mayors.
boards have struggled with applying the full range of sanctions available.”
UBCM laid out several possible changes for the province to consider, and gathered feedback from members last fall. Kahlon said he’ll also cast a net out for suggestions too— albeit, reluctantly.
“My hope was always not to go down this route,” he said. “I’ve been asked this for a long time to consider, but given that we have so many communities going through challenges, and Kamloops is just the poster child for it, we have to find a better way forward.”
Rob Shaw has spent more than 17 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for The Orca/BIV. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio. [email protected]. n
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By Grade 11 and 12 students at Xet’olacw Community School
In2023, Pique was happy to have the chance to platform Grade 11 students from the Xet’olacw Community School (XCS) in our first “In their own words” feature ( Pique, June 18, 2023). Students tackled a wide range of heavy and deeply personal topics—from climate change and housing in Mount Currie to growing up on unceded territory.
The goal was twofold; to balance out a relative lack of press coverage of Lil’wat Nation compared to other communities—a longtime and persistent challenge for Canadian newspapers— and to present students with a writing challenge. We’re happy to feature the second instalment of that challenge, here.
Over the winter and spring seasons, Grade 11 and 12 students from XCS have worked with their teacher, Charlotte Jacklein, and Pique staff to craft articles on their chosen topics. Some are personal anecdotes, some are visions for the future of their community and some are calls to action.
These stories are this year’s insights into what inspires the next generation of Lil’wat leaders.
- Luke Faulks,
Mount Currie needs a dance studio for the Lil’wat Nation
By Mandi Frank
Since I was young, I’ve always loved the feel of dancing— both to express my culture and just for the fun of it. Even now, as a Grade 11 student, I love to dance.
Last year, there was a Halloween masquerade at the U’ll’us, our community centre. I wore my best costume ever. I dressed up as Alan from The Hangover. Since he has a beard and moustache, I could hide my face and go all-out dancing. Some people in the crowd said, “My favorite costume is the Alan guy from The Hangover.”
Dance is a beautiful way to pull yourself out of your comfort zone. A lot of my people express themselves through dance, like in saquta (traditional dance) and powwows, and even in their own homes through drumming, listening to music on their phone or their own cultural dances.
But many Indigenous people have to practise their foot work in gyms or living rooms or even in their carports and I can tell you this: our feet hurt from the gravel and uneven floors. It’s also embarrassing when people are watching us while we’re out of our regalia watching our feet trying to perfect our foot work.
I want our community to have a place that’s safe and a good learning environment for people of all ages.
I know it’s a long shot, but I dream of a place to practice dancing in our community. I hope that one day we will have a dance studio here.
Kukwstumckalap.
The legacy of residential schools
By Aeja L. Charlie
Residential schools are a crucial topic in understanding the impact of colonialism on Indigenous peoples in Canada. These institutions were established with the intent to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture, often through coercive means. The government, in collaboration with Anglican and Catholic churches, removed children from their families and communities and stripped them of their languages, cultures and identities.
The legacy of residential schools includes not only the immediate effects of abuse and neglect but also long-term psychological and cultural impacts that persist today. Both of my parents and my older siblings attended residential schools. My oldest brother was born in 1976 and attended St. Mary’s Residential School in Mission, which closed in 1984.
These experiences broke down my parents and siblings mentally and physically.
They’re haunted forever by their memories of residential school. My father still doesn’t like the sound of loud bells. My mother hates seeing long rulers because she was beaten with them, and she hates the smell of bleach because she was cleaned with it. Many survivors of these schools have shared their experiences, revealing the harsh realities they faced. Acknowledging this history is essential for fostering healing and reconciliation between Indigenous and nonIndigenous communities.
Raising awareness about residential schools and revitalizing our culture is vital for current and future generations. I should be fluent in Ucwalmícwts, our language; instead, I have minimal knowledge of my own language, and this makes me feel separated from my own culture.
By understanding this dark chapter in Canadian history, society can work towards preventing similar injustices in the future and promote a more inclusive and respectful environment for all cultures.
Montana, the big mean dog
By Zik Joey Harris
Montana was an old rez dog. She was a black dog with grey spots, who lived on Rancheree Road in between me and my friend Pierre’s houses in Mount Currie. Pierre and I had to go past Montana to hang out. We spent time together most days—we’d bike around, hike, play Xbox 360 or go to the dump to look for kids’ toy cars and roll them down the hill.
Montana barked at everything that went by. She had a really deep bark, and hearing it always scared me. Pierre and I would try to bike by as fast as possible. Montana would come charging out at us, and she was fast.
I was about six years old when I started biking to Pierre’s. I had a small BMX bike that was blue with little black details. Pierre had a 10-speed bike that was black and grey. We didn’t wear helmets. We would take backpacks if we were going on an adventure, and sometimes we’d bring a hatchet or fishing rod if we wanted to cut down a tree or catch fish.
Even when we got older, Montana was still scary. She didn’t seem to slow down. Eventually Pierre moved to another house in the community, but I still had to walk past Montana if I missed the school bus. This was a good incentive to try to catch the bus.
Montana wasn’t a bad dog, though. She died of old age in 2020. When I think of Montana now, I think of my childhood and I almost feel happy.
Justice for litter
By
Nathaniel Leo
As long as I can remember, there’s been too much garbage and recycling lying around our community.
I live at the New Site in Mount Currie, about 14 kilometres northeast of Pemberton. When I was a younger kid, I used to litter. I changed my ways when I started noticing how many places—like ditches, yards and even the river— contained litter. Plastic takes a long time to decompose and
burning it is bad for our air quality. Littering doesn’t leave a good legacy for the Earth.
Seeing all the garbage and recycling lying around makes me angry and makes me wonder why people bother saying, “Take care of the land” when nothing gets done.
Taking action is what will help take care of our land.
We only have two public garbage cans around the New Site, at the store and at the ice rink. We need a lot more garbage cans to reduce littering, especially where people commonly hang out.
People need to care about the land more. We need to take action instead of just talking.
My journey with guns
By Pierre Smith III
Iwas six years old when I first shot a gun. My dad had two BB guns that my younger sister Kaylee and I would use to shoot cans outside. It was easy and fun. One time we hit a table, and the BB ricocheted off the table, and hit my dad’s window. He came out and yelled at us and told us to go shoot something else.
Kaylee and I tried hunting birds because we got bored of cans. It was fun to try, but we were always too loud and scared the birds away. My uncle hunts ducks and I wanted to go with him, but I didn’t have any boots.
A couple years ago I was over at my friend Zik’s house. My friends Zik, Grayson, Phoenix and Leo were shooting Zik’s BB guns in his yard. Leo was on the balcony with a pellet gun when out of nowhere, he accidentally hip fired me in the right cheek. I was shocked and threw the handgun I had towards Leo. It made a dent in the wooden wall. Leo just stood there in shock.
My face had blood flowing out of my right cheek, so I went inside to wash up. Zik went to see if he could find the pellet, but he never found it. After that we went back to Phoenix’s to eat dinner. We had Kraft Dinner, but it was hard to eat with the pellet in my cheek. It hurt to bite down into the food.
I still have a scar on my cheek from that day.
When I’m old enough, I’d like to get my gun licence, buy a gun and go hunting in the woods. I like the idea of watching a bird fall and knowing I can eat it.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE JACKLEIN
Traditional Gathering at Xet’olacw Community School
By Kadee Dan
Traditional Gathering is a vibrant and enriching event that happens once a year at XCS to celebrate Indigenous culture and traditions. This day is an opportunity for students, educators, and their families to come together to perform and appreciate our traditional Lil’wat dances and songs. Each song and dance has its own meaning and significance, often rooted in stories and tradition passed down through generations.
