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!

MYMPS "kicking out kids to pay for artists" in Whistler

...those were the words uttered by Councillor Ralph Forsyth at Tuesday's council meeting in Whistler, regarding the decision by the Maurice Young Millenium Place Society to close the Teddy Bear Daycare at the end of June.

Councillor Forsyth pointed out that Millenium Place was built with funds donated by the Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation.

Dave Brownlie, CEO for Whistler-Blackcomb reminded us that the original $400,000 investment made by the Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation was intended specifically for a daycare facility.

"...the key donations have been for daycare because of the needs of the community."

What an absolute shame that among the other councillors: Eckhard Zeidler, Bob Lorriman and Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, none had the wisdom to stand with Ralph Forsyth in his suggestion to accept assistance and funding from Whistler-Blackcomb to continue operating the Teddy Bear Daycare.

Essentially, the Maurice Young Millenium Place Society has chosen to boot out the little tots between 3 and 5 years of age who were so very happy in the village daycare, just so that the daycare space can become a "functional hub and physical home of Whistler's emerging cultural precinct".

Boy, have they got their priorities upside down!

Who can blame Whistler Blackcomb for expressing "real disappointment" at this ridiculous decision.

Victoria Day Weekend a Sign of Things to Come??

Friends and family and their young childen visited us over this past long weekend and were grateful for the respite from the city traffic and chaos as they settled into Whistler's fresh mountain air, brilliant sunshine and promise of a peaceful time away from Vancouver.


That is until we visited Rainbow Park, Lakeside Park and other parks in Whistler, trying to find somewhere peaceful and safe for the kids - yes, I know that sounds ridiculous. If you live in Whistler you know what I mean. But throughout the Village and in the surrounding parks and on the trails, we literally bumped into or had to push through gangs of little and big punks! They were loud, obnoxious, rude and unruly, and mostly under the age of 25.


It it weren't for the local RCMP who were everywhere on patrol, God knows what would have been left of our precious mountain resort!
In fact, the hooligans broke into our local RCMP station, and fights abounded throughout the village until all hours of the morning, despite excellent cooperation between the RCMP and local bars.


The problem appears to be a result of certain Hotels and Resorts in Whistler who don't seem to care that our community safety goes down the toilet each time they allow gangs and groups of young punks in for a few dollars more.
Mark Munn, who is with the Hilton Resort and Spa in Whistler was someone with whom Bob Lorrimon, a local councillor in Whistler, chose to discuss the matter. Lorriman writes that the issue needs to be balanced, and I quote:"The young Lower Mainland guests can make up a significant portion of bookings for the weekend and the hotels need the revenue." (as published in Whistler's piquenewsmagazine.com


In my opinion, that is nonsense! Isn't the safety and well-being of our community far more important than bringing in accommodation revenue for a weekend.
So the hotels make more money, but the RCMP station gets broken into, people get stabbed, the punks are evicted from hotel rooms because they disturb other guests and so on. How does one "balance" this kind of situation?



As far as we are concerned "the young Lower Mainland" guests/gangs can stay just where they are.
If Whistlerites had wanted to live among gangs and continuous crime, they would be living in Surrey. There is a reason we chose to live here: we considered it safe for young families, and a peaceful haven from the big city rush.
And what about the Winter Games? Are we going to let gangs from the nether regions of BC invade and destroy our town during those two weeks?

It's going to take a lot more than "balance" to keep the trash out of Whistler.
I like Joey Gibbon's, of the Gibbons Hospitality Group's suggestion:


"...we put a roadblock up in Squamish and not let anyone up under 19..."

Baby Bear Cub Shot in Whistler.

Shame, shame, shame on the ignorant fool who felt compelled to blast a baby black bear to its death with his shotgun just outside Whistler Secondary School on Thursday last week.
Well done, Ace! Did you feel almighty, strong and powerful after shooting a bear cub not larger than a poodle? What the hell were you doing with a SHOTGUN AND AMMO in your car in Whistler anyway?
We are proud of our peaceful community and we do not enjoy the thought of the likes of you travelling up to our mountain resort armed with lethal weapons. I trust that our local Mounties made that very clear.
Good on the Whistler RCMP for nailing the perpetrator just 15 minutes after the incident was called in.
Perhaps part of this perp's sentence could be an education in common sense.

