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Pemberton patios OK to pitch expansion, but no drinking in parks

Village of Pemberton council briefs: Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement approved

To help facilitate economic recovery, the Village of Pemberton (VOP) has waived its option to review proposals allowing liquor-primary and manufacturing establishments to temporarily expand their service areas. As part of a provincial initiative, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) is allowing these types of businesses to expand their service areas on their own property—in most cases, in the form of a larger outdoor patio—to allow establishments to serve a greater quantity of patrons as physical distancing requirements remain in effect.…

Letters to the Editor for the week of June 11th

Thank you Whistler, we did it together Last month, our foundations, The Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation and the Szocs Foundation, donated $50,000 to Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) to support mental-health initiatives, challenging the community of Whistler to match that amount by June 3.…

Free will astrology for the week of June 11th

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
During her 90 years on the planet, actor and singer Marlene Dietrich reinvented herself numerous times. She had superb insight into the nature of shifting rhythms, and a knack for gauging the right moment to adapt and transform.…

Ex-conservation officer who refused to kill bear cubs wins dismissal at B.C. court

Bryce Casavant has been a vocal advocate of BC Conservation Officer Service reform.

A former conservation officer who was fired from his job in 2015 for refusing to euthanize a pair of bear cubs has won his dissisal case at the B.C. Court of Appeal. At the time, Bryce Casavant had been with the service for two years, and was called out following a complaint by a resident that a sow and her two cubs had come on to his property and were eating garbage and rummaging through his freezer.…

Defunding police: How it could work, but what do we lose?

Imagine a situation where, instead of calling 911, someone in mental-health distress calls a hotline which summons a mental-health professional. Imagine a harm reduction and addiction outreach worker being called to help someone using drugs in public or showing signs of an overdose.…

Lower Mainland family dinner triggers a COVID-19 outbreak and a stark warning

Of the 30 guests, 15 have tested positive for COVID-19

“What does B.C.’s Phase 2 reopening mean for me?” That’s the question many British Columbians have been grappling with since the province slipped out of the worst days of the pandemic.…

Premier Horgan confirms B.C. restaurants may be able to buy alcohol at wholesale prices

Restaurant owners have been wanting to be able to by alcohol at less than full retail price for years

The B.C. government will consider a proposal for restaurant owners to be able to buy alcohol at wholesale prices, much like private and government liquor store owners are able to do, B.C. Premier John Horgan said June 10. “Yes, we are still looking at it,” Horgan said.…

Vail Resorts can learn from Whistler youth

LETTER: For the week of June 4

It has been encouraging to see Whistler youth step up where Whistler adults still fear to tread, in both the Black Lives Matter rally recently and the past climate change rally. What remains to be seen is exactly how much this will galvanize their parents and community… or alternatively result [in condescending behaviour from others and being ostracized for] even trying.…

Author of social media post called out as ‘racist’ claims post taken out of context

Owner of business caught in social-media crossfire backlash suffers harassment

A Whistler barber who sparked a firestorm of outrage on social media after posting a challenge on Instagram to those who attended an anti-racism protest in Whistler now says the Instagram image was a meme, was taken out of context, and reframed as racist. In the original Instagram post Tyler Cheverie invited “any grown male adult who marched in or had their child march in or supported the fake ‘black lives matter’ protest in Whistler,” which took place on June 1 to “mutual combat” last Saturday, June 6.…

Sea to Sky police stop Dodge Charger stolen from Lillooet with road spikes

Police Briefs: Second motorcycle crash in recent weeks; Vancouver man caught for excessive speeding

Local police arrested a Surrey woman and two passengers this week after they allegedly stole a muscle car from Lillooet, according to a release. At approximately 10 a.m. on Monday, June 8, Whistler and Pemberton RCMP were tipped off to a stolen vehicle, a grey 2011 Dodge Charger with black racing stripes, heading southbound on Highway 99 from Lillooet.…

Day lot parking fee increase on hold

RMOW announces modified summer transportation ops

A proposed increase to parking fees in Whistler’s day lots is on hold thanks to COVID-19. The new fees——announced in February and set to take effect this month——were to go up to $12 per day in lots 1 to 3 (from $10) and $6 in lots 4 and 5 (up from $5).…

BALDREY: COVID-19 modelling shows how it got here and where it’s going

As we continue to adapt to the extraordinary changes brought upon our daily lives by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is worth stepping back every now and then to examine the mounting data associated with the virus’ impact on British Columbia. The recent “modeling” released by Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry is fascinating on many levels.…

Dr. Bonnie Henry ‘disappointed’ that protesters broke health regulations

B.C.’s provincial health officer had banned gatherings that include more than 49 people

Recent protests in Vancouver and Victoria against racism have numbered in the thousands, raising the specter that B.C.’s success at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic could be put in jeopardy, according to provincial health officer Bonnie Henry. “I am disappointed because I know there are very effective ways for small groups of people to demonstrate these important issues, and to do it peacefully and to do it safely,” she said June 9.…

Locals launch Bottles for Black Lives Matter

New organization raises $1,000 in just four days

A group of seven young Whistlerites have banded together to create a non-profit organization called Bottles for Black Lives Matter. In just four days, the group collected and returned enough recyclables to raise $1,000 to donate to various organizations that support the Black Lives Matter movement.…

OPINION: Rethinking roads can drive down species decline

When we look for ‘shovel-ready’ projects as we emerge from the pandemic, let’s also look for ‘shovel-worthy’ ones.

With roads closed and vehicle traffic down during the pandemic, some animals are getting a better shot at survival. Roads are a main driver of wildlife decline in Canada, taking their toll in myriad ways.…