The gathering starts with a parade of students and community members holding up Indigenous flags and banners. Then, we welcome our elders and start drumming and singing our Welcome Song. We traditionally sing it for visitors to our community. It feels like a warm hug; it is a way to greet people and make them feel at home.
This year, our traditional gathering happened on my birthday. My uncle bought me the prettiest mukluks— traditional tall boots made from animal hide—from a vendor selling beaded jewelry, ribbon skirts and other items. I was so happy because I have always wanted mukluks because they’re cute.
It makes me happy that we have this meaningful celebration at our school. I love seeing our community get together. I love seeing people wearing their regalia and ribbon skirts.
I love that it brings us closer to our culture.
Lessons from skateboarding
By Grayson Jameson
Is skateboarding a sport or an art form? I don’t think it’s either; I think skateboarding is a test for how we live our lives.
When I started skateboarding, I was so bad I could barely scoot past a speed bump. With time and practise, I got more comfortable on ramps and trying grind tricks. Now I’ve been skateboarding for seven years—minus winters and injuries. Skating is a way to cope with stress. Being in the moment
and in the fresh air helps me get out of my head. It’s better than being in a dark room playing video games. I skate if times are tough and this helps me move forward.
Skateboarding can help us overcome mental barriers. We all have that voice that tells us we’re going to fall or fail. This is an instinct to keep us safe, but it can also hold us back. Skateboarding teaches us about developing confidence and getting over fears; it just takes perseverance.
Skateboarding is also a way to live a less materialistic life. All we need is shoes and a skateboard. This has taught me that true value isn’t based on how much something costs, but how we use it and how it helps us.
Sometimes I want to quit skateboarding, but then I think about what I want to achieve and this keeps me motivated. Reaching a goal feels like winning the lottery, just without the massive fortune. There are always some rocky parts in life, but—like skateboarding—when you fall, just get up, walk it off and try again.
My day at the PNE
By Bree Peters
My day started off normal. I went to school and came back home. But then I got a call from my auntie, who said, “Get ready! I am going to pick you up.”
When my auntie came, my little sister and I got into her van and we were on our way to a mystery location.
We stopped at Walmart and my auntie grabbed three pairs of bubblegum pink pants—one for me, one for my sister and one for some unknown reason that we would figure out soon. I fell asleep on the drive.
We stopped in a parking lot and met my older brother Benny. We said hi and played for a bit. Then we got back into the vehicle and left. I fell asleep again and woke up to my mom getting in the vehicle. I was so happy to see her I was almost in tears. It felt like I hadn’t seen her in forever.
That third pair of bubblegum pink pants were for my mom. My mom, my sister and I were matching!
We went to the PNE together, and it was so much fun. We went on a ride that was spinning, and one that went fast and another one that went high in the air. I was so full after all the food I had, but we kept going on rides.
After everything was done, we went home. I cried seeing my mom go back home and she cried seeing me cry.
I was told that my brother talked non-stop about our day together. I miss watching him play sports, and how he would lift up both me and my sister. Now, I’m 16 years old, and he can still lift both of us up. He is only one year older, but I look up
to him. I see my brother every month and I see my mom once a year, plus phone calls.
When I went back to school, I told all my friends about how cool my mommy is.
She had some addictions, but she is getting better.
We still talk about the day we went to the PNE together.
Volleyball at the U’ll’us
By Kale Smith
The U ’ ll ’ us is our community centre in Mount Currie. It holds many events, such as powwows, graduations, gatherings, funerals, tournaments and a weekly sports program. My favourite activity at the U ’ ll ’ us is volleyball, which happens twice a week.
I love the sense of satisfaction I get when spiking the ball straight down or blocking a heavy hit. Volleyball at the U ’ ll ’ us has some unique rules; for example, you can block a serve which you can’t actually do in official rules. This local rule adds surprising spice to the game.
I’ve been playing volleyball there for about three years and have only missed about a week’s worth since I began. When I started, I was actually a year too young, but they still let me play because the organizer knew me. My skills have gotten much better since I started, mostly because I only had about a year worth of playing before going.
For anybody who wants to join a sport, volleyball is pretty easy to get into. I enjoy the people on our team, the feeling of playing together, and having a good rally. Unless something serious happens, I plan on playing volleyball ‘til I’m old.
My experiences with hockey
By Andy Walker Pierre
Hockey has taught me a lot of things, like that you aren’t always going to win. And that you’re also not going to be good at something when you first try it.
When I was seven years old, I used to spend lots of time with my friends EJ and Wyatt. When they started playing hockey, I didn’t see them anymore. So, I decided to join hockey to try and see them more. However, they were a year older so we didn’t end up on the same team.
Still, I loved hockey right away. I fell a lot at the start, but I didn’t mind. The coaches liked how I smiled and didn’t cry when I fell. It was hard putting on all the equipment, and my mom helped for the first few years. I liked making new friends and telling everyone I played hockey.
In my second year, I started playing goalie full time. I started playing goalie because no one else wanted to do it, but discovered that I liked it. I liked the satisfaction of stopping the puck, especially making a glove save.
I played hockey for 11 years and was selected for the National Junior Hockey League. I played for the High Prairie Red Wings, and we practiced every day. It kept me in the best shape of my life, but we were always busy and I struggled to stay on top of schoolwork. Eventually I had to quit hockey to finish high school.
I’m graduating this year and planning to go into welding, but the lessons of perseverance from hockey will stay with me forever.
The stories behind our art and culture
By Kierra Frank
We don’t talk about our stories as much as we should. There are stories behind our regalia, our dances and songs.
Our songs are prayers we use to tell our stories. Our drums are the heartbeat of the powwow. All our regalia have a story to them, and stories we tell with them.
Everyone tells their own story when they get out on the floor, like the different colours and patterns we share with our families. Usually, families will share similar colours and patterns on regalia; for example, my sister and I have always worn red, orange and yellow.
We may all be St’át’imc, but we have different clans. My clan is the porcupine (Kiy7amc), also known as the saviours. There are also the frog (Pegpiglha) people, the bear (Mixalh) clan and the wolf (Qawam) clan. There are more clans, but those are the ones I am related to.
Our culture keeps us together. It protects us, heals us and keeps us in good spirits. Our culture has a beauty like no other and I have always found it powerful how hard our ancestors and elders work to keep our culture here with us today.
If they didn’t, I wouldn’t be dancing at powwows today.
Exploring B.C. colleges and universities
By Julian Dan
I’m not sure yet what I want to do after high school, but I’m thinking about doing welding, automotive or culinary training; fortunately, my Grade 11 class went on two college tours in March and April.
On our first tour we went to Camosun College, the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University. On our second tour, we went to UBC Okanagan in Kelowna, Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in Merritt. I felt curious because I’d never been to a campus before, and don’t know anyone who’s gone to college or university. Previously I’d only seen college campuses in movies or shows.
Our class drove in three vehicles. We had 18 students, and four adults. On the first day, the drive from our school in Mount Currie to the ferry in Horseshoe Bay took about twoand-a-half hours. My classmate Albert lost his hat when he stuck his head out the window.
We missed the 1:30 p.m. ferry and had to wait until 3:30 p.m. for the next ferry. We played manhunt on the ferry, and I kept tripping on the door frames. Then they made a big announcement telling us not to run on the deck.
Doing these campus tours was very helpful and gave me ideas for what I’d like to do after high school. I liked the culinary program at Camosun College. Camosun has a lot of support for Indigenous students, such as counsellors, financial advisors, academic support and a student lounge for Indigenous students.