Anyway, a Gold Star for Otto at Whistler Secondary for his comment on the article in The Province.
Otto, dearest, gotta love ya for your willingness to consider that this perp might have mistaken the bear for a bigger bear. Even if it was a large bear, which we Whistlerites see almost everyday during the summer season, this dude had no right to stop and kill it. This isn't some Arnie Schwarznegger movie. According to local sources, the dude was travelling in his car, stopped on the highway, got out of his vehicle and blasted away as if he was being charged by a bull elephant. RCMP officers reported on Global TV that the cub wasn't bigger than a purse doggie.

Bear cub shot dead near Whistler high school
Staff Reporter, The Province
Published: Friday, May 09, 2008
Police in Whistler are trying to determine why someone shot a young bear cub near a high school.
A 24-year-old West Vancouver man is under arrest on suspicion of cutting the infant bruin's life short around 8:30 a.m. Thursday on a trail near Whistler Senior Secondary School, just as students were arriving for class.
Whistler RCMP said a citizen who saw the cub just before it was shot thought she heard two gunshots, then saw a man getting into a vehicle with what she believed was a shot gun.
She wrote down the license number and phoned police, who pulled the suspect over and arrested him about 15 minutes later.
Inside his car they found ammunition but no gun, that latter of which they are still searching for.
The motive of the bear's killer is not known and police continue to investigate with Conservation Services. No charges have yet been laid.
© The Vancouver Province 2008

???Fri, May 9, 08 at 02:04 PMha! I am a student of WSS and it was pretty horrible for all us to be crowding around it all dead and like.... I just waisted my morning looking for the shotgun in the school forrest until I read this, thought he was some whack job on foot not in a car... I couldn't understand why he would do this, I called the animal shelter almost a week ago because the same baby bear was pretty much abandoned actually, my friends and I were feeding it apples cause we felt sorry for it. The stupid shelter did nothing and just told us not to feed it cause the mom is still "sleeping" apparantly. Anyway we all just tryed to assume that the man who shot it was scared it was a real big bear in the bushes rather than a cub, it would feel more comforting to assume that rather than a crazy phyco killer at our school! lol anyway e-mail otto333@hotmail.com if you have any questions

Whistler Extends Ski Season Until June 2008

Photo Courtesy of Whistler.com - your best choice for Accommodation in Whistler!

Wow, as if we didn't get enough skiing/snowboarding so far this season!
The rest of the world's resorts are closing their terrain, but good ol' Whistler Blackcomb keep delivering the goods.
This is one of the best seasons I remember in the history of Whistler, although the last few days have been more than a little wierd - just yesterday it snowed, rained and then the sun shone in a matter of 30 minutes. I, like most Whistlerites, was a little confused, but not phased, we've come to expect crazy days like these.

When we first came to live in Whistler in 2003, my hubby and I changed clothes or added or removed layers of clothing several times a day. After a year, we got the hang of it and finally had a Whistler wardrobe which is what you'll need to get through comfortably.

Anyway, back to the ski season: Whistler mountain remains open until April 20th. Spring skiing is open on Blackcomb from April 21 until June 8th.
Right now the approximate snow base is around 265cm and there are an estimated 3,000 acres waiting for ya until the first week of June.
So to all of you ski and snowboard bunnies out there, if you haven't got your fill yet, grab your bikinis and get out onto the sunny slopes!
Wishing ya all a good ride...

WB Sells Gravity Logic Inc. Mountain Biking Company to Employees

Image Source: Lucas Kane

Whistler Blackcomb recently gave over ownership of one of its mountain biking operations to the employees, Tom Prochazka, Dave Kelly and Rob Cocquyt.
The above Gents will run Gravity Logic Inc, aka GLI, as an indepedent operation, as well as supplying trail design to the Whistler Mountain Bike Park.
Word has it that the Whistler bike park receives in excess of 100,000 paid visits a year, the highest visitor rate at any bike park in the world.

