Condolences
On behalf of Council and the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Mayor J. Crompton shared condolences with the family, friends and Whistler Transit co-workers of Michael Gallup. Michael started with Whistler Transit in 2017 and was only 57 years young. He will be fondly remembered as Blue Beard.
One Year with COVID-19
Thursday, March 11 marked one year since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic. It had been a difficult and challenging year for all of us. Over the past year, the municipality, businesses, and community members have pivoted and responded in creative and flexible ways to each and every challenge this pandemic has presented. It hasn’t been easy. We are a resilient community. We have learned to share and show warmth from behind a mask, through plexiglass, and support one another while staying apart. The Mayor expressed sincerest gratitude to all staff that have worked so hard this year, and business owners who have worked tirelessly to stay open and to continue to support our community. As we enter the second year of this global pandemic, remember that there are brighter days ahead.
Transit Driver Appreciation Day
On March 18, Whistler will join communities throughout BC and North America to show our appreciation for our local transit drivers for Transit Driver Appreciation Day. During these challenging times, our transit drivers have showed up every day and supported our community by getting us to work, to school, to our appointments and safely home. Community members are invited to share their appreciation for our Whistler drivers by sending kudos via the BC Transit website at www.bctransit.com/contact.
Whistler Trails
The Resort Municipality of Whistler has launched a multi-year process to develop a Recreation Trails Strategy and wants to hear from the community on a range of trail-related topics as part of its first round of engagement. The Mayor encourages everyone who uses Whistler’s extensive trail network to add their voice to this first-step in developing the Recreation Trails Strategy – whether you use the trails for biking, hiking, running or trials bikes. The survey is open until March 31. Visit www.whistler.ca/trailstrategy for more information and to complete the survey.
Poet’s Pause Competition
The Poet’s Pause competition is open for submissions until April 1. Everyone who enjoys writing is encouraged to submit original, unpublished poems. The winning poems will be displayed at the Poet’s Pause sculpture sites in Alta Lake Park: at the large metal chimes and the giant Adirondack chairs at the north and south ends of the park. Winning poems will also be read at the Council meeting in April as part of National Poetry Month, and the winning poets will receive two hundred dollars each. Read more at www.whistler.ca/poetrycompetition.
Spring Recreation
Registration is now open to Whistler residents for municipal spring recreation programs and summer camps. Registration can be done online or by phone. There is no in-person registration at Meadow Park Sports Centre. Individuals who aren’t Whistler residents can register beginning March 20. Find out more at www.whistler.ca/register.
Community Life Survey
The Resort Municipality of Whistler is launching our annual Community Life Survey on March 29. The phone survey of 300 permanent and 200 part-time residents will run until April 19. It’s being conducted by Forum Research Inc. If you receive a call, please spend 12 to 15 minutes to answer the survey questions. New for this year, all residents can sign up for the online survey, and it will be sent directly to your email inbox. We hope that this new convenient option will allow us to receive a wider range of responses from the community. The online survey runs from April 19 to May 10, and you can sign up to receive it directly to your email inbox until April 19. The survey is an important way for you to provide feedback to Council and staff and to help inform our decision-making. Learn more at www.whistler.ca/surveys.
Councillor Jewett's Arts Update
Whistler and Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) have partnered with Arts Whistler in a campaign to raise awareness and funds for Mental Health. Artist Aurora Moore has designed a pin to show your support. Individuals and businesses are asked to go to ArtsWhistler.com to order “Reach Out” pins. Councillor Jewett has already placed an order and added a donation. Reach out to WCSS Outreach, they are there at no cost.
Teeny Tiny Art Show is on now at the Maury Young Arts Centre. Hundreds of tiny pieces of art are available for viewing and for purchase.
Lifting the Community is an art project that brings retired Cat Skinner chairs to new life as works of art and will be auctioned later this year. You can follow them on Instagram and Facebook at the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation. Congrats to Whistler Blackcomb Foundation for a successful telethon this weekend.
At the Audain, Tuesday Night Talks are now over. Visiting artist Rebecca Belmore's show 'RESERVOIR' is still up, and their permanent collection is constantly getting rotated so please go for a visit.
The Audain's fundraiser, Illuminate, will take place April 24 and you can register at https://www.audaingala.com/.
The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) continues to 'bring home the bannock' every Friday. Preorder for takeout or delivery.
The SLCC has reopened. We live work and play on the unceded territories of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations. Learn more about land acknowledgements at SLCC.ca
The SLCC and Audain Art Museum are open Thursday through Sunday.
At the Whistler Museum “Land of Thundering Snow” avalanche exhibit in on.
Please consider renewing your cultural and arts memberships, your patronage is now needed more than ever during COVID.
Councillor Grills' Sports Update
Councillor Grills noted how well our local Whistler athletes have been performing this year. Lately there has been a focus on skier cross, alpine skiing, and the luge. However, Councillor Grills wanted to highlight Beck Warm, a local hockey player who recently signed an NHL entry-level contract, a big moment for all local hockey players.
Added Praise from Mayor J. Crompton
Mayor J. Crompton wanted to add a thank-you to doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, WCSS staff, cleaners at the clinic, and everyone that helped serve the community as it relates to COVID. This week, seniors aged 80-and-over indigenous and community members aged 65-and-over in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor will be receiving their first vaccines.
Late last week Vancouver Coastal Health informed the municipality they will be vaccinating everyone living in staff housing and high-density shared housing, a segment of the population that has seen the highest rate of COVID transmissions. This is extraordinarily good news for our community, everyone is thankful.