The smaller campus at Camosun didn’t feel as overwhelming as some of the bigger campuses; it reminded me more of home.
How to make the rez great again
By William Wallace N
ot enough people have been chased by rez dogs. Like my friend Carson, for example. Today is Tuesday and the last time he was chased by a rez dog was on Saturday. That’s not enough. We gotta get more rez dogs, so people get chased every day.
When I become chief of the rez, I’m going to adopt 100 dogs and let them loose on the rez. That’s how to make things great around here again.
Next, we need to adopt 100 cats to balance out the dogs. The rez cats will chase the rez dogs and be the kings of their streets. My cat Missy was a beast in her prime, and would chase dogs down the street. Anywhere you go, you should bring a rez cat. Not on a leash, but walking proudly by your side like your personal mountain lion.
What else do we need? We need more rez shacks where people can grab a pop or chips. Not having to walk across the rez to get junk food would make it great again. People will need to be responsible for themselves to not get diabetes. On that note, we also need a gym around here. I don’t want to have to drive all the way to the Old Site to work out.
Lastly, to make the rez great again, I will make the health centre up here give out free breakfast every day for the broke people who spent all their money on drinks.
Vote William Wallace for chief!
My boxing experience By Austin Gabrel
Istarted boxing in May 2021 because I was bullied by one person in school. He would push me around, slap me and call me insulting names. I felt like learning boxing would help me be confident and defend myself. At the time, I had no idea how much time and skill goes into becoming a boxer.
When I started boxing, I knew nothing about the sport. I found a coach in Pemberton. She told me to watch videos of fights and training to get the idea. The first boxers I watched were Mike Tyson and Ryan Garcia. Ryan got me into boxing because he was skilled and entertaining.
At first, I didn’t like boxing because I don’t like the thought of hurting someone else—or getting hurt myself—but after a few months I got the hang of it and decided to dedicate myself.
I learned the fundamentals, and in 2023, I started running two to three kilometres. Summer 2024 was my first time in a gym with national champions. I trained at Mendoza Boxing Club in Surrey for about three months, consistently. I did a lot of conditioning, skipping, running, bag and pad work, sparring, shadowboxing and footwork drills. I also moved up to five- to six-kilometre runs and I did weight training threeto-five times a week.
I made a close buddy at the gym named Jarom. We started training together outside the gym, and improved a lot as we
trained through the summer. But I had to move back to Mount Currie for school.
I still push my body past its limits, hoping I’ll have a chance in the ring at the amateur level. I can teach the basics to my friends, but I want to excel past intermediate level so I can teach youth how to defend themselves and hopefully make some tough boxers.
My journey with chess
By
Ronnie Joe M
y first time playing chess was with my dad. A couple years ago, he did a four-move checkmate on me, and I was so confused. I learned that opening is called the Scholar’s Mate.
I still use the Scholar’s Mate in the lower level of chess. But when I get to a certain level of chess, I’m going to stop using that opening because most skilled players know how to counter it.
My favourite chess players are Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. Carlsen is a four-time chess world champion, and he beat Nakamura several times to become the world champ. Nakamura is a fast-paced player, and he plays bullet chess, which allows one minute on the clock for each player.
Nowadays, people mainly play chess online. I wish more people still played chess face to face. I like to see my opponent. Often, I can see what they’re going to do through their facial expressions.
I’m now a 460 Elo-rated player on chess.com. My goal in chess is to become an IM, meaning international master. I need at least 2400 or more Elo.
I just recently got back into chess. And I am glad my dad got me to play chess in the first place, because I like the game a lot. n
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE JACKLEIN
‘I feel like the same me, and I feel like I rode the same’
ELLY
HOSKIN REFLECTS ON BECOMING THE FIRST NON-BRITISH, NON-FRENCH WOMAN TO WIN AN ENDURO WORLD CUP
BY DAVID SONG
UPON WINNING the Enduro World Cup’s (EDR) recent mid-May contest in BielskoBiala, Poland, Elly Hoskin didn’t know she had made history.
It was not until she arrived home in Squamish that a friend broke the news via text message: Hoskin is the first woman who doesn’t hail from Great Britain or France to strike gold at an elite-level EDR race. Ever.
When asked if the feat has sunk in yet, she replied: “A little bit? I don’t know. I feel like the same me, and I feel like I rode the same. That’s a huge achievement, and I didn’t know that was even on the line so it’s pretty cool to do. I really like the trails in Poland and I think they played on my strengths a bit: they’re quite [pedalling-heavy], you have to generate your own speed and [deal with] fast technical stuff. My goal was to stay in the top 15 … but really it was just to enjoy myself and do my best.”
Hoskin doesn’t check her results on any
given race day. She had been in a razor-close battle with Germany’s Raphaela Richter for top spot, but Richter injured her shoulder at a key moment. Unaware of this, Hoskin won in 26 minutes and 46.980 seconds: well clear of second-place Ella Conolly (27:32.803) and Morgane Charre in third (27:38.834).
Connolly represents Great Britain and Charre rides for France. Hoskin often feels
PUTTING CANADA ON THE MAP
The Sea to Sky has produced its quota of great enduro riders like 2022 Enduro World Series (EWS) king Jesse Melamed. His fellow local veteran, Andréane Lanthier Nadeau, has mentored Hoskin for years and continues to be a source of support.
“Canada is such a force in enduro and I think this [achievement] just brings more light to
“Canada is such a force in enduro and I think this [achievement] just brings more light to that.”
- ELLY HOSKIN
“like an imposter” next to them, but says they are two of the nicest people she’s met—as is her steadfast coach, Adam Walker.
“Oh, man, I cannot say enough good things about coach Adam,” Hoskin said, becoming emotional in the process. “He has been my coach for four years now and I think I talk to him as much as I talk to my parents. He’s on the phone with me before every race and after every race. He’s just really been there for me, and I’m really lucky to have him as a coach.”
that,” remarked Hoskin. “That’s all you can ever want to do: pave the way for other people and put Canada on the map. Hopefully it opens some doors for some other female Canadian athletes.
“ALN had a really hard day out there, [finishing 27th in Poland], but she came and gave me a big hug … that felt very full circle and emotional. She’s so tough, and that is something I think matters so much in enduro— probably one of the biggest reasons I love the sport. A lot of time it’s not perfect, and it’s mostly just making the best of the situation.
[Nadeau] is the Canadian enduro athlete who inspires a lot of people, and she’s been so good to me as I’ve been coming up. I can’t thank her enough for everything she’s done.”
Hoskin has learned to invest in the process, not just chase results like she often did as a junior. Despite being competitive as ever, she no longer feels a successful race has to produce a medal.
Ironically, that pressure-free mindset buoyed her to the top of her career’s grandest podium to date—an outcome she lightheartedly describes as “some kind of sick joke.”
Now it’s time for some well-earned R&R: Hoskin doesn’t plan to go back to the World Cup until June’s end. She wants to give her body a chance to recuperate after an injury-plagued 2024.
“It’s really hard for a lot of North Americans to do a full season in Europe … also, the two rounds I’m skipping are not my favourite venues,” Hoskin said. “This year, my priority was just finding the love of racing, and I think you have to pull away a bit to want it some more.
“I always vouch for an approach that values longevity, and—as funny as it is—now that I have this result, I’m getting the platform to share that it’s not all about results. Sport teaches you a lot of things and competition is tremendous, but it has to be taken with a solid approach and a good support system. If there’s anything I can do, it’s just to help other people when things get hard.” n
WORLD-BEATER Elly Hoskin became the first Canadian woman to win an Enduro World Cup on May 16 in Bielsko-Biala, Poland.