"Our biggest challenge is convincing ski resorts there's a viable market and that the investment's worth it. And it's not cheap to develop [bike parks]. The price for a kilometre of trail for a bike park is $30,000. And they typically need a minimum of 20 kilometres for a reasonably good product." Gravity is partnering with Kona Mountain bike parks (a division of Kona Mountain Bikes).

Whistler Public Library an Expensive Disappointment

Thank you to Bob Burnett, Editor of the Pique News Magazine for publishing my letter concerning our disappointment with the new Whistler Public Library (link below)

"Letters to the editor
Judging by the covers… My family and I waited in anticipation for the opening of the new library in Whistler. For more than four years, we have been members of the Whistler and Pemberton libraries. All of the press releases and the information that it took approximately $11 million to build the new library led us to believe that it would offer enough books to cater to the needs of our children, teenagers, students, our senior citizens and all ages.

We were in the library the other day with my family and friends from Vancouver who used to live here. All the kids were asking, "Where are all the books, mommy?" In fact, we offered to donate some books as the shelves were so bare. Several rows of shelves are empty! One would think that with a budget exceeding $10 million, books would have been a priority on the agenda!

When we finally decided to check out, we were told that the computer system was "down". The librarians had to write down all the serial numbers of the books by hand. Surely, with a budget in excess of $10 million, we could expect an operational system.

Given that Whistler is an international destination for working students from Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan, there should be books for them in foreign languages. My husband and I are speechless, but that is nothing in comparison to how our children and teenagers feel when looking for books that are suitable."

PIQUE NEWSMAGAZINE LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Thank God for The Pique News Mag in Whistler

What would life be without The Pique? I for one would be bored to tears.
Despite how much technology I use on a daily basis to satisfy my craving for learning and information, I still wait with eager anticipation for each and every Thursday so that I can sit down with my coffee or a glass of good wine and devour every page.

I know The Pique is available online, but it isn't as fun and it doesn't satisfy the ritual that I and so many other Whistlerites have adopted.

Thank you again and again to Bob Burnett and his amazing team for this outstanding publication in Whistler.

PEMBERTON FESTIVAL - 21ST CENTURY WOODSTOCK

Okay Guyz and Dollz:

It's more than official - it's like OFFICIAL!

THE PEMBERTON FESTIVAL IS ON - or should that be - THE PEMBERTON VERSION OF WOODSTOCK IS ON FOR JULY 2008!

Live Nation, the World's coolest and most SMASHING company is bringing TOM PETTY, COLDPLAY, JAY-Z, INTERPOL, TRAGICALLY HIP and many other hot numbers to one of the most beautiful spots in the world: Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada.

Guys and Dollz are already bitching about tickets and everything to do with the festival in anticipation of the action on forums and Facebook, and not since the KISS concert was announced in Whistler last year has there been such pandemonium.

Nevertheless, for those of us who prefer the quiet life here in Whistler, we are grateful that Pemberton will have to deal with all the Tragic Hippies who will invade the campgrounds from late July.

BUY TICKETS FOR THE PEMBERTON FESTIVAL!

Olympic Sliding Track in Whistler Tested Successfully!

The Olympic Sliding Track in Whistler cost $105 million. Can you imagine that?

It was put together apparently by a majority of local contractors and it is one of only 15 in the world.
According to news sources, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (Vanoc), along with the athletes, are pleased as punch and impressed that the structure is ready two years before the Winter Games."

A local Whistlerite says she and her Hubby and used to watch the Emil Anderson construction guys coming back from the site, covered in concrete and just wasted. But they were always excited and really proud of themselves once the job was done.

