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Tree falls across Sea to Sky highway, blocks lane [PHOTOS]

Motorists warned to expect delays

As provincial health officers continue to remind British Columbians that this Easter long weekend is not the time to travel – even to second properties in nearby communities – it appears Mother Nature might have tried to lend a hand in getting that message across.…

As humans self-isolate, Whistler’s bears emerge

Residents reminded to manage attractants

As Whistlerites continue to self-isolate at home, nature carries on—including for Whistler’s resident bear population. Bear activity is starting to ramp up slowly in the region, according to Sgt. Simon Gravel with the Conservation Officer Service (COS).…

Letter: Families should be talking about being on a ventilator

While at work one day in 2013, I got a call that no one every wants to hear – you dad had a catastrophic stroke, he is in the emergency department at Royal Inland Hospital, Kamloops (I live in Burnaby). I left work immediately and drove straight there.…

Mesmerized by magical Morocco:

My anniversary road trip

Our adventures began in the Casablanca airport parking lot. The Economy car rental attendant offered a weathered SUV and assured my husband and I, “C’est une excellent voiture.”…

Don’t worry: stress-eating dark chocolate can actually be good for you

Southern chef Mee McCormick stresses the need to take care of your microbiome in stressful times

Nashville-based chef and restaurateur Mee McCormick doesn’t like to use the word “healthy” when talking about cooking.…

Keeping faith in the face of COVID-19

Whistler’s faith-based groups adapt to physical-isolation guidelines

Like everyone, local religious groups are adapting to new physical-distancing requirements, adjusting their services so as not to risk spreading COVID-19. With major Christian holidays Good Friday and Easter Sunday approaching, Jon Pasiuk, lead pastor at Whistler Community Church, said that it has been livestreaming services.…

House of Commons passes COVID-19 wage subsidy bill

The legislation moves on to the Senate and requires royal assent before it becomes law

According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, it is Canada’s largest economic policy since WWII. After an extraordinary session on Saturday, members of Parliament moved to adopt Bill C-14, the federal government’s wage subsidy legislation.…

Protective gear shortage a ‘crisis’ for B.C. seniors’ care providers: SafeCare BC

A non-profit organization says the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in B.C.’s long-term care homes, assisted living, and home and community care is a “crisis.” SafeCare BC said that it conducted a survey Friday of its members, with 478 long term care, assisted living, home support and community living providers, spread across all five of B.C.’s health regions, responding.…

House of Commons debates $73B wage subsidy program

All federal parties have agreed to support the bill

Federal party leaders and a handful of cabinet ministers and members of Parliament convened Saturday to debate the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) – an up to 75% employee wage subsidy available to businesses, non-profits and charities that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and measures to slow the spread of the virus. All parties have agreed to support the bill, which covers 75% of the first $58,700 earned by an employee for a 12-week period.…

Singh calls for universal access to CERB

Singh says he has heard from many Canadians who do not qualify for the emergency benefit program

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he wants the government to lift all criteria for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to allow any Canadian who is in financial distress due to COVID-19 to qualify for benefits. Singh says he has heard from many Canadians who do not qualify for the emergency benefit program, which opened to applicants this week, including people who are still earning a small income, students and those who were unemployed before the pandemic began.…

Families coping after Pemberton house fire

Larch Street residence ‘total loss’ after March 30 blaze

Though she’s quick to help others in her career as an educational assistant, Ann Chua is coming to grips with needing some aid herself. Chua and her partner of roughly a decade, David Sneddon, were woken up on March 30 to a fire in their Larch Street home in Pemberton.…

What it’s like to work in a Vancouver hospital during a pandemic

St. Paul’s Hospital ICU doctor and emergency room nurse share stories from frontlines of COVID-19 outbreak

St. Paul’s has long been known as the go-to hospital in Vancouver for paramedics to hand over the steady stream of people who continue to overdose from illicit street drugs. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened.…

Local science-based COVID-19 group aims to keep Sea to Sky informed

Quest University professors launch blog, Facebook group

Three Quest University professors have launched new resources specific to Sea to Sky residents looking for science-based information and local help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. tobias c. van Veen, a visiting professor in humanities with a background in activism and organizing, first reached out to his colleagues Dr. John Reid-Hresko, a sociology tutor who studies the culture around epidemiology, and Dr. Negar Elmieh, an epidemiologist who studies science communication, when self-isolating first started about three weeks ago.…

The sourdough makers

As a pandemic-shuttered global gentry finds time and motivation to pursue all manner of guerilla baking, and weighing the popularity of specific items by sheer volume of Instagram posts, it appears that sourdough is in. This is no surprise to Whistlerites Ed and Natasha Tatton, owner-operators of BReD, a plant-based bakery and coffee shop built on the esoteric bread style.…

Expect an increased RCMP presence in the Sea to Sky this Easter weekend

Police briefs: Damage to highway sign leads to charges

The Sea to Sky RCMP will ramp up its presence this weekend in anticipation of the increased traffic to the corridor over the Easter holiday. “The Sea to Sky RCMP has been working with our partner agencies to create a collaborative approach to address unlawful activity while providing education on the physical distancing guidance from our Public Health Officer,” stated an April 9 release.…