PHOTO BY RICK SHUBERT
Clara Ding becomes youngest-ever B.C. Women’s Open champ
THE 14-YEAR-OLD BESTED A FIELD OF PROS AND NATIONAL TEAM MEMBERS AT NICKLAUS NORTH GOLF COURSE
BY DAVID SONG
NICKLAUS NORTH Golf Course and its membership witnessed some history on June 7 as Clara Ding became the youngest player to ever triumph at the B.C. Women’s Open.
The 14-year-old shot 71-66-71 across three days of competition to finish at 8-under par (208), displaying impressive command of the Whistler course. Forty-three high-level golfers tried and failed to equal that score, including multiple professionals and fellow national teamers.
Ding has now earned $1,200 in prize money and a berth into her maiden LPGA contest: the CPKC Women’s Open to be held this August in Mississauga, Ont.
Katie Cranston and Clairey Lin, both Team Canada members in their own right, finished at 7-under (209) across 54 holes. Both held onto a share of the runner-up spot and went home with $1,050 each.
“It feels good,” said Ding in a post-event interview. “I’m really excited to play the CP Women’s Open later this summer. It [will be] my first professional event so I’m really, really excited and I’m going to learn as much as I can. My putting’s getting a bit better than it was before, so just knowing that I’m working in the right direction and on the right things is really good.”
Trouble arose when Ding bogeyed the third and fifth holes. Cranston, a junior at Auburn University, pulled within two shots after the front nine, while Lin briefly took the outright lead after Ding carded a bogey on the 13th.
Yet the young White Rock native righted her ship with a veteran’s poise, birdieing the difficult 15th and giving herself a chance on hole No. 18. Two eyebrow-raising shots set up a two-putt for birdie and a victory.
Cranston, 21, and Lin, 15, also birdied to wrap up their tournament.
Ding is pleased with her milestone victory, but remains focused on what lies ahead. “Just keep doing what I’m doing,” she commented. “The [BC Women’s Open] is a really cool event. It’s really cool to be out here and it was a tough
[final round]. We battled out at the end.
“The exemption into the LPGA event makes it a lot more special. I tried my best not to think about it on the course and I did a good job of that today, but coming into this event I definitely thought about it a bit.”
RESULTS ROUNDUP
Mary Parsons raked in the honour of Top Professional at Nicklaus North despite one of her worst putting performances in recent memory. The Delta-based athlete placed seventh overall at even par (216), earning $15,000.
Unlike Ding, Parsons failed to qualify for the CPKC Women’s Open. She’ll return to the Epson Tour in hopes of making it to the big show another way.
The B.C. Women’s Open also featured a 36-hole event to accommodate senior players over age 55 and amateur ladies, with handicap indexes between 4.1 and 26.0. Malee Rubinstein became the senior division’s gross champ (+14) while Kerstin Baxter emerged on top in the net category (+6).
“The amateur divisions are a vital part of what we do,” said Fraser Mulholland, Vancouver Golf Tour president and commissioner, in a press release. “We are thrilled to give passionate golfers of all ages and skill levels the chance to compete and be celebrated. Congratulations goes out to all flight and division winners at this year’s event.
“A giant shout-out to the Nicklaus North management team for their undying support leading up to and throughout the week of the championship. Gavin [Eckford] and [Andrew] Smart: you and your team were amazing to work with. Your staff gave our competitors a first-hand look at some amazing and world-class Whistler service being offered at Nicklaus North.”
Now in its fourth year of existence, the B.C. Women’s Open served as the first of three official competitions on Golf Canada’s She Plays Golf Championship Series. She Plays Golf is a nationwide project to invest in the game for women and girls.
For more results, visit vancouvergolftour. com/2025/06/10/clara-ding-wins-bcwomens-open. n
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DING IS KING Clara Ding won the 2025 B.C. Women’s Open at Nicklaus North Golf Course in Whistler on June 7. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHERLOCK SHEN
Birken House Bakery rises from a 116-year-old farmhouse
FROM
FARMERS’ MARKET FAVOURITE TO COMMUNITY HUB, BIRKEN HOUSE IS MORE THAN JUST A BAKERY
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
ABOUT A 30-minute drive up Highway 99 from Pemberton, you’ll find the Birken House Bakery. And while the road is winding and occasionally bumpy, it’s a pilgrimage worth making.
It’s been similarly rewarding for Eileen Keenan, the baker behind the bakery. Born on a farm in Ireland and a “recovering architect” specializing in energy-efficient buildings at a major Vancouver design firm, she now spends her days shaping loaves instead of libraries.
“Architecture and baking have more in common than you’d think,” Keenan told Pique. “Both are a blend of science and art. You follow certain rules, but there’s so much creativity, too.”
More than a decade back, Keenan and her late husband, Michael, purchased the Birken House—a farmhouse built in 1908, rumoured to have been a stagecoach stop on the historic Douglas Trail to the Cariboo Gold Fields. What started out as a weekend getaway to the Birkenhead Valley quickly turned into a more permanent move.
The bakery itself began humbly; Keenan baked loaves in the farmhouse as a hobby, as the building underwent much-needed renovations courtesy of her and her projectmanager husband. In 2014, she made her premiere at the Pemberton Farmers’ Market with somewhere around 20 or 30 loaves. Keenan sold out in 35 minutes.
“You can’t leave if you’ve sold out. That’s sort of a rule of farmers’ markets,” she
said. “So my goal was to try and get to the end of the market with something left to sell.”
Her sourdough, developed out of necessity into a three-day process to fit her Friday market and weekend bakery schedule, quickly became a local staple.
Demand grew, and another baker who’d been looking for a successor sold her equipment to Keenan. A welcome problem emerged: Keenan needed more space to bake. So, she looked to a machine workshop on the property, demolished it, and used some of that wood in the construction of a proper bakery. It was Keenan’s last architecture project.
The bakery she designed and built sits up the driveway from the renovated farmhouse. It’s got an Airbnb suite upstairs and gardens out back.
It’s part charming restoration, part personal resurrection. After the loss of her husband Michael to cancer at the beginning of the pandemic, Keenan wasn’t sure what came next. But the routine of breadmaking
and berries. And what she can’t produce at home, she tracks down through a tightly knit community of locals making Costco runs or hauling supplies up from the Lower Mainland.
That logistical dance is one of the lesserknown realities of running a rural bakery. Couriers don’t deliver reliably to Birken. There aren’t dairy farms nearby. And “life is a scramble to find avocados,” she remarked.
The Sunday “Tea in the Garden” events are a particular joy for Keenan and a crowd favourite. Held under a white canopy tent surrounded by flowers, the teas feature threetiered trays of macarons, madeleines and cucumber sandwiches, served on vintage china donated by local seniors.
“People’s kids don’t want the china anymore,” Keenan said. “But we do, so all the seniors have donated to us, and we’ve made it a fancy thing.”
These gatherings are more than just fancy treats; they’re part of what Keenan sees as her larger mission: to help build community
“Architecture and baking have more in common than you’d think”
- EILEEN KEENAN
offered a lifeline.
“I always did the baking by myself, so I could go in there and everything was still the same; it hadn’t changed,” she recalled. “So, instead of heading to the house, I’d just think, ‘I’ll just bake some more cinnamon buns.’”
The bakery is now open Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Its offerings go beyond a wide variety of sourdough bread—from those cinnamon buns to granola to a dynamite rhubarb cordial.
Keenan grows many of her own greens
in a place where social connection can be hard to come by. Monthly pizza nights— featuring dough tossed in front of guests and pies baked in a wood-fired oven under the stars—offer another chance to mingle with residents.
