Blog

COVID-19’s effects on the outdoors

Pemberton Wildlife Association, fishing guides discuss pandemic’s impact

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are even stretching into the local wilderness. Pemberton Wildlife Association (PWA) president Allen McEwan said that as a result of the pandemic, the group’s revenues are down, though it plans to keep up with several planned initiatives.…

Saluting a legend

A couple of weeks ago, you may have noticed a full-page announcement of the End of an Era. The torch has passed.…

Whistler restaurants can resume in-person dining this week

Many resort restaurants taking wait-and-see approach as Phase 2 of recovery kicks in across b.c.

Christine Grant is feeling the nervous pangs she would normally get the night before opening a new restaurant. But the front-of-house manager isn’t christening a sparkling new eatery; she’s readying Pizzeria Antico to reopen for in-person dining weeks after restaurants across B.C. were forced to drastically limit their operations due to COVID-19.…

Village of Pemberton council receives departmental updates

Council briefs: Council approves $1,000 for food task force

Village of Pemberton (VOP) council received quarterly updates from four of its departments at its regular meeting held via Zoom on May 5. Heading up one of the most acutely affected departments, manager of operations and projects Tom Csima described the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.…

New emergency powers for municipalities to be used sparingly, mayor says

‘Our goal is to carry on the business of the municipality, certainly not to damage democracy’

a b.c. ministerial order issued earlier this month gives local governments significant power to pass bylaws in one sitting, a move some observers say violates democratic principles. In Whistler, powers under Order M139—signed by NDP Solicitor General Mike Farnworth on May 1—were used at the May 5 council meeting, at which the community’s tax bylaws and related budget amendments were introduced and adopted in one sitting.…

Letters to the Editor for the week of May 21st

Scare
those bears OK, I’ve had it.…

Free will astrology for the week of May 21st

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“Excellence does not require perfection,” wrote Aries author Henry James. Now I’m conveying this brilliant counsel to you—just in time for the season when it will make good sense to strive for shining excellence without getting bogged down in a debilitating quest for perfection.…

Calling out racism

When multi-generational residents of Whistler reached out to Pique last week to share stories of racism, I admit to feeling absolutely deflated, like finally there was simply no more wind in my sails. Like everyone, my personal and professional life has been turned upside down by COVID-19: My university-attending kids are home and struggling to find “normal;” we all miss our freedom; we all miss our friends; we are pretending that everything is “fine;” and none of us wants to talk about what tomorrow will bring never mind the rest of the year.…

Horgan: B.C. economic restart ‘off to a good start’

B.C. Premier John Horgan said he is “pretty satisfied” with how the province’s restart plan is underway

B.C. Premier John Horgan said Wednesday he believes the province’s economic restart is off to a good start. “On balance I’m pretty satisfied with how we’re underway,” he said.…

Facebook fined $9 million for misleading users

“Canadians expect and deserve truth from businesses in the digital economy”

Canada’s Competition Bureau has fined Facebook $9 million after concluding the company made false or misleading claims about the privacy of Canadians’ personal information on Facebook and Messenger. The social media giant has also been ordered to pay an additional $500,000 for the bureau’s investigation costs.…

Active COVID-19 cases in B.C. fall 20% in past week

Only 317 people have the coronavirus in B.C. and have not yet recovered, down from 397 a week ago

The number of people in B.C. who have been infected with COVID-19 but have not yet recovered, or died, has dropped more than 20% in the past week, according to data that the B.C. government released May 20. The province noted that there are 317 “active” cases of people with the virus.…

Conservation service and RCMP busy in the Sea to Sky over the long weekend

Not as much traffic as previous weekends, says RCMP

Officers withSea to Sky Conservation and Squamish RCMP were busy over the long weekend. Conservation officers patrolled recreation sites and Provincial Parks as well as Howe Sound by boat.…

Ottawa, provinces ready to pay 50% of rent for small businesses

Program will require landlords to absorb 25% of rent

The federal government says it’s working with provinces to cover 50% of commercial rent for small businesses under financial pressure amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday (May 20) the previously announced Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistant Program begins accepting applications May 25.…

Pearl’s Value and Vintage gets set to reopen

Squamish second-hand shop taking precautions in advance of June 8 restart date

When economies grind to a halt and more people get bumped into precarious financial situations, it’s usually a time for second-hand shops to shine. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic throws a wrinkle into that potential rise, though, as customers potentially avoid second-hand items or brick-and-mortar retail as a whole.…

B.C. K-12 education virtual town hall taking place tonight

Minister of Education Rob Fleming and others will answer questions at 7:15 p.m.

Questions about what B.C.’s restart plan means for your child and their education? B.C.’s Minister of Education Rob Fleming and Stephanie Higginson, president of British Columbia School Trustees Association and Dr. Trevor Corneil, vice president population health and chief medical health officer for Interior Health Authority will be on hand to answer questions about K-12 education moving forward during a virtual town hall, set to take place tonight, Wednesday May 20, at 7:15 p.m.…