"Hope-based Emil Anderson Construction Inc's Bill Swaine, the firm's top manager for the project, said the company was attracted by the sliding centre's uniqueness and complexity.
It was all a delicate dance, co-ordinating the work of carving out foundation footings, building the foundation, then having the steelworkers lay down the track's underlying re-bar trough structure while welders laid in 114 kilometres of refrigeration piping.
Swaine added that Emil Anderson was lucky to hire the Ontario firm Underground Services, which had recently resurfaced Lake Placid's track from the 1980 Winter Games, to spray down the track's concrete, which must have a precisely flat finish.
Demands, both on the budget and timeline, also forced contractors to innovate, according to Jim Longo, president of Ideal Welders Ltd., the sub-contractor that installed the track's refrigeration piping."

See ya at the Winter Games 2010 in Whistler!

Whistler Community Supports RCMP Local Const.Devon Jones

A valued member of our community and our local RCMP, Constable Devon Jones, needs our support. Recently, in an incident in Kamloops, Constable Jones came to the physical aid of his colleague, RCMP officer, Constable Peter Sellars who was being physically attacked by another off-duty officer.
A provincial court Justice, Judge Allan Betton has found Constable Jones guilty of assault causing bodily harm.
But I ask you, seriously Dollz, if someone had your mate, colleague, friend in a choke-hold, would you just stand by and watch or would you come to their defense.

That's what Constable Jones did, he came to his colleague's defense. Unfortunately, someone decided to press charges against our local boy.

We have created a Petition and we will circulate it all over the country, if necessary, to show that we believe that Constable Jones acted in an appropriate manner in the circumstances - that is: he came to the physical defence of his colleague during an altercation while all concerned were off-duty.

Please sign the Petition, which we will then forward to Staff Sargeant Norm McPhail to show our ongoing support for Constable Devon Jones.

If you are able to donate even $5.00, please do so at the local Barber Shoppes in Whistler.

Whistler Supports Constable Devon Jones Petition

RCMP officer found guilty of assault Devon Jones convicted of causing bodily harm during Mountie dance
By Claire Piech - Pique News Magazine - Whistler, B.C., Canada

Whistler RCMP officer Devon Jones has been found guilty of assault causing bodily harm after an altercation with a fellow officer during the 2006 Mountie Stomp Dance.
The decision was released on Wednesday Feb. 13 by provincial court judge Allan Betton, almost three weeks following the trial in Kamloops where the incident occurred.
“(Jones) is to appear in court on Feb. 29 in Kamloops to receive sentencing,” said Inspector Norm McPhail, head of the Sea to Sky Regional Police Services.
“He remains on regular duty until we get a disposition on the case.”
The trial took place from Jan. 21-24 and investigated whether Jones’s actions during the dance were justified.
Jones allegedly punched another off-duty officer, Constable Brooke Argue, in the face during the charity fundraiser, knocking Aruge unconscious.
Jones maintained that Argue had a “tiger claw” throat grip on Constable Paul Sellars, which prompted his intervention.
All three officers were off-duty at the time of the incident.
Testimony at the trial described the scene then degenerating into an alcohol-fuelled brawl, with all participants being RCMP officers.
The RCMP will also undergo an internal code of conduct investigation against Jones. Such an investigation can lead to formal sanctions placed on the officer in question.
Said McPhail: “We are just awaiting the disposition of the case by the presiding judge, and then we’ll make decisions as to Devon’s duty status, transfer, that type of thing, after that point in time.”
Jones is a five-year veteran of the force and was the Whistler/Pemberton RCMP detachment’s community policing officer from 2004 to 2007, as well as the detachments media liaison.
During his time in Whistler, Jones has developed a reputation for community involvement, including cycling with the Cops for Cancer tour and riding a stationary bike for 24 hours to raise money for Camp Good Times.
“In terms of his character on duty and dealing with Devon as a police officer, he is an excellent, very professional person, very much a supporter of the youth in town,” said McPhail.

Whistler's Unique Culture

Shucks, I just had to blog this one, Dollz!

For those of you who don't already know, I work at this incredibly colourful "boutique" in Whistler's Function Junction where we "recycle" anything and everything. It's called the Re-Use-It-Centre. We were recently featured on Global's "Destination Whistler" for the countdown to the Winter Games in 2010.