“Everybody comes out and because we make [the pizza] to order, it sometimes takes a while to finish them,” Keenan said. “So you have time to just chit-chat with neighbours and get to know people.”
That sense of shared purpose is
something Keenan carried with her since her days in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where she volunteered weekly in the Carnegie Centre’s kitchen. That ethos continues in Birken. Her commercial kitchen is certified as a commissary space, so she’s renting it out to other emerging local food producers.
As she opens up her bakery for the year ahead, Keenan is thinking about what comes next.
“I’m 57,” she said. “I’m not going to do this forever.”
She’s eyeing a shift toward small events and weddings, which could offer more flexibility—and the chance to spend a few summer weekends away with her partner, Steven—whom she affectionately refers to as the bakery and house’s “maintenance department.” The two are getting married this July in the garden behind the bakery. They’ll be joined by family and their two dogs, Hunter and Madra (meaning “dog,” in Irish).
Running a bakery isn’t easy. And running one in a rural area is markedly more difficult.
Between the long hours, fickle supply chains, and challenges in tracking down qualified staff, it’s a life that demands perseverance and passion. But for Keenan, it’s worth it—not just for the bread, but for what the bakery has become: a place where neighbours gather and strangers meet.
“I think there’s sort of tough times ahead when it comes to climate change,” she said. “And humans are tremendous if they work together, but they’ll only really work together if [they] know someone and they’re your friend. So I think [we] need to build those community networks.”
Birken House Bakery runs on weekends from May until October. They’ll also be regulars at the Pemberton Farmers’ Market on Fridays at the Downtown Community Barn. Be sure to check out their website, Facebook page and Instagram account for information on the menu and upcoming events. n
FARMHOUSE FAVOURITES Eileen Keenan first started selling sourdough in 2014 at the Pemberton Farmers’ Market.
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
Bahamas excited for return to Whistler
THE
FIVE-TIME JUNO AWARD RECIPIENT PLAYS AT OLYMPIC PLAZA ON CANADA DAY
BY DAVID SONG
BAHAMAS, A.K.A. Afie Jurvanen, does not like to feel boxed in from an artistic standpoint. He wants to make whatever music piques his interest at whatever time he feels like doing so. Associate yourself strictly with a defined genre and you may not always get such leeway. Jurvanen feels some bands (like AC/ DC) appear to make “the same album over and over again,” which a lot of people enjoy listening to—but that doesn’t interest him as a creator.
“I think of guys like David Bowie, where it just feels like on any given album, things can go in any direction. That’s exciting for me as a creative person, and I hope it’s exciting for listeners,” he says.
Jurvanen’s latest album, Bootcut, roped in a CCMA Alternative Country Album of the Year nomination. The one before that, Sad Hunk, won the 2021 Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year. In all of his content, Jurvanen tries to explore new lyrical frontiers: to sing about modernity and his own life in a manner that is poetic and compelling.
“You try writing a song with the word ‘email’ in it,” quips the Barrie, Ont. native. “It’s hard, you know?”
Hard or not, Jurvanen knows how to make magic happen. The Grammy
nomination and five Junos on his resume attest to that fact. Other successful artists like k.d. lang, Wilco, BTS and even Taylor Swift are known to appreciate his content, while a global fanbase has racked up 1.5 billion streams and counting.
When Jurvanen reflects on achievements like these, the first words to cross his mind are “eternally grateful.”
“Part of me just assumes every time we put out an album [that it] will be the album nobody cares about, and then the whole thing will just come crashing down,” he remarks.
heritage, but also considers himself to be a Canadian guy with a quintessential Canadian upbringing: eating Timbits, playing on local soccer teams and jamming out with his friends. Barrie’s music scene was dominated by cover bands in that era, but trips to Toronto exposed Jurvanen to different kinds of music in his teen years.
Eventually he’d like to play a show in Finland, despite the logistical issues associated with getting there.
For now, the Sea to Sky will have to do. Jurvanen visited Whistler last year,
“We’re not looking to reinvent the wheel every night.”
- AFIE JURVANEN
“At some point that time will come. Maybe the music will be less popular or people won’t want to come to shows as much, and I’ll still be a musician.
“I won the lottery in some ways 25 years ago when I became a professional musician. I didn’t finish high school. I didn’t really have any other prospects. At the time, it wasn’t a huge decision. It was more just like, ‘this is what I’m doing, for better or for worse.’
The most meaningful thing to me is being able to collaborate with so many wonderful musicians all over the world … in Toronto, Los Angeles, Nashville and Australia.”
Jurvanen is proud of his Finnish
enjoying a round of golf at Nicklaus North and supper at the Red Door Bistro when he wasn’t performing. He’s thrilled to be giving Whistlerites an encore on Canada Day, and his mom (who has never visited British Columbia) is tagging along to cross an item off her bucket list.
“I’m always looking to do more things that are free, or at least as close to it as possible,” says Jurvanen. “A lot of concert tickets have just gotten out of control, and the prices are the opposite of inclusive. If you’re selling concert tickets for $200 or $300 or $400, clearly you’re trying to brand it as a luxury event. Some of the most powerful shows I
ever saw were five bucks to get in the door … I appreciate the fact that the [Whistler concert] is free. There’s a lot of wonderful reasons to be out there for Canada Day.”
Helping deliver the Bahamas experience are vocalist Felicity Williams, Darcy Yates on bass, guitar player Christine Bougie as well as two percussionists: Don Kerr and Joshua Van Tassel. Although their names aren’t as famous as the moniker “Bahamas” is, Jurvanen wants you to know: they’re phenomenal musicians. In some ways they might be better than him, and that’s just how he prefers it.
“I half-jokingly like to say: ‘I always want to be the weakest link, the s—ttiest musician in the band’ because it forces me to stretch out a little further, reach for things that might be a little bit scary,” Jurvanen explains. “If you just stay in your lane, that gets boring pretty quickly. You have to constantly be willing to look like a fool in the pursuit of truth, in the pursuit of entertainment and art.
“The reality is, when you take a risk, people admire it because they say, ‘look, he was willing to put himself out there. Maybe I’ll do it on my stand-up paddleboard, or I’ll do it in my next work meeting.’ We’re not looking to reinvent the wheel every night. I feel like the songs are really good quality, but that being said, it’s nice to feel like if you want to change things rhythmically or melodically, the band is certainly of the highest calibre and can go there at the drop of a hat. I’m spoiled. I get to play with the best musicians.”
DJ Soul Club will open the Canada Day musical festivities at 6:30 p.m. before Bahamas emerges at 7:30 p.m. Visit whistler. com/events/concerts/ for more details. n
BEACH BOY Five-time Juno-winning musician Bahamas, a.k.a. Afie Jurvanen.
PHOTO BY DAVE GILLESPIE
The Point Artist-Run Centre to unveil new Salish art exhibit on National Indigenous Peoples Day
THE
SHOW FOREGROUNDS SALISH AND COAST SALISH ARTISTS LYDIA BROWN, ATHEANA PICHA AND AUTUMN WALKEM
BY DAVID SONG
ON JUNE 21, the Point Artist-Run Centre (PARC) will launch a new exhibition in partnership with Sacred Rock Community Arts Society. Three Salish and Coast Salish artists-in-residence—Lydia Brown, Atheana Picha and Autumn Walkem—represent the cornerstone of this project, but several other Indigenous creators from across Canada will also contribute.
Curated by Nlaka’pamux artist Nadine Spence, the exhibit includes painted chests and boxes, ink on paper, woven blankets, carvings and other original items. Her hope is the project will help form bridges between different communities.
