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Free will astrology for the week of April 16th

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Aries artist Vincent van Gogh got started on his life’s work relatively late. At ages 25 and 26, he made failed attempts to train as a pastor and serve as a missionary.…

Our little bit of heaven…

I don’t enjoy writing about “serious” topics. That’s why I’m a columnist, not a journalist.…

Whistler healthcare providers settling into new normal

COVID-19 crisis has triggered streamlining of medical operations, planning

There is little that can be described as “normal” in our new COVID-19 reality, but Whistler’s healthcare providers are settling into a semblance of routine as pandemic procedures enter their second month in Whistler. “We’ll continue doing things the way we’ve always done them, but in terms of operating at a time of a contagious disease, we have had to change the way we do things,” noted Dr. Bruce Mohr, medical director for the Whistler Health Care Centre (WHCC).…

Whistler groups face tough choices as COVID-19 wipes out funding

With grants, municipal funding and other revenues drying up, Whistler’s community organizations face uncertain future

Community groups and organizations in Whistler are scrambling as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on their funding sources. Three organizations that receive Fee for Service (FFS) funding from the Resort Municipality of Whistler—the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, Arts Whistler and the Whistler Museum and Archives—have all had their second quarter funding rescinded, while a fourth, the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association, saw a big reduction in money received.…

Resort Municipality of Whistler goes back to drawing board on grizzly management

Conflict mitigation strategy endorsed by council

While Whistler’s Alpine Trail Network—consisting of backcountry hiking and mountain-biking trails on Mount Sproatt and Rainbow Mountain—opened to the public to much fanfare in 2017, by the following summer, parts of the trail network were closed after two separate groups had run-ins with grizzly bears. Since then, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has been working backwards to correct the problem.…

Our financial meltdown

This week, it really feels like the financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are settling at the front of our consciousness. Obviously, we have all observed it with the resort emptying after the mid-March closure of both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.…

UPDATED: Sweeping evacuations as Squamish Valley burns out of control

Fire also threatening BC Hydro infrastructure; Staging area set up

An out-of-control slash fire that started in the Squamish Valley has quickly spread, prompting a series of sweeping evacuations in the area. With constant warning updates streaming in, anyone that’s in the area could be forced to leave at a moment’s notice.…

Fire burning out of control on Squamish Valley Road

Police are asking those near the fire to evacuate the area

A slash fire is currently burning out of control in Squamish. Squamish RCMP and an Integrated Police Dog Services member were notified of the fire at 4:15 p.m.…

Province extends hours for B.C. liquor stores

The B.C. government has approved extended hours at retail liquor stores. Liquor retailers, such as wine stores or private liquor stores, are now allowed to temporarily operate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily, “if they choose to do so,” said a news release.…

B.C. extends state of emergency for another two weeks

Premier John Horgan says the province will rely on data to inform when it lifts emergency restrictions

The Province of British Columbia has extended its state of emergency for an additional two-week period. B.C. Premier John Horgan said Wednesday that while progress has been achieved, social distancing measures and precautions must remain in place so that the province stays its course in its efforts to manage the pandemic.…

With the rent due, some Whistler eateries have no choice but to reopen

‘We’re not asking for a free ride,’ says Peaked Pies co-owner

News of several Whistler cafes and restaurants reopening in the past week could be viewed as the beginning of a return to normalcy. But with the rent due on May 1 and the bills piling up, some owners struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis have little choice but to reopen their doors.…

Relatively tame Easter Weekend for Whistler and Pemberton police

Police Briefs: Bus driver caught again; Highway speeders

It would appear local authorities’ messaging around COVID-19 precautions paid off this Easter Weekend, with police reporting a relatively tame holiday. RCMP in Whistler and Pemberton ramped up their presence, with additional officers in the backcountry, waterways, closed provincial parks, and on-mountain, as well as road checks on Highway 99.…

Coquitlam woman facing assault charges for coughing on grocery clerk

It is alleged that the woman became angry when the store employee would not let her buy extra tissues

A 25-year-old Coquitlam woman is facing assault charges after allegedly coughing on a grocery store clerk who would not sell her extra tissues. The woman was arrested at her home shortly after police spoke to witnesses and reviewed surveillance footage of the incident, which occurred at a store in Westwood Plateau Village on Monday afternoon.…

Ottawa expands CERB, tops up essential workers’ pay as economy shrinks 9% in March

New measures aimed at workers that previously fell through cracks

The federal government is expanding the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to help those previously not eligible and will soon offer some essential workers a top up in pay. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday (April 15) government will loosen eligibility requirements for the $2,000 monthly CERB, allowing those still earning up to $1,000 a month to apply for the program.…

Better quality of air on B.C.’s south coast linked to virus controls

Environment Canada says preliminary research suggests that efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak have led to improved air quality on B.C.’s south coast. Armel Castellan, a meteorologist, said there appears to be a “strong correlation” between the timing of the outbreak and a 40 to 50 per cent drop in both nitrous oxide and particulate matter — two of the three component groups that make up the air quality health index.…