Anyway, we're hip, we're cool and we see EVERYTHING!

Two days ago, two Dudes are standing outside our receiving area, hoping to unload their mattress. I've seen better beds in Africa, so we politely informed them that they would have to take their hokey mattress to the local dumpyard.

A few minutes later, I am called by a fellow employee to witness this abomination: these two laddies trying to squeeze their beloved mattress into the dumpster!

So, with hands on hips, like any old Mama, I shouted in my most ladylike voice:

"Hey Dudes, please don't do that, you''ll get an awful fine and we'll get into big trouble."

And one of the lads, the one with the Afro yells in a scene straight out of a movie,

"So where're we supposed to take it, BITCH!"

I just stood there with my mouth open - he hadn't said it in a derogatory way - more like Eddy Murphy or Will Smith in an action movie - and then I cracked up. I have never been spoken to in that fashion.

Everybody else who was witness to this cracked up as well and one commented,
"Some people's children, eh!"

The funniest thing is that the guy who shouted this profanity, also cracked up laughing at my reaction.

A couple of saucy responses raced through my mind, like:

"Why don't ya take it to yo Mama's house, Dog!" or better still,

"Yo, you can jus' shove that mattress where the sun don' shine Sugar!", but my strict upbringing got the better of me and I just reminded them that the Waste Transfer station was only 7 minutes down on Highway 99.

So we all giggled for the rest of the day and when I told my hubbie that evening he said he just might have tossed the lads into the garbage dumpster, but he couldn't help giggling himself when I reenacted the scene.

What would we do without our sense of humour here in Whistler?

With Love From Canada - For our Loved Ones in Afghanistan

Howzit Manne!
Luister, ons le hier in die koud terwyl julle in die blady desert sit en lemoensap drink.
Just a note to let you know that you are always in our hearts and prayers, that we love you and we thank you for your dedication.
Let us know what the food is like!
Onthou net, die mooiste meisies kom vanuit Suid Afrika af!
Soentjies vir almal...en moenie jou doekies vergeet nie!

Countdown to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Be sure to catch the National News with Lloyd Robertson,(such a Honey), live from Vancouver on Monday, February 11 and Tuesday February 12 at 11p.m. on CTV. (Check CTV.ca for local broadcasting time).
As well as CTV's Canada AM which will join in the Olympic Celebration from Whistler and Vancouver.
My friends and I will be getting up at 3AM on Monday morning to head out to the Whistler Blackcomb slopes, sip some hot chocolate at the Four Seasons Hotel in Whistler and then head out to see the action. Hey how about coming along to support our village?
It's going to be juicy Guys and Dollz!

As CTV explains below:
"Brian Williams, veteran broadcaster and anchor of CTV/TSN’s Olympic coverage, will be on location in Vancouver delivering his expert Olympic analysis and in-depth commentary on Olympic developments. Williams will be featured on Canada AM and on CTV’s national/local newscasts. He will also be filing daily Olympic reports for SportsCentre on TSN and will host the one-hour special Olympic Journey: Calgary to Vancouver, premiering Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 10 p.m. ET on TSN and TSN HD. The full breakdown of CTV/TSN’s coverage is below.

CTV National News with Lloyd Robertson
Canada’s No. 1 newscast and most-watched anchor will be front and centre as Vancouver-Whistler celebrates the two-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Games. CTV National News with Lloyd Robertson will be live in Vancouver on Monday, Feb. 11 and Tuesday Feb. 12. Robertson and the CTV News team will give Canadians a complete overview of the Olympic preparations to date, with a look at venue construction, infrastructure development and the impact the Games will have on the area the rest of the country.