“This, to me, is like the first step in how to build proper relationships between different Indigenous and non-Indigenous arts organizations in a respectful way,” Spence elaborates. “Whistler, I guess, is always about tourism, but there’s still a community and that’s really my focus also—not just supporting the arts, but the actual people within the community and getting to know them at a different level.”
Public education is also a key aim of this undertaking. Spence feels many do not understand the distinction between Salish and Coast Salish people (she represents the former), and has even encountered some folks who erroneously believe all of British Columbia’s First Nations groups are more or less homogenous.
Yet the PARC exhibition incorporates work from artists who originate from diverse backgrounds. Mike Alexander, Denni Spence, Tamara Archie, Deshawn Kennedy, Koa Raine Wilson and Victoria Buffalo Robe are also partaking, and according to Nadine Spence they represent a gamut of nations like Musqueam, Squamish and more. Some of their contributions are quite personal: for instance, Nadine has included never-beforeseen ink quill on paper artwork of her late Nlaka’pamux father Roger Spence, a survivor of the St. George’s Indian Residential School of Lytton.
‘THERE’S A HISTORY’
Above all, Spence feels passionately about backing female Indigenous creators like Brown, Picha and Walken while recognizing the shared histories and experiences they can relate to.
“We’re talking about the grandmothers and the women from many generations, but also the disrespect that happened to Indigenous women in the past,” remarks Spence. “As a grandmother myself, I want to make sure that I support the voices and youth and the young women of today who are doing so much incredible work that maybe people don’t see. We have people out there living clean, sober, true lives.
“They worry about the communities, they worry about the lands. They put themselves out there, doing the best they can [and] they’re wellrounded women in many forms. I just want to be a little part as another female Indigenous artist and grandmother … to make their life a little bit easier in trying to fit into a world that does not hear them or see them at times. [A world] that just wants them to sell art.”
The PARC is happy to help. Spence first heard about the organization from a carver who had resided there while making a story pole for the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC). She met PARC artistic director Stephen Vogler a couple of years ago, getting the ball rolling on their partnership.
Spence wants Sea to Sky denizens to really take notice of the First Nations art being presented and its significance.
“I’ve never ever thought of Whistler as just a ski resort. I know that the nation it’s in, between the Lil’wat and also the Squamish, there’s a history,” she opines. “People are crying out about truth and reconciliation and building relationships, but where does that start? It starts in small communities. It starts with engaging over art and realistic art. Maybe sometimes it’s not something people want to talk about, but these are realities that many of us who actually call B.C. or Canada home face.”
Admission is free to the opening reception on June 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the PARC. The exhibition runs from June 22 to Aug. 31, with admission by donation to Sacred Rock. For more details visit thepointartists.com/events/ salish-salish-coast-art-exhibition. n
Together,weraiseda record-breaking$132,380 to support enhancedservicesandequipmentupgrades at the Whistler Health Care Centre.
Aspecialthankyou to OurPresentingSponsor TH ETOUCHET FA MI LY OurHostPar tner
To theover 200enthusiasticparticipants,ourdedicated Trailblazers,andtheincredible volunteers —yourenergy andsupport madethiseventtrulyunforgettable. Withsincereappreciation,WhistlerHealthCareFoundation
Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
WHISTLER FARMERS’ MARKET
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
A day to recognize and celebrate the unique and diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations. Experience immersive cultural programming including an artist’s market, artist demonstrations, storytelling, music, fashion, comedy show, and family craft activities. Explore authentic First Nations artwork and keepsakes in the Gallery and gift shop, and enjoy Indigenous-inspired cuisine at the Thunderbird Café. Admission by donation.
June 21, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
SPO7EZ ARTIST MARKET
The Spo7ez Artist Market celebrates the incredible talents of artisans from the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation. It takes place on the first Saturday of each month this summer, in addition to a full-day of immersive programming on National Indigenous Peoples Day.
June 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
TENDERFOOT BOOGIE TRAIL RACE
This fantastic and fun race on runnable trails starting and finishing in Bayly Park covers the area from Brandywine Falls in the south to Rainbow Falls in the north. The race route has 50-km, 26-km, and 12-km options. All distances will be looped trails running through lush West Coast forests and around glacierfed streams and rivers, allowing runners to experience the beauty of B.C.’s Coastal Mountains.
June 21, check-in begins 6 a.m.
Various locations
WHISTLER FARMERS’ MARKET
A feast for your senses, the Whistler Farmers’ Market features local produce, tasty food, local artisans, live
entertainment and family activities. Markets happen every Sunday until Thanksgiving on Oct. 13, with the addition of Saturday markets on June 28, Aug. 2, Aug. 30 and Oct. 11.
June 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Upper Village Stroll
SALISH DRUM-MAKING WORKSHOP
The drum is not just a music maker, but a voice for the soul within the music. In some traditions the drum symbolizes the heartbeat and in others it represents the powerful medicine of thunder. Make a beautiful traditional 10-inch Salish hand drum using deer hide and a cedar frame.
June 22, 10 a.m.
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
PHAT WEDNESDAY
Put your skills to the test on Wednesday evenings with this ever-popular downhill race series complete with an awesome après at the Garibaldi Lift Company and tons of prizing from Bike Park sponsors. Individual race entries must be purchased online in advance, and will be limited. June 25, registration begins at 4:15 p.m.
Whistler Mountain Bike Park
WORCA TOONIE RIDE
Come for the ride, stay for the après. The Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) Toonie Rides are a great place to mix and mingle with our vibrant mountain biking community. Ride hard for the challenge or ride with friends for the fun of it. When the ride is over, meet up at après to share tall tales with friends old and new. However you ride, it’s guaranteed to be a good time.
June 26, 6:30 p.m.
Chromag—1220 Alpha Lake Road
Whistler’s first tennis courts
BY ALLYN PRINGLE
IN THE LATE 1960s, when Al and Nancy Raine first bought property in White Gold, there had been talk about building tennis courts in the Whistler area for many years— but none had yet materialized. Wanting to play tennis, the Raines (who had purchased two lots) built a clay court next door to their house. According to a 2018 interview with Al, as the owners of the only tennis court in the valley, he and Nancy soon found they “had more friends for some reason.” In the spring, summer and fall months, friends (and maybe some acquaintances) would frequently come over for a game.
A few years later, John Taylor, then the owner of more than 65 hectares in today’s Creekside area, built tennis courts at Jordan’s Lodge on Nita Lake. These courts were used by residents, visitors, and even campers from the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camp. When Myrtle Philip School opened in 1976, four tennis courts were built next to it, the first asphalt
Pub and the Red Door Bistro) was located alongside the courts, which meant people could sit on the deck to have a drink and watch the tennis games below. According to Al, this was “actually pretty ideal.” In order to play a game, you didn’t necessarily have to organize with a partner ahead of time; instead, a member of the club could go over to JB’s, go out on the deck, see who was playing and who was around, and pick a partner.
Tennis grew throughout the 1980s, and over time Taylor (also a member of the club) added an additional two courts and a small building that could be used by the club (he also added a fifth covered court in the 1990s). Club membership grew, and the Whistler Valley Tennis Club became officially recognized as a non-profit society. Members paid dues, a pro was hired, and volunteers maintained the courts (some years the Whistler Fire Department would help out by washing the asphalt).
Esther Gorman moved to Whistler fulltime in 1985 and joined the club in the summer of 1987. Looking back in 2018, she recalled the club was where she met most of her “lifetime
courts in the valley. Clearly, the appetite for tennis in the valley was growing.
