Blog

Returning to work during COVID-19

Can your boss force you to wear a mask? Can employees refuse to come back to work? These questions and more answered by an employment lawyer

With talk of things starting to open back up in the Sea to Sky corridor and elsewhere, and with COVID-19 still a concern, what can employees and employers expect from the new normal? The Squamish Chief caught up with Andrea Raso, a senior employment and human rights lawyer at Clark Wilson LLP, to talk about the rights of employees and employers as they begin a return to work.…

VIDEO: Ride of Your Life documentary released

30-minute film recounts ride from Whistler to Yellowknife

A documentary recalling the 2,200-kilometre ride from Whistler to Yellowknife has been released. The group of eight riders completed the Ride of Your Life trek over 11 days last May and June as part of a fundraiser for the Yellowknife Mountain Bike Park.…

Full 90-day prescription fills return as supply concerns ease

The BC Pharmacy Association says pressures on the country’s prescription drug supply is easing and “where possible, pharmacists who now have adequate supplies are dispensing the full 90-day supply of medications patients would traditionally receive.” The decision to change to dispensing only a 30-day supply was made early on in the pandemic by pharmacists across the country.…

Diversifying your pastime portfolio

First, to be clear, the following column is not a guide on how to make your quarantine time the most productive, fulfilling, rewarding or some other gerund. For those common tropes, you may look no further than your social-media feeds.…

B.C. emissions continue to rise

GHGs rose 3.5 per cent 2017-18—higher than first 2020 reduction target

B.C.’s greenhouse gas emission rose from 63.3 in 2017 to 65.5 million tonnes (mmt) in 2018-an increase of 3.5 per cent, according to Canada’s submissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Indeed, those emissions have gone up compared to 2007’s 64.76 mmt when Victoria announced its first emission reduction target of 33 per cent by 2020.…

Howe Sound Women’s Centre increases capacity for women fleeing abuse during pandemic

Whistler hotels have opened rooms for women in ‘perfect storm’ of crisis

government officials might be urging people to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but if your home isn’t safe, you still have options.…

Pemberton’s Davies cracks junior national team

Nordic skier eyes junior worlds after serving as alternate this year

Pemberton cross-country skier Joe Davies was one of eight young athletes named to Nordiq Canada’s junior development squad on May 1. Davies, who spent last season based in Canmore, Alta., spent the campaign competing on both the NorAm Cup and U.S. Super Tour circuits, earning two top-20 finishes in the former and four in the latter.…

COVID-19 outbreaks spread to four B.C. poultry facilities

Fraser Health confirms new outbreaks have taken place at Sofina Foods and Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry

Four B.C. poultry processing plants have recorded outbreaks of COVID-19, Fraser Health confirmed May 1. The two new outbreaks are at Port Coquitlam’s Sofina Foods, and Chilliwack’s Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry.…

Whistler’s medical director reminds residents to visit healthcare centre for urgent care as needed

Dr. Bruce Mohr says some patients requiring care are presenting late to facility

The medical director for the Whistler Health Care Centre (WHCC) is reminding residents once more to not put off a visit to the facility for urgent medical issues during COVID-19. “It’s been found in the Lower Mainland emergency departments that there’s an incidence of delayed presentation that they’re concerned about, especially with heart attacks and strokes,” explained Dr. Bruce Mohr, adding that he’s also noted the trend locally.…

Teachers reach collective agreement amid work-from-home orders

Three-year ‘2-2-2′ deal now expires in just over two years

THE B.C. GOVERNMENT and teachers have ratified a new three-year collective agreement, which provides for a 2-per-cent pay increase annually. The BC Teachers’ Federation announced on Twitter Friday that 98 per cent of teachers agreed to the new terms, which were recommended by union executives.…

Grizzly spotted in Whistler Cay Heights

COS says recovering grizzly population could lead to more sightings

The Conservation Officer Service (COS) is urging the public to secure bear attractants after a grizzly was spotted in a residential area of Whistler on Wednesday, April 29. “The important message for us is the same for Whistler’s black bears,” said Sgt. Simon Gravel with the COS.…

What expanding social contact could look like in B.C.’s next pandemic phase

There won’t be indoor parties this summer in British Columbia, but Dr. Bonnie Henry gave some hints at what broadening social circles could look like in the next stage of pandemic response. The provincial health officer suggested during her briefing Thursday that B.C.’s reopening plan next week will largely entrust residents with assessing the risk within their own circles and acting accordingly.…

Raven Room picks up two nominations at prestigious Spirited Awards

Pan Pacific lounge nominated for Best International Hotel Bar and Best New International Cocktail Bar

With the bar temporarily closed due to COVID-19, it goes without saying the team behind The Raven Room was in need of some good news. Earlier this month, it got just that in the form of two nominations for a prestigious awards gala celebrating the best and brightest of the global cocktail and spirits community.…

Pemberton photography initiative spreads around the world

Anastasia Chomlack’s ONE for ONE Gratitude Sessions gifts essential workers photo shoots

One night at the end of March, Anastasia Chomlack and her family leaned out of the window of their Pemberton home to join in on the nightly 7 p.m. cheers, pot banging, and applause for the community’s essential workers. She looked over at her husband, Chad, and they both welled up with tears.…

Enduro cancelled at Crankworx Whistler

Crankworx pondering all options for 2020; Red Bull 400 called off

If this year’s Crankworx Whistler festival goes on as planned, it will have one fewer event. The Enduro World Series (EWS) announced on April 28 that the CamelBak Canadian Open Enduro was one of three races that will not run in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.…