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Whistler council stays the course on 2.8% tax increase

$12.7M cut from project spending; alternative tax collection bylaw adopted

Whistler’s budget is undergoing some big revisions as a result of COVID-19, with reduced spending across the board—but no changes to proposed tax increases. At its May 5 meeting held over Zoom, council gave first three readings and adopted two bylaws related to the 2020 budget—an alternative tax collection scheme bylaw and an amendment to the five-year financial plan—and did the same with the 2020 tax and utility rate bylaws.…

Village of Pemberton passes financial bylaws

Tax rates, sewer rates, water rates and five year financial plan all approved

The Village of Pemberton (VOP) passed all of its financial bylaws at its regular council meeting held virtually via Zoom on May 5. Residents will find their tax rates down slightly from 2019’s rate as council passed a budget with zero tax-revenue increase.…

Resort Municipality of Whistler, province prep dock strategy

Close to 100 docks on Alta Lake built without provincial permit

With the proliferation of docks and party barges on local lakes, and Alta Lake in particular—and a similar rise in complaints about noise, pollution and safety issues—the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is working on a docks management strategy with the provincial government. The goal is to improve the experience at Whistler’s lakes while protecting the environment and keeping people safe—and to remove some of the derelict barges and docks littering the shoreline.…

Reach out for support

How are you doing? No, I really mean it.…

Free will astrology for the week of May 7th

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
According to Aries author and mythologist Joseph Campbell, “The quest for fire occurred not because anyone knew what the practical uses for fire would be, but because it was fascinating.” He was referring to our early human ancestors, and how they stumbled upon a valuable addition to their culture because they were curious about a powerful phenomenon, not because they knew it would ultimately be so valuable.…

Opinion: Time to end scary ‘cowboy culture’ in construction

With the public debate focused on the question of dialling-up our economy in these trying times, it is important that we do not forget the important role of workplace safety enforcement going forward. Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in B.C. This has never been more evident than now, a time when COVID-19 is radically redefining the meaning of a “safe workplace.”…

They are called ‘at risk’ for good reason

Another good reason to get out and bang your pots and pans at 7 p.m. was presented in a health briefing this week. Twenty-one per cent of the COVID-19 cases in B.C. — 428 people — are in the broad category of health care workers.…

Expect backlog when barbers, salons, clinics reopen

Personal care services, from hair salons to massage therapy clinics, can reopen mid-May

British Columbians will technically be allowed to get their hair cut at barbers and beauty salons starting in mid-May, but they may have to take a number and get in line. The same goes for physiotherapy, massage and chiropractic treatments.…

Provincial parks reopen mid-May, campgrounds in June

One of the frustrations for British Columbians who enjoy the great outdoors during a pandemic lockdown was hearing provincial health officer Bonnie Henry telling people to get outside for exercise while provincial parks, beaches and and some regional parks were shut down. So the BC Outdoor Recreation Council executive director Louise Pedersen was thrilled to hear the B.C. government announce Wednesday that provincial parks will reopen for day use in mid-May.…

Life in B.C. can resume in mid-May, sort of: Province reveals four-part ‘restart’ plan

“This is not a return to normal … we’re going to a new normal,” said PM Horgan

What happened: The provincial government released guidelines on Wednesday that will shape how sectors of B.C.’s economy are to re-open over the following weeks and months. Why it matters: The province is in the first phase of a four-phase restart plan that will stagger the re-opening of the economy.…

Schools to have ‘full re-launch in September’

Smaller class sizes, spacing between desks, health checks, greater cleaning recommended

B.C.’s public sector and post secondary could see a “full re-launch in September,” B.C.’s deputy minister of health said May 6. Stephen Brown said schools could return to initially limited operations with guidelines incorporating core hygiene and gathering rules.…

International-student enrolment plunges, teachers facing layoffs

School District 61 typically welcomes about 1,000 students from other countries each year, but with most international travel halted due to COVID-19, international student enrolment is expected to drop significantly this fall. Associate superintendent Colin Roberts said no teachers have been officially laid off, but some have been identified as “excess to needs.”…

B.C. to hold consultations on the 2021 budget but all gatherings will be virtual

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s all-party legislative committee will hold public consultations on the upcoming provincial budget despite restrictions by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services says in a statement the consultation process for the 2021 budget will get underway June 1.…

Youth baseball could be back this summer, B.C. health officer says

More announcements about the resumption of summer sports expected at press conference today

Youth baseball players, coaches and leagues around B.C. got a little shot of adrenaline Monday when provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry mentioned the sport specifically as something that could restart this summer. In a presentation of COVID-19 modelling, Henry described a gradual loosening of restrictions over the coming months, including the potential for healthy citizens to slightly expand their social contacts.…

Locals create Sea to Sky Healing Project

New website features curated mental-health content

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, some may be having more difficulty coping than others. It could be for a multitude of factors: concerns over oneself or family members getting sick; changes to one’s employment or financial situation; the difficulty of socializing in-person; or being cooped up in the same space interminably.…