In 1978, Michael d’Artois remembers getting together with other tennis players at JB’s and forming the Whistler Valley Tennis Club. Using the courts at Nita Lake, they began hosting lessons and tournaments, including the first tournament of the 1978 season over the May long weekend. The tennis tournament (part of larger celebrations that weekend that included the Great Snow Earth Water Race and a belly flop competition) cost $3.50 to enter and, according to the Whistler Question, the winner got to keep the balls used and was presented with a “Whistler original perpetual trophy.” Over the following years, the club would continue to host a tournament over the May long weekend, as well as other events throughout the season.
According to stories from members of the club, players were competitive (some more than others), but also friendly and social. Al remembered the deck of JB’s (today Roland’s
friends.” (She also remembered playing in a mixed doubles tournament with Taylor and that, after they won, he named one of the courts after her.) Her husband, John Koenig, echoed her feelings. He joined in 1992, when the club had 250 adult members and a waitlist, and made many close friendships through tennis, as well as meeting Esther.
Through the 1990s, after the new tennis facility opened next to Whistler Village, members began to move to the new tennis club, though some maintained memberships in both. In the 2000s, Nita Lake Lodge was built on the site of Jordan’s Lodge and Taylor’s tennis courts, and today a house sits atop the Raines’ clay court. Though it eventually stopped hosting tournaments or organizing lessons and camps, the Whistler Valley Tennis Club maintained its non-profit status for many years in order to act as an advocate for the sport in Whistler. Today, tennis and other racket sports continue to be competitive and social (and often both) pastimes in the valley. n
ORIGINAL ACES The tennis courts at Jordan’s Lodge on the shores of Nita Lake, 1978. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF JUNE 20 BY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries writer Joseph Campbell was a world-renowned mythologist. His theories about the classic hero archetype have inspired many writers and filmmakers, including Star Wars creator George Lucas. As a young man, Campbell crafted the blueprint for his influential work during a five-year period when he lived in a rustic shack and read books for nine hours a day. He was supremely dedicated and focused. I recommend that you consider a similar foundation-building project, Aries. The coming months will be an excellent time for you to establish the groundwork for whatever it is you want to do for the rest of your long life.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Japan, komorebi refers to the dappled sunlight that streams through tree leaves. It names a subtle, ephemeral beauty that busy people might be oblivious to. Not you, I hope, Taurus! In the coming weeks, I invite you to draw on komorebi as an inspirational metaphor. Tune in to the soft illumination glimmering in the background. Be alert for flickers and flashes that reveal useful clues. Trust in the indirect path, the sideways glance, the half-remembered dream, and the overheard conversation. Anything blatant and loud is probably not relevant to your interests. PS: Be keen to notice what’s not being said.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Finnish folklore, the Sampo is a magic artifact that generates unending wealth and good fortune. Here’s the catch: It can’t be hoarded. Its power only works when shared, passed around, or made communal. I believe you are close to acquiring a less potent but still wonderful equivalent of a Sampo, Gemini. It may be an idea, a project, or a way of living that radiates generosity and sustainable joy. But remember that it doesn’t thrive in isolation. It’s not a treasure to be stored up and saved for later. Share the wealth.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Tides don’t ask for permission. They ebb and flow in accordance with an ancient gravitational intelligence that obeys its own elegant laws. Entire ecosystems rely on their steady cyclical rhythms. You, too, harbour tidal forces, Cancerian. They are partially synced up with the Earth’s rivers, lakes, and seas, and are partially under the sway of your deep emotional power. It’s always crucial for you to be intimately aware of your tides’ flows and patterns, but even more than usual right now. I hope you will trust their timing and harness their tremendous energy.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Some jewellers practice an ancient Korean art called keum-boo, in which they fuse pure gold to silver by heat and pressure. The result is gold that seems to bloom from within silver’s body, not just be juxtaposed on top of it. Let’s make this your metaphor for the coming weeks, Leo. I believe you will have the skill to blend two beautiful and valuable things into an asset that has the beauty and value of both—plus an extra added synergy of valuable beauty. The only problem that could possibly derail your unprecedented accomplishment might be your worry that you don’t have the power to do that. Expunge that worry, please.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some Indigenous cultures keep track of time not by clocks but by natural events: “the moon when the salmon return,” “the season when shadows shorten,” “the return of the rain birds.” I encourage you to try that approach, Virgo. Your customary rigour will benefit from blending with an influx of more intuitive choices. You will be wise to explore the joys of organic timing. So just for now, I invite you to tune out the relentless tick-tock. Listen instead for the hush before a threshold cracks open. Meditate on the ancient Greek concept of kairos: the prime moment to act or a potential turning point that’s ripe for activation.
ROB BREZSNY
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Botanists speak of “serotiny,” a plant’s ability to delay seed release until the environment is just right. Some pinecones, for instance, only open after a fire. What part of you has been patiently waiting, Libra? What latent brilliance has not been ready to emerge until now? The coming weeks will offer catalytic conditions—perhaps heat, perhaps disruption, perhaps joy—that will be exactly what’s needed to unleash the fertile potency. Have faith that your seeds will draw on their own wild intelligence.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): One of your superpowers is your skill at detecting what’s unfolding beneath the surfaces. It’s almost like you have X-ray vision. Your ability to detect hidden agendas, buried secrets, and underground growth is profound. But in the coming weeks, I urge you to redirect your attention. You will generate good fortune for yourself if you turn your gaze to what lies at the horizon and just beyond. Can you sense the possibilities percolating at the edges of your known world? Can you sync up your intuitions with the future’s promises? Educated guesses will be indistinguishable from true prophecies.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarius-born Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) got a degree in law and economics and began a career teaching those subjects at the university level. But at age 30, he had a conversion experience. It was triggered when he saw a thrilling exhibit of French Impressionist painters and heard an enthralling opera by Richard Wagner. Soon he flung himself into a study of art, embarking on an influential career that spanned decades. I am predicting that you will encounter inspirations of that caliber, Sagittarius. They may not motivate you as drastically as Kandinsky’s provocations, but they could revitalize your life forever.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The ancient Egyptians revered the River Nile’s annual flooding, which brought both disruption and renewal. It washed away old plant matter and debris and deposited fertile silt that nourished new growth. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, I suspect you will experience a metaphorical flood: a surge of new ideas, opportunities, and feelings that temporarily unsettle your routines. Rather than focusing on the inconvenience, I suggest you celebrate the richness this influx will bring. The flow will ultimately uplift you, even if it seems messy at first.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Medieval stonemasons worked not just in service to the immediate structures they made. They imagined eternity, laying foundation blocks in cathedrals they knew they would never live to see completed. I think you are being invited to do similar work: soulful construction whose fruits may not ripen for a while. A provocative conversation you have soon may echo for years. A good habit you instil could become a key inheritance for your older self. So think long, wide, and slow, dear Aquarius. Not everything must produce visible worth this season. Your prime offerings may be seeds for the future. Attend to them with reverence.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the frigid parts of planet Earth, some glaciers sing. As they shift and crack and melt, they emit tones: groans, pulses, crackles, and whooshes. I believe your soul will have a similar inclination in the coming weeks, Pisces: to express mysterious music as it shifts and thaws. Some old logjam or stuck place is breaking open within you, and that’s a very good thing. Don’t ignore or neglect this momentous offering. And don’t try to translate it into logical words too quickly. What story does your trembling tell? Let the deep, restless movements of your psyche resound.
Homework: You know exactly what you need to do next, but are refraining. Why? Do it! Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
Tuesday, June 24,2025starting at 5:30p.m.
AtMaury YoungArts Centre, 4335Blackcomb Way, WhistlerBCin theFranzWilhelmsenTheatre
NOTICE ishereby giveninaccordance withSection99ofthe CommunityChar terthat the CounciloftheResort Municipalityof Whistlerwillbe consideringtheannual report at theRegular Council Meetingon Tuesday, June24,2025.