Canada AM
Canada AM’s Beverly Thomson, Seamus O’Regan and Jeff Hutcheson, along with West Coast anchors Mi-Jung Lee and Rena Heer, will be live on location from the foot of Whistler Mountain on Monday, Feb. 11. Together the team will showcase the Olympic venues and give viewers a first-hand look at all of the winter activities available in Whistler including dog sledding, snowmobiling and ski jumping. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, Canada AM is in Vancouver, featuring a live Olympic-themed performance from legendary musician David Foster, along with interviews with past and future Olympians. Canada AM can be seen live in every Canadian market on CTV every morning. A full six hours of Canada AM is also available on CTV Newsnet.


TSN
In addition to ongoing Olympic coverage on SportsCentre, TSN celebrates the 20th anniversary of the start of the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games and looks ahead to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with the one-hour special Olympic Journey: Calgary to Vancouver, airing Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 10 p.m. ET. Brian Williams, the face of Olympic broadcasting, relives the emotion and passion of the Games through the eyes of the athletes who, in a two-week period, became household names across Canada and around the world. This one-hour original production is available in High Definition on TSN HD and includes features on the Battle of the Brians, Eddie the Eagle, Katarina Witt, the Jamaican bobsleigh team, and Canada’s current top athletes as they rally the country in their pursuit of Olympic glory in Vancouver.

CTV British Columbia
CTV British Columbia will be live on location in Whistler from Monday, Feb. 11 to Friday, Feb. 15 for the two-year countdown to the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. CTV News at Six anchor Pamela Martin will be broadcasting live from Village Square with Perry Solkowski delivering daily sports highlights and wrapping up all of the results from the Pontiac GMC Canadian Championships in Men’s and Women’s Super G and Super Combined ski races as they conclude on Feb. 11. CTV's weathercaster Tamara Taggart will report from different locations around the Village. CTV British Columbia will also host a 2010 Olympic Games promotions tent - located in Village Square - where visitors can take home a free DVD of themselves anchoring an imaginary Olympic newscast."

The Year of the Rat

While I was getting ready for work this morning, I listened to Canada AM, and besides the wierdest show about onions, the Doll was advocating biting a match between your teeth while you peel an onion!! Seriously, I'd rather cry.

Anyway, this oddball/sweet guy back East somewhere saves rats - big giant rats. He has about 87 of them all over his house in various cages and they are kinda cute. Right...and it dawned on me yet again - "each to his own". As crazy as it sounds, that Dude is doing his bit to make life a little better for animals.

It took me a long time to really come to appreciate what a precious gift dogs are to us humans. I truly believe that they are Angels in furry disguise, and so now every year for me is the Year of the Dog.

In ancient times, the Chinese considered the rat to be a bringer of fortune and a protector.

So, bring it on, let's celebrate along with our Chinese neighbours - the Year of the Rat it is!

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

Whistler BC Designated Cultural Capital of Canada for 2009

Members of the Whistler Arts Council, Whistler Museum and Archives Society, Whistler Film Festival and Whistler Writers were in the audience along with Mayor Ken Melamed and Council at Maurice Young Millennium Place when Jim Abbott, Parliamentary Secretary for Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament (Kootenay–Columbia), announced the designation on behalf of Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages.

"The Municipality of Whistler recognizes the role arts and culture play in improving citizens' quality of life and improving economic development," said Minister Verner. "The proposed activities will encourage stronger ties between cultural organizations, First Nations people, and citizens involved in the celebrations."

"The Government of Canada is pleased to celebrate Whistler's recognition with this prestigious award," said Mr. Abbott. "The city's designation as a 2009 Cultural Capital will allow those who live here to have enriching cultural experiences and will encourage visitors to visit the city. They will also get a taste of the activities which will be held in 2010 at the Live Sites and other venues where the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will take place."

Along with the desgination, Whistler will receive a $500,000 grant to implement its proposal, Celebration 2020: A Natural Step Towards Cultural Sustainability, which will build on the existing festivals of Celebration 2010, Whistler Film Festival, Whistler Writers Festival and others, and a number of innovative activities, including a professional-development workshop for artists in the region.

