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Cold Chilling: Frozen vs Dolemite

Disney continues its quest for intergalactic dominance this week with the release of Frozen II, which for many kids is more exciting than having Miley Cyrus playing “Baby Shark” on your birthday while chugging bottomless Slurpees and watching your school burn down. Writer/director Jennifer Lee (Frozen, The Skeleton Twins) is back onboard (co-directing again with Chris Buck) and the duo is hoping they’ve made the rare sequel that equals the original, and as far as box office receipts go, it just might.…

Deep Winter going on hiatus in 2020

Arts News: Constellation Festival announces return to Squamish

Deep Winter, one of North America’s premier events for winter sports photographers, is going on hiatus in 2020, confirmed event producer Whistler Blackcomb (WB).
WB’s communications manager, Marc Riddell, confirmed the news during a meeting with Pique editorial staff and new COO Geoff Buchheister last week, saying that, after almost a decade and a half, the event needs retooling.…

Whistler Olympic Park holds soft opening

Cross-country skiers can use Callaghan Gold to start season

Whistler Olympic Park is well aware that leftovers can really come in handy. Though there’s no fresh snow on the ground, the Callaghan Valley-based park opened to the public for classic and skate cross-country skiing on Nov. 22 with its snow saved from last year called Callaghan Gold.…

Whistler trampolinist qualifies for World Age Group Competition

Flynn set to bring fearless attitude to Japan

For her 18th birthday earlier this year, Gabby Flynn got a tattoo. Though it’s inked inconspicuously, the Flynn family motto has plenty of meaning for the Whistler trampolinist.…

Bylaw removing Temporary Use Permit for Whistler artist studios adopted

Council briefs: Grant application for burying White Gold utility lines; Nita Lake liquor amendment supported

A bylaw removing the Temporary Use Permit (TUP) requirement for home-based artist studios was adopted on Nov. 19, following an Oct. 22 public hearing that saw only supportive comments. As such, artists with home-based studios can operate in residential zones under the zoning bylaw, including the right to sell their products from home, with just a business licence and sign permit.…

The stunning hypocrisy of the Squamish cannabis dispensary raids

Earlier this month, the province’s Community Safety Unit (CSU) raided two Squamish cannabis dispensaries. Two weeks later, and the reasoning behind this enforcement action remains hazy.…

Rick Desautel shot an elk to prove the Arrow Lakes Band—–unrecognized as a First Nation in Canada–still exists

In the early morning hours of an October day in 2010, Rick and Linda Desautel left their hunting camp on traditional Sinixt lands near Vallican, British Columbia, and drove to the steep, thickly forested hills a few miles away. After the road faded to gravel, they turned left at a blue Valhalla Provincial Park sign, and continued to climb.…

Bobcat in the Squamish Estuary [VIDEO]

Squamish’s Chris Dale captured this stunning footage of a bobcat (Lynx rufus) slinking through the grass in the estuary. “I expected it to wander out into the open but instead it decided to have a nap in the late afternoon sun,” Dale told The Chief.…

Whistler U14s top Burnaby tourney

Victory helps soccer squad gain confidence

The Whistler U14 girls’ soccer team has a bit of pep in its step after a big victory on Remembrance Day weekend. The squad, which boasts players from Whistler, Pemberton, Mount Currie and Lil’wat Nation, came home from Burnaby with a tournament win after posting three wins and a draw in the Burnaby Girls Soccer Club’s annual one-day tournament on Nov. 11.…

Share your thoughts on the budget

It’s budget season again (was that a groan I heard?). Last week, we learned that the proposed budget comes with a 2.8 per cent property tax increase for 2020 (That’s down 0.1 per cent from last year) along with two-per-cent increases to sewer, water parcel and solid-waste fees.…

Seniors want reconsideration of new Whistler Housing Authority rental criteria

Main issue surrounds new $300K asset limit to rent restricted units

Members of Whistler’s senior community are hoping the municipality will reconsider the Whistler Housing Authority’s (WHA) new rental criteria, which they say does not accommodate seniors’ often distinct financial situations. In July, council adopted the new criteria, which set out to refine WHA eligibility and enforcement guidelines to ensure more equitable access to non-market housing.…

Rezoning for Whistler Blackcomb housing building moves ahead

Council gives first two readings, with public hearing to follow

A rezoning for a new 200-plus-bed Whistler Blackcomb (WB) staff-housing building is headed to a public hearing after receiving first two readings at the Nov. 19 Whistler council meeting. The proposed building is six storeys tall with 66, two-bedroom units each about 40 square metres in size.…

Letters to the Editor for the week of November 21

The elephant in the room As [Protect our Winter Canada board chair] Mike Douglas so succinctly stated: “It doesn’t matter if we’re perfect here in Whistler.…

Free will astrology for the week of November 21

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
“Beware of what disturbs the heart,” said Ibn Mas’ud, a companion of the prophet Mohammed. “If something unsettles your heart, then abandon it.”…

Flushing the details out of Whistler’s $4.5M bathrooms

RMOW confident increased spend is reasonable, mayor says

A tendering process for a project to build three public washroom facilities in Whistler Village attracted no bids within the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) originally budgeted amount of $3 million, forcing the municipality to rethink the project—which led to a new budget of $4.58 million, according to Mayor Jack Crompton. The original estimate of $3 million was low, and a new budget was built after an “extensive overview” that is in line with best practices, the mayor said, adding that the RMOW is confident the new total is reasonable.…