Blog

Federal Sea to Sky candidates hit the campaign trail

Still no NDP candidate ahead of Oct. 21 election; Liberals announce candidate on Aug. 29

Less than two months before the Oct. 21 federal election, two of Canada’s most prominent political parties have yet to field a candidate in the Sea to Sky. Though word on the street at press time was that the Liberals have a replacement lined up to run in the stead of outgoing MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, no one from Goldsmith-Jones’ office or the riding association responded to repeated requests for information before Pique’s weekly deadline on Aug. 27.*…

Squamish, Whistler riders shine at California EWS

Lanthier Nadeau, Woolley earn bronze in junior EWS event

Andreane Lanthier Nadeau is heating up at just the right time in the Enduro World Series season. The former Whistlerite, now in Squamish, took her second consecutive podium finish and third in her past four races to strengthen her hold on third-place overall.…

Choir! Choir! Choir! embraces the chaos

Singing group returns to Whistler on Friday, Aug. 30

It took Choir! Choir!…

Heritage grant will help fund Audain’s largest and most ambitious exhibition yet

Museum receives $172K towards its upcoming Emily Carr retrospective

The Audain Art Museum will receive roughly $172,000 in grant funding that will go towards its largest and most ambitious exhibition yet. Funded through Canadian Heritage’s Museums Assistance Program, the Audain was one of 19 cultural institutions across the country to receive funding, totalling $905,752.…

Tales from the (sort-of resurrected) inbox

Though email was created in the early 1970s, it remained the rather exclusive domain of pioneering techies until the early-to-mid 1990s, when it was rolled out as a feature by early commercial internet service providers. While it’s hard to imagine how we managed without it, I do have foggy recollections of having to fax—look it up—my early columns to Pique.…

ICBC launches new driver-based point system

ICBC is rolling in a new driver-based insurance model that will “represent (a driver’s) risk on the road” in Richmond and throughout the Lower Mainland as of September 2019. This new three-decimal point number is calculated using details of a driver’s experience, crash history, age and even residency.…

Work underway on several housing fronts

Housing remains ‘No. 1 priority’ at municipal hall, mayor says

As the dog days of summer shift into fall, there is movement on several fronts in regards to housing in Whistler—but much of the heavy lifting still lies ahead. Open houses were held for two private-developer employee-housing projects on Aug. 19 and 20, followed by a Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) information session on Aug. 22.…

Whistler Blackcomb to get new COO

Q&A with outgoing COO Pete Sonntag

After two years as Whistler Blackcomb’s (WB) Chief Operating Officer, Pete Sonntag is moving on. On Aug. 23, Vail Resorts announced that Sonntag is moving to Broomfield, Colo., where he will oversee WB and Stevens Pass, as well as Vail Resorts’ three resorts in Lake Tahoe and three resorts in Australia.…

Take a hike, Labour Day—summer isn’t over yet

I tend to go a little crazy in the summer. My mania is based on basic math: the alpine is clear of snow for three months (maybe three-and-a-half on what skiers and snowboarders might call a bad year).…

Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council responds to concerns over spraying near community garden

Organization uses herbicide that’s ‘super low in toxicity’ in a highly controlled manner: executive director

The Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council (SSISC) is seeking to allay any concerns about the spraying it completed in the Cheakamus Crossing neighborhood last week. The organization treated an invasive species called spotted knapweed in Bayly Park on Tuesday, Aug. 20, leading to concerns from some local residents and gardeners.…

Letters to the Editor for the week of August 29

E-Bikes can co-exist on Valley Trail I would like to offer an alternative opinion to the recent column by Joel Barde (“The Valley Trail is for everybody—but not e-bikes,” Pique, July 11) and subsequent negative opinions on Class 1 e-bikes being allowed on the Whistler valley trail system.…

Free will astrology for the week of August 29

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Here are examples of activities I recommend you try in the coming days. 1.…

BC Parks kicks new e-bike policies into gear

Electric-assist bicycles have become the rage on popular trails and paved paths all over the province this year. Now, BC Parks is implementing an e-bike policy to help protect sensitive wildlife, ecosystems and cultural values, the province said in a release Tuesday.…

Blackcomb Helicopters axes controversial element of heli-biking application

Pemberton Wildlife Association applauds change and increased regulation of industry

Blackcomb Helicopters is altering a contentious heli-biking tenure application for the Pemberton Valley after significant public and stakeholder opposition. The company—which has been offering heli-biking in the Pemberton Valley for more than a decade—has decided to axe an element of its application that would have seen it build three trails in the Tenquille to Owl Lake Recreation Area (TOLRA).…

Whistler rider wins at Masters Worlds

Whistler racer wins first XCO race in more than two years

Whistler’s Cathy Zeglinski made a triumphant return to cross-country racing action in Quebec on Aug. 23. Competing in the master women 55-to-59 age division at the UCI Mountain Bike Masters World Championships at Mont Ste.…