Highway 99 Between Squamish and Pemberton a Safety Risk

Dear Mayor Melamed:

RE: THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON HIGHWAY 99 AND IN WHISTLER VILLAGE POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF LOCALS AND VISITORS FROM ABROAD

On Tuesday evening, my husband and I left Whistler Village at 6pm in order to be in Pemberton for a Christmas Concert at Signal Hill Elementary School at 7pm. We have snow tires and a 4x4 SUV and we trusted that Highway 99 between Whistler and Pemberton would be safe enough to drive.

By the time we reached Emerald Estates we realized that the road had not been ploughed, nor had any gravel or salt been distributed on the highway. We were very surprised as last year we had absolutely no problem making our way to Pemberton in 30 minutes, in time for the Christmas Concert. Subsequently, we had to drive at 40kms per hour over a sheet of pure ice, all the way to Pemberton. Along the way we passed several trucks and a few cars that had pulled over onto the side of the road.

On our return, we pulled aside so that a snow-plough could pass us and clear the way. Only after passing us did the driver lower the plough and start clearing the highway and to our astonishment, did not combine his work with the usual shedding of gravel and salt, despite having a load of gravel in his truck.

Just that afternoon, I had spoken to my girlfriend who mentioned that she had struggled to drive up Blackcomb Way with her family car, also equipped with snow-tires. She was on her way to fetch her four-year old son from ski-school. Obviously, you are aware that Blackcomb Way is in the middle of Whistler Village. This same Mom, had called me a week earlier in tears to say that she had been distraught on a drive back from Pemberton in mid-afternoon. I empathized with her, stating that the week previously, I had to travel back from Pemberton to Whistler at 20 kms per hour because of the pathetic conditions on the road.

I have lived between Pemberton and Whistler for the past 15 years. I have driven Highway 99 more times than I can count, both for business and for pleasure. Although I am extremely impressed by the work of Kiewet & Sons, the American company that renovatedand made improvements to Highway 99, I am disgusted with the lack of maintenance of this same highway: The same highway that Moms and Dads travel home on to Pemberton after working in Whistler each night. The same highway that Moms and Dads and families travel home on to Squamish each night, after work. The same highway that visitors from abroad are destined to travel when the Olympic Games take place in February 2010.

Never have I, my colleagues and friends experienced such poor road conditions as this Winter Season.

Today, for example, I travelled to Pemberton on business and was astounded at the amount of vehicles, both SUVS and commercial vehicles, that had pulled over to the side of the highway, because they were unable to navigate the slush and ice on the road. This was on the way up to Pemberton. There was an accident on Suicide Bend involving a truck that had jack-knifed because of the ice and slush. We were pulled over and had to wait until a snow-plough made it’s way up the vicious turn. Instead of spraying the entire road with gravel and salt, as per past years of service, it simply drizzled a slight stream of gravel in the middle of the incline.

Upon my return, I once again encountered trucks and SUVS that could not make their way up certain inclines, and then, around a blind bend, an accident involving two vehicles. I passed three fire trucks, two ambulences and several police vehicles. Luckily, I was able to pass by quickly, but other travelers were not as fortunate. Furthermore, as I drove past the scene of the accident, I noticed a young lady in tears who had obviously been involved in the incident. All of this could have been prevented if enough gravel and salt had been distributed onto the highway.

This status quo has caused me to wonder what on earth happens to the exorbitant tax dollars we pay in Whistler? Surely, with the highest taxes paid in British Columbia, the least we may expect are safe local roads and highways. Also, I have pondered the question as to whether we have begun to export gravel and salt to Patagonia, as the snow-ploughs appear loath to secure the highway as they have done in years gone by. Are they too lazy to drive down to the gravel pit? Are they saving gravel for the two weeks when they expect to impress the international tourists during the Winter Olympic Games?

What about lights along the highway? Was the $6 Billion dollar Olympic budget not enough to provide sun-powered lights that would at least illuminate part of the way for travelers, both local and international?

I hereby inform you that I will be forwarding this letter to the Vancouver Sun, Global TV, the Pique Newsmagazine, The Whistler Question as well as releasing an entire horde of Press Releases on the Internet, with the intention of bringing attention to this vital situation that essentially puts all of our lives at risk on a daily business. I have also created on Online Petition to gather signatures in support of an immediate mandate by the Municipality of Whistler to improve the maintenance and upkeep of Highway 99 throughout this winter season.

I will be most happy to inform the local and international public of the new and improved maintenance of said Highway once my colleagues and I have personally experienced professional snow-ploughing , salting and professional maintenance of Highway 99 and local roads within Whistler Village. Until then, I shall keep the world informed of the fact that driving along Highway 99 between Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton presents a threat to human safety and security.

I look forward to hearing from you or a member of the Ministry of Transportation at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Lisa Haeck

Mother, wife, tax-payer and employee in Whistler, B.C, Canada

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION HERE.....(CLICK)

The Food Bank in Whistler Needs Food, People!