"Whistler is thrilled and honoured to be named a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2009," said Whistler's Mayor, Ken Melamed. "Though a young community, Whistler has enjoyed building its cultural identity. This designation and the funding for our program, Celebration 2020, strengthens the cultural aspects of our sustainability commitments. It also signifies the importance of arts, culture, and heritage in Whistler and in Canada, as we prepare to welcome the world in 2010 and beyond."

The mayor recognized the collaborative effort of Whistler's cultural sector in preparing the proposal, thanking John McCormick, Doti Niedermayer & Anne Popma from Whistler Arts Council, Dennis Marriott of Millenium Place, Shauna Hardy from the Whistler Film Festival and Alex Kleinman from the Whistler Museum.

The Cultural Capital of Canada designation is awarded for merit, as determined by the quality of a proposed project and earlier achievements by the candidate community that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the arts and culture.
An independent advisory committee evaluated the candidate communities and made its recommendations to Minister Verner. The committee was composed of experts in the field of arts and culture and the mayors of the Cultural Capitals of Canada for 2007.
Funding is provided to support special projects that celebrate the arts and culture. Amounts vary according to the size of the municipality.

The other Cultural Capitals for 2009 are Trois-Rivières, Quebec, in the greater than 125,000 population category; Coquitlam, British Columbia, in the between 50,000 and 125,000 population category; and Fredericton and Caraquet, New Brunswick, in the under 50,000 population category. Victoria County, Nova Scotia and Summerside, PEI were the other candidates in the category.
The Whistler arts community will now begin to fine tune the project and plan its implementation.

Poverty Olympics Hosted in Vancouver, British Columbia

"WELCOME TO THE VANCOUVER OLYMPICS: BE CAREFUL NOT TO TRIP OVER THE POOR STREET PEOPLE BECAUSE $6 BILLION WAS NOT ENOUGH TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR THEM AS WELL AS HOST THE 2010 WINTER GAMES."

Jean Swanson and her gang deserve an award for trying to get Campbell's government and VANOC, The Vancouver Olympic Committee, to do something serious about the poverty in Vancouver's downtown Eastside community.

VANCOUVER POVERTY OLYMPICS
Some of the highlights were:Poverty-Line High Jump; Long Jump (over a bedbug infested mattress); Welfare Hurdles.

Poverty Olympic Mascots were:Itchy the Bedbug, Chewy the Rat and Creepy the Cockroach.

It isn't meant to be funny.

January 24, 2008 email print
Carnegie Theatre to stage Poverty Olympics
By Matthew Burrows

"Long-time antipoverty activist Jean Swanson told the Straight she “never really had any confidence or faith” in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.

So she is one of the organizers behind an Olympics-style event with a twist: the Poverty Olympics. Spectators can come to Carnegie Theatre (401 Main Street) and check out the poverty-line high jump, the welfare hurdles, and a “broad jump across a bedbug-infested mattress”. Swanson is a coordinator with the Carnegie Community Action Project, a sponsor of the event next Sunday (February 3), from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and she is also involved with the Raise the Rates Coalition.

“We want to be able to put some pressure on the government to do something about welfare, housing, and minimum wage,” Swanson said by phone. “It has been hard lately, not so much with housing, but there has not been much interest with the other things. So we thought we would do this.” Swanson promised to e-mail international media to “show the world coming to the Olympics what the real poverty situation in Vancouver is”.

CCAP community organizer Wendy Pedersen handed out Poverty Olympics posters at the Coal Harbour Community Centre on January 13, where she told the Straight that other organizations behind the event include the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House, Streams of Justice, and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.

Pedersen mentioned the Poverty Olympics when former Vancouver city planner Kris Olds lectured at SFU’s Harbour Centre campus on January 21 on housing rights.

Swanson quipped: “The Olympics are going to have mascots, so we are going to have mascots. They are not going to be made in China, and they are not going to be contortions of aboriginal stuff. We have Itchy, and you’ll have to come to find out the other two. Itchy is a bedbug.”

Swanson also had three quick requests for Premier Gordon Campbell: “Build thousands of units of housing, raise welfare rates, and end barriers to getting on welfare.”