INSPECTIONOFANNUALREPORT: A copy oftheannual report is available forpublicinspectiononour website at www.whistler.ca /corporateplan or at theCustomerServiceDeskofMunicipalHall,4325Blackcomb Way, Whistler,BC,during regularofficehoursof9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.; Monday to Friday (statutoryholidays excluded).
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Pleasesendsubmissionsor commentsonthe annual report prior to 12:00p.m.on Tuesday, June24,2025 to:
We promotefromwithinandarelookingtostrengthenouramazingteam.Opportunities for advancement intomanagementpositionsalways exist for the right candidates.Don’t missout onbeingabletobuildwiththeteamthatbuildsthemostsignificantprojectsinWhistler
Send your resumetoinfo@evrfinehomes.com We lookforwardtohearingfrom you!
Locatedin Pember tonBC.Please forward your resume to [email protected]
NowHiring:Supervisor, Pemberton VisitorCentre
Location: Pemberton,BC
Type: Seasonal,Full-Time
StartDate: June30,2025
ApplyBy: June23,2025
To urism Pe mbertonisseekinganenthusiastic SupervisortoleadtheVisitor Centre’s operations this summer Responsibilitiesinclude super visingstaff, providingexceptionalvisitorservice,coordinating schedules,maintainingvisitorcentre cleanliness, and tracking visitor data Ideal candidates willhave super visor y experience, strongcommunication skills,andapassionfor Pemberton’scommunity andnaturalbeauty.
Uplifting Indigenous excellence: A celebration at the SLCC
EVERY YEAR on June 21, communities across Canada gather to celebrate the cultures, languages, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, holds special meaning for many Indigenous Peoples, making it a powerful and symbolic time to come together. For us, it is a moment of pride, connection, and joy.
National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) is more than a date on the calendar; it is a day of affirmation. It is about visibility, pride, and presence. It is about seeing Indigenous
at the SLCC’s front entrance. This gathering is open to the public and sets the tone for what’s to come: a day grounded in Indigenous presence and generosity.
Our Spo7ez Artist Market takes over the mezzanine, featuring handmade goods, jewelry, textiles, and carvings by Indigenous artists. These works are not only beautiful— they are vessels of story, memory, and skill passed through generations. Purchasing directly from artists supports their livelihood and honours the knowledge systems embedded in each piece.
BY T’EC GEORGINA DAN
Visitors can take part in a variety of specialty tours throughout the day. These include the Curatorial Storyboard Tour, led by SLCC Curator Alison Pascal, which shares deeper insight into the stories behind the exhibits. The Legends of the Land Tour explores our newest gallery installation and speaks to Squamish and Lil’wat stories, such as the Wild Woman of the Woods and the Giant Owl. Our Forest Walk Tour brings visitors outside, offering a guided experience connecting teachings of the land with the living environment of the territory.
June 21 as National Aboriginal Day. In 2017, the name officially became National Indigenous Peoples Day, reflecting a more inclusive understanding of the distinct nations within Indigenous identity.
Today, this day continues to grow in recognition. Canada is home to more than 630 First Nations and over 50 Indigenous languages—with British Columbia alone representing 11 distinct language families. Each language carries thousands of years of wisdom, culture, and teachings. National Indigenous Peoples Day is a reminder that these languages, stories, and communities are not only still here—they are thriving.
CELEBRATING CULTURE, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY
At the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler, we celebrate NIPD by uplifting the voices, art, and excellence of our communities through meaningful programming. This is more than an event— it’s an act of reclamation, of occupying space with joy and intention.
The day begins with a cultural welcome
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration without good food. At the SLCC, the barbecue lunch is always a hit—because the smells alone draw a crowd. This year, the Thunderbird Café is serving Bison Burgers, Cedar Plank Salmon Burgers, and Tomahawk Chips. Whether you’re lining up with cousins, co-workers, or someone you just met at the Artist Market, food brings everyone together. In many Indigenous gatherings, a meal isn’t just a nice add-on—it’s expected. You show up, you sing, you dance, you eat. It creates space for people to connect, share a laugh, and linger a little longer.
LAUGHTER, MUSIC, AND MOVEMENT
A standout of the day is Keith “Bubbas” Nahanee, a Squamish Nation comedian known for bringing laughter on and off the reserve. He’s been running Bubba’s Comedy for seven years and shares relatable, often hilarious stories from Indigenous life. In our cultures, humour is embedded in storytelling—it disarms, teaches, and heals. It speaks truth while bringing people together through shared joy.
We’re also proud to welcome The Spiritual Warriors, a Lil’wat-based roots reggae band known for their uplifting sound and cultural messages. Singing in the St ’ át ’ y ’ emc language, they blend traditional teachings with rhythm and harmony, creating music that moves both heart and body. Their songs remind us language is not only something to preserve—it’s something to dance with, sing to, and live through.
The highlight of the afternoon is the Sea to Sky Fashion Show, presented in collaboration with Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week. This event features Indigenous models from Supernaturals Modelling and the work of Squamish Nation designer Himikalas Pamela Baker. Created just for this day, it gives space
for Indigenous designers and models to shine in front of our local community. It’s a celebration of identity, beauty, and strength. Fashion becomes storytelling, reclaiming space in an industry that often leaves us out.
Adding a heartbeat to the show is DJ Kookum, an internationally recognized DJ and producer from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. Known for her dynamic, genreblending sets, Kookum has toured across North America and performed with the Snotty Nose Rez Kids. During the fashion show, she’ll be behind the decks, bringing global sounds and Indigenous presence together in a celebration of creativity and sound. More than a performer, Kookum is a mentor and community builder empowering Indigenous youth across Turtle Island.
MORE THAN ONE DAY
While June 21 is an important day for celebration, recognition of Indigenous Peoples doesn’t stop here. Visibility is a year-round practice, and every day offers a chance to listen, learn, and uplift Indigenous voices.
This day isn’t about performance—it’s about presence. When Indigenous Peoples are seen not only through the lens of hardship, but through their everyday brilliance, it shifts the story. We are not only our trauma or our history. We are also our joy, our humour, our art, and our leadership.
NIPD offers a glimpse into what’s possible when Indigenous excellence is supported
and shared. It allows young people to see themselves reflected in stages, galleries, and runways. It reminds audiences Indigenous Peoples are not only part of Canada’s past—we are shaping its present and future.
National Indigenous History Month is celebrated throughout June with immersive programming at the SLCC. From guided forest walks and curatorial tours to storytelling sessions and craft workshops, the month offers meaningful ways to engage with Indigenous culture and perspectives. These programs invite visitors to connect more deeply with the Sk_wx_wú7mesh and Líl ´ wat7úl Peoples—through language, land, art, and shared experiences.
JOIN THE CELEBRATION
On June 21, come to the SLCC and celebrate with us. Walk the forest paths, listen to the stories, support local artists, enjoy a meal, and take in the vibrancy of Indigenous fashion and music. This day is an invitation— for community, connection, learning, and celebration.
We are here. We are thriving. And we invite you to witness that truth.
Let’s honour the past, celebrate the present, and uplift the future—together.
t’ec Georgina Dan is a member of the Lil’wat Nation, and cultural administration coordinator at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler. n
HERE AND THRIVING
t’ec Georgina Dan with the Spo7ez Cultural Sharing team at a previous National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at the SLCC.
PHOTO BY RYAN ROBINSON / COURTESY OF THE SQUAMISH LIL’WAT CULTURAL CENTRE
7505 Pebble Creek Drive, Pemberton Vacant land | 31,864 sq.ft. (.731 acres)
