Whistler will miss Kathy Barnett

It was a shock to read this morning about the passing of cherished community member, Kathy Barnett, wife of Bob Barnett and co-founder of our favourite newspaper, THE PIQUE Newsmagazine.

Since first visiting Whistler as a tourist from Europe, and now settled here in this gorgeous town with my family, I have loved THE PIQUE for its universal appeal, its diversity of content and its cover presentation every Thursday.
In fact, I recently became addicted to reading it online as well, but I still wait with anticipation for each Thursday when the new edition appears FREE in local groceries stores and all over Whistler Village.
I know for a fact that THE PIQUE is a hit with tourists as it presents information that is essential to being "in the know" about Whistler, and providing insight into the various forms of entertainment that abounds in Whistler.

So we are joined by those in Whistler who knew and loved Kathy in wishing comfort and peace to her family and friends all over. She truly left behind a wonderful legacy and we are assured that her husband, Bob, will receive all the support and affection he needs in the coming days and years ahead.


OBITUARY: CO-FOUNDER OF PIQUE DEAD AT 49

Death of newspaper publisher rattles Whistler community
CATHRYN ATKINSON

Special to The Globe and Mail

February 4, 2008

The death of the co-founder and publisher of Whistler's largest weekly newspaper in an accident while on holiday in New Zealand has sent shockwaves around the resort.

Kathy Barnett, who along with her husband, Bob Barnett, began Pique newsmagazine 13 years ago, was cycling with an organized bike tour when she was struck from behind by a car on Jan. 30. Her husband, Pique's editor and co-owner, was not injured in the accident, which occurred on the State Highway 1 near Lake Taupo, on New Zealand's North Island.

The couple had taken most of January off to travel in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, and had been due back at the end of this week, said Darren Roberts, the Pique's executive director. Mr. Barnett returned to Canada over the weekend, but was not speaking about his loss.

Mr. Roberts said he had broken the news of Ms. Barnett's death to the Pique staff while they were in the middle of putting the weekly together late on Tuesday.

"The paper came out on time. Everyone worked together and we got it done," he said.

Ms. Barnett, 49, started the magazine with her husband in 1994 after several years at the Question, the other weekly in Whistler.

Mr. Roberts said that in the high-pressured world of local press publishing, where new newspapers rarely survive longer than a year, Pique stood out because it had grown consistently and now stood at 100 pages an issue, with a circulation of about 15,600. This, he said, was due to the combination of Ms. Barnett's business abilities and Mr. Barnett's editorial vision.

"I know the first four years were very challenging for them. They pushed and pushed," said Mr. Roberts, who joined the Pique 2½ years ago.

"I would sit with Kathy and talk about the big picture and she was always willing to make things better and push forward. She was unafraid to take a risk."

GD Maxwell, a Pique columnist, knew the Barnetts for 13 years. He said the news of Ms. Barnett's death was like "getting hit really hard with a hammer and walking around in a daze."

He described the Pique as "an incubator in this town for talented people."

"They wanted the Pique to be a literate and literary news magazine, and I think maybe it was Kathy who came up with that concept. They wanted it to be of the community, but not a community newspaper because she didn't like that model."

Ms. Barnett was heavily involved in the wider business community and belonged to Whistler's Chamber of Commerce for eight years, acting as its chairperson in 2004.

Louise Lundy, the chamber's current president, said Ms. Barnett would have been familiar to most Whistlerites.

"It's a horrible shock. I don't think there are too many people here who didn't know Kathy, and who weren't affected by knowing her personally or affected by the work they do at the Pique," she said.

"She was provocative but fair, and always willing to print the good and the bad," she said. "The first thing many Whistlerites do on Thursdays is grab their Piques, grab their coffees and go to the letters pages to see what is going on in the town."

Mario Enero, who owns two Whistler restaurants, La Rua Restaurante and Caramba, first met Ms. Barnett when she was a university student in Vancouver 24 years ago, and had remained her close friend ever since.

"I cannot walk down the street because everybody stops me to talk about it. [Losing her] is so new, it's hard. People are phoning me from Victoria, from everywhere," he said.

READ THE ARTICLE IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL:
And here are some comments to THE PROVINCE Newspaper:

COMMENTS ON THIS STORY

Sonya McCarthy
Thu, Jan 31, 08 at 12:37 PM
If you are a Whistlerite ( a local community member of Whistler) and you hear the name Kathy Barnett you would think, That she is a community professional and a hard working womenwith a large heart. Kathy is and always will be a great rock in the history of our town. Sorry for the loss to her family and the community she loved .

Maggs
Thu, Jan 31, 08 at 01:26 PM
She will be missed. My thoughts are with her family.

Eric JohanssonThu,
Jan 31, 08 at 06:58 PM
I am a cycle tourist from Vancouver currently on Holiday riding in New Zealand and am terribly sorry to hear about this accident. Many other cyclists have been hit down here and I am thinking of cutting my trip short because of the apaullingly impatient and discourteous drivers down here. I have nearly been hit several times including along the section of road where Kathy was hit. Young drivers and commercial vehicle drivers are particularly bad. A huge number of drivers still drink while driving as cans and bottles fill the road margins and are seen flying from vehilcle windows daily. There is also a tendency for drivers to drive along the sholder and tail gate which seems to be the cause of this latest accident. Taupo was also the scene of a brutal murder of a young scottish girl (tourist) 2 weeks ago. Not the safe south pacific paridise that one imagines.

Linda Price (West)Fri, Feb 1, 08 at 01:33 PM
I am so sad for her husband and family. She was a beautiful lady with such spirit and always the wonderful smile. I am thinking of all the Whistler friends who will be suffering at the loss of Kathy.

Peter McKellarSun,
Feb 3, 08 at 04:27 PM
I am a resident of Rotorua, New Zealand, not far from Taupo and wish to respond to Eric Johansson. Firstly my sympathy to the people of Whistler for the loss of one of your outstanding citizens. My response to Eric is that I broadly agree. New Zealand is a great place but the roads are generally not as good as those in Canada and for some odd reason our drivers do not seem to have the courtesy and patience that I noticed when I was in Canada. I am a cyclist myself but cycling on the open roads here is something that I would hesitate to do, especially on the section of Highway One south of Taupo which is narrow, windy and very busy. I guess the message from me to any visitors from overseas is please do come and visit our country, it is a lovely place and you will be made most welcome. But don't let your guard down, we aren't a perfect paradise and we have problems down here too. The various misfortunes that befallen some of our visitors recently are causing New Zealanders the utmost distress and concern as well. We feel our counry is a safe place and want everyone to feel the same.

READ THE ARTICLE IN THE PROVINCE