I took a friend to the Food Bank in Whistler today and I was devastated to see how empty it is. Sarah says that because so many people are out of work in Whistler, many are relying on the Food Bank.

Even though the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation gave $5,000 to the Food Bank recently, it must have all been used up because they are in dire need of the following:

Rice, canned fruit and vegetables, LARGE canned soups, Canola Oil, butter, eggs, bread flour, pancake mix, kraft dinner, Honey, Jam, pasta, pasta sauce, cookies, cereals, dishwash soap, toilet paper.

Please take your food donations directly to Sarah at the Whistler Food Bank, at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church on the first and third Monday of each month between 11 and 1pm. This way the food is fresh. Please do not donate food that has expired :) Try to imagine that you were receiving the food - it's nice if it's fresh and yummy, isn't it!

Thank you so much to Sarah, Lorna, Kari and Nataly for doing such an excellent job supporting people in need in Whistler. The Whistler Community Services Society helped our family the first three years we were in Whistler and it is because of their endless generosity and support that we have been able to make steady progress and settle into the community.

Be an Angel - Donate some food today to the Whistler Food Bank.
Thank you and Bless you all!

Pique Publishes Smut and Loses My Readership

I am not amused. At all. In fact, I am frustrated to the point where I had to write a letter to the Editor of the Pique Newsmagazine in Whistler.

"Dear Bob,

With regard to Carlucci's smut article -what were you thinking?

I have been reading the Pique since 1997 with great enthusiasm. The articles and news have cheered me up, educated me and kept me involved in our local community.Last Thursday, February 5, 2009, was the first time in these 12 years that I slammed the Pique down and swore to only use it as fire kindle in the future.

The Pique, as everybody knows, is a FREE local newsmagazine. It is available at the Library, in Hotel lobbies, next to all watering holes and coffee shops. It is very easily accessible to our children. I was disgusted to see Carlucci's article, and accompanying photos as the feature story. Carlucci's column, at a push, may have been appropriate in Penthouse, Playboy, Maxim or Sports Illustrated, NOT in a freely and easily accessible local news mag.

My daughter and her friends browse through the Pique, SNAP and the Whistler Question quite often to see if their friends, teachers or anyone of interest features. I balked at the idea of our children coming across this smut. Thankfully I was the first and last person to read it in our family. My husband agrees with me and encouraged me to write this letter.

I have noticed, over the past few months, that your publication has become more liberal when using colourful colloquial idiom to describe men and women, but your publication of Carlucci's article is unacceptable.Unless you make some commitment to keeping the Pique clean, my friends, colleagues and peers are going to refuse to read it or make it accessible to our families.

I hope you publish this because I know how many other parents agree with me. I will be copying this letter on my blog and I look forward to some form of response from you.

Sincerely,

Lisa Haeck

Whistler Mom and Long-time Resident"

My beef wasn't with the article itself, although it left much to be desired, but with the fact that the Editor thought it was remotely appropriate for the thousands of families in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton. What Editor in his right mind thinks it is appropriate to have photographs of dildos and leather whips in a news magazine that lies around most family homes in the Sea to Sky corridor?

Best the Pique cleans up its act or it will be used on a massive scale to light our fires in winter and swat flies in summer.

Teddy Bear Daycare to Stay for Another Year!

Well, whaddaya know! Amazing what happens when the community of Whistler, in British Columbia, Canada, stands together, isn't it.

The good news is an announcement was made this week to state that the Teddy Bear Daycare Centre will remain open until 2009.

Well done Whistlerites, Whistler Blackcomb CEO Dave Brownlie and Whistler Municipalities' Bill Barret! This is what is known as Affirmative Action.

I see that Councillor Tim Wake is quoted in the Whistler Question for the second week running with a quote stating that "The municipaility is really trying to pay a supportive role here..."

Well Councillor, why all the Hoopla in the first place? Many parents had to consider an alternative with the threat of Teddy Bear Daycare's closure, and now, at the last moment, suddenly everybody has to do a double-take as the MY Space Society and the Municipality concede to allow the Centre to operate through a third party.

Was all of this nonsense necessary in the first place? I doubt it. After all, as Councillor Ralph Forsyth so eloquently put it - neither the Society nor the Municipality had a plan for the space that was supposed to be vacated on June 30th other than to suggest a "cultural experience". Like that reigns supreme over our children's education and welfare!

Sue Adams of Whistler, Chair of MY Place Board on "Cultural Experience"

Fascinating.
Whistler's Sue Adams is:

• Chair of MY Millenium Place Board, [yes, the one that decided to close Teddy Bear Daycare Centre's doors],
• Partner in the Pemberton Valley Supermarket,
• Managing Partner of Bevendale Enterprises Inc. [Grocery Store and Delish Cafe in Whistler]
• Chair of North Shore Credit Union,
• Chair of the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival,
• Vice- chair of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Board
• Chair of the Advisory Council for the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers
• and now appointed to the provincial government's Small Business Roundtable
  

I'm stunned! Is it possible for one person to actually manage all of the above in a competent capacity simultaneously? If so, she should apply to Google - they love multi-taskers!
Seriously though Dollz, I was a little shocked to find out that this is the same person responsible, along with the other members of the MY Millenium Place Board, who decided to annilihate the Teddy Bear Daycare centre in favour of "cultural experience". What is more disconcerting, as Councillor Ralph Forsyth stated, is that the children and daycare are being evicted despite the fact that Adams and her Board do not have a PLAN for this so-called "cultural experience". Futhermore, and this is cherry on the top, Adams says that she doesn't KNOW when a decision might be made on how the space will be used.
Yet this is the most recent appointee to BC's Small Business Roundtable - doesn't that imply some form of competence? What is competent about evicting the daycare without a plan as to what or who will replace it?

Adams admits in her interview with the Whistler Question that the Millenium Place Society doesn't have money to put into reconfiguring the daycare space for arts and culture and she "recognizes" that the Whistler Municipality isn't able to pay for any changes. Then we are informed that the "sale of the building to the municipality leaves the Board up in the air". What does that mean? Has there been some kind of back-handed deal so that it's actually the Municipality that wants the Daycare evicted? I'm lost, somebody please explain so that I can understand.

In the meantime, here's a NEWSFLASH for Sue Adams, Mayor Melamed and councillors: Dave Brownlie, CEO of Whistler Blackcomb has offered to put up the funds to continue running the daycare. Here's hoping that Mr.Brownlie can talk some sense into these people - for the sake of the kids and their families and methinks that a letter to Minister Rick Thorpe, Minister of Small Business and Revenue and Minister responsible for Regulatory Reform is in order.

Whistler is Not Egypt and MY Millenium Place Society is Not Pharoah!

I was deeply touched by Scott Holmes of Pemberton's letter to the Pique this week voicing his concern about MY Millenium Place Society's decision to close the Teddy Bear Daycare Centre.

Scott writes: "...I have hit the wall with the announced closure of Teddy Bear Daycare....This daycare has operated successfully and provided a valuable service in the valley for six years. Now, all of a sudden, and in a manner that smacks of backroom politics, our Teddy Bear is facing extinction. Through petitions, public outcry and diligent work from some truly community-minded people, the parents of Teddy Bear are sending the message that the community need this facility, but is anyone listening?
To those bunch of self-serving individuals out to "make their mark" in Whistler at the cost of a great facility and waste such huge capital expenditure [in excess of 500K], what are you thinking? This is not Egypt and you are not a pharoah. If leaving a cultural legacy is so important, then become a painter!"

Hear, Hear, Scott!

To answer part of the rhetorical question, I would safely say that Whistler Blackcomb was listening. As WB CEO, David Brownlie, said last week, his corporation is prepared to front the funds to continue running Teddy Bear as long as it is needed in our community. Brownlie voiced his deep disappointment that the MY Millenium Place Society had decided to close the daycare facility. I think he was being polite. I have heard Moms and Dads in Whistler come out with major expletives as to what they think the MYMPS should do with themselves regarding their unfathomable decision.

What got my goat is that councillors Eckhard Zeidler, Bob Lorriman and Nancy Wilhelm-Morden didn't have the chutzpah to stand alongside councillor Ralph Forsythe in his bid to accept Whistler Blackcomb funding for the continuation of the daycare. In my opinion, Wilhelm-Morden abdicated responsibility on behalf of the community, without our consent, and stated that the decision belonged to the MY Millenium Place Society.

I wonder how she would have reacted if she had two young children who were being booted out of their daycare to make space for some doobie-smoking hippies who just want to shoot the breeze about Picasso? [not a rhetorical question]

Teddy Bear Daycare Tots Fight for Their Space in Whistler

Oh boy, is this ever a HOT TOPIC! So many Whistlerites are literally fuming about the Maurice Young Millenium Place Society's, (MYMPS), cold-hearted decision to close the Teddy Bear Daycare Centre, forcing many young angels to have to consider moving far away to another facility that is foreign to them and making life for their Moms and Dads very difficult.
As I described in my previous blog about this debacle, the MYMPS defended their draconian decision by saying that Art and Culture needed a place to grow in Whistler.
Right - so toss the kids out with the bathroom water and lets get on with drinking our Chardonnay and talking shit about Salvador Dali's "Meditative Rose", shall we?
Have you ever?

Then my heart just broke when I read Ken Achenbach's beautifully written letter to the Pique this week where he describes his darling daughters' delight in creating sculptures, paintings and drawings, as well as performing through singing and dancing [a cultural form of artistic expression].
Ken, this eloquent Dad, calls it the Teddy Bear Arts and Culture Space! How lovely.

Ken writes:"Don't take away the space where I can create art and at the same time create my vision of the future through art where I can grow up to be anything I want. Maybe even an artist."
Well said, Ken!
I do hope that someone gets through to the collective thick skull of the MY Millenium Place Society so that they realize they are messing with Whistler's greatest assets - its children. Just imagine how boring and bland Whistler will be during the Winter Games in 2010 if all the teeny tots go on strike and stop producing their delightful works of art?

Something to think about...

Image by Olsen "Side by Side"