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Articles by Rebecca Aldous
WB makes plans for traffic and housing as part of Renaissance project
The president of Whistler Blackcomb says he wonders what the reaction to the mountain’s $345 million facelift would have been if officials announced it last ski season. “Weather has a significant impact on our success,” Dave Brownlie said, recalling the snowless months in the 2014-15 winter.
Sympathy for the Red Devils
While the dinner and dance is going to be a blast, it’s not the type of fundraiser Garth Phare is excited about having to organize. The long-time Pemberton resident and community coach is coming to the aid of Pemberton Secondary School’s athletic programs. The Red Devils Alumni Association is organizing a golf tournament and night of entertainment to make sure expenses don’t prohibit students from joining teams.
Avalanche highlights the importance of being prepared
Within five seconds, snow can be travelling at a speed of up to 130 kilometres per hour. If buried beneath it, the average person has about 28 minutes before they suffocate. When it comes to avalanches every second counts, Pemberton Search and Rescue (SAR) manager David Steers said. article continues below Trending Stories “And even when the stars align, there are delays every step of the way,” he said, regarding emergency response times.
LETTER: The Squamish Spit — the bigger picture
There is a lot of misunderstanding swirling around the kiteboarding community’s push to maintain Squamish’s access to a world-class windsport destination at the Spit. While some people may debate the concept of removing a kilometre of the Squamish Spit’s southern tip, the kiting community does not. We support the project’s objective to open up the estuary to the Squamish River.
Access to Canada's premier kiteboarding destination under threat
Canada is on the brink of losing a world-class recreational amenity, which serves as a training ground for Olympians while attracting athletes and tourists from around the globe. Two years ago, West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones stood on the southern tip of Squamish's training dike for a big announcement. She handed over a $1.5 million cheque to the Squamish River Watershed Society (SRWS).
KiteClash 2018
Held at the world-renowned Squamish Spit, KiteClash is Canada’s largest kiteboarding competition. With more than 70 athletes, KiteClash attracts some of the biggest names in the sport.
Wind riders
Hints to Jordan Tulk’s passion can be spotted when his eyes wander to the fluttering leaves outside his classroom’s window at Don Ross Secondary School. Then there’s his cell phone, with one page permanently open to the Squamish Windsports Society’s wind chart. “I once got my phone taken away in school when I was checking the wind,” the 14-year-old sheepishly admits.
Wind riders from around the world to compete in KiteClash this weekend
Hints to Jordan Tulk’s passion can be spotted when his eyes wander to the fluttering leaves outside his classroom’s window at Don Ross Secondary School. Then there’s his cell phone, with one page permanently open to the Squamish Windsports Society’s wind chart. “I once got my phone taken away in school when I was checking the wind,” the 14-year-old sheepishly admits.
Wind riders
Hints to Jordan Tulk’s passion can be spotted when his eyes wander to the fluttering leaves outside his classroom’s window at Don Ross Secondary School. Then there’s his cell phone, with one page permanently open to the Squamish Windsports Society’s wind chart. “I once got my phone taken away in school when I was checking the wind,” the 14-year-old sheepishly admits.
Mindful | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
After slamming her head against the frame of her car and sustaining a concussion in March 2015, Natasha Perrault left the hospital with a piece of paper outlining danger signs to watch for that would require a return to the emergency department: seizures, worsening headache, and repeated vomiting among them. She also assumed it wouldn't be long before she'd be back to normal. "I was hoping it was only going to be two weeks, but it got worse and worse," Perrault says. "I was a mess.
The spearhead's new era | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
Since the first gondolas began spinning out of the wooden shack at the base of Whistler Mountain at Creekside Village in 1966, local skiers have been looking for the next horizon. Longer runs. Steeper lines. First descents from the top of prominent peaks. The alpine area of Whistler mountain was true tiger country in the early days, accessed only by zealous skiers shouldering their equipment and hiking into the unknown.
Sea to Sky High | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
When you walk into Grass Roots Medicinal in Squamish you only get access to the waiting room. There, a small counter offers bongs and other glassware for sale. All the good stuff — the grass the store gets its name from — is locked up behind a second door, out of reach. To get there, you have to sign up to become a member, which means providing some proof of an ailment that cannibis might help you with.
The JP Memorial | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
When JP Auclair and Andreas Fransson disappeared in an avalanche in South America in 2014 — along with the trauma into which it threw family and friends — came the single biggest blow yet to a freeskiing community still reeling from years of high-profile losses: Sarah Burke, Shane McConkey, Doug Coombs and other notables had all gone down within a decade, and losing two luminaries at the same time seemed particularly cruel, albeit entirely fathomable given the circumstance.
Whistler: Betcha can't do it all | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
What to do, what to do? You're in Whistler. You've got some time. Not a lot. But you're here so why not make the most of it? There's a really good chance you're here to ski or snowboard, probably party, definitely eat and drink. You might have come for the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF). Good move on your part. But is that it? Really? You've barely scratched the surface. Even the spring-almost-shoulder-season surface. That's OK. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Passing on the passion
For Linnea Uunila, winter means cross-country skiing. It’s a tough sport, requiring stamina and strength, the 14-year-old says, but most of all it’s fun. “I love the atmosphere in cross-country skiing,” says Uunila, who currently trains with the Hollyburn Cross Country Ski Club. Uunila is no stranger to the sport. Last winter she raked in multiple top 10 results by the end of the season. She also represented the Vancouver Coastal Zone in cross-country skiing at the Winter Games.
Above and beyond | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
The invite email for the Summit Series said to check in by 4 p.m. but it's 3:45 p.m. and I'm still roughly half an hour away according to my phone's map. It's hard to keep my eyes on the road because I'm passing incredible possibilities for untouched powder lines as I weave through Utah's Ogden Canyon. I had to make an emergency pitstop at Wal-Mart after the timely realization that I never took my underlayers out of the dryer. At least the lightbulb went off before I got to the hill.
On the grid | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
Like a cluster of stars that fall at the base of the mountains, the resort town of Whistler shines defiantly through the darkness of Canada's long winter nights. While the surrounding wilderness is frozen in silence, the resort continues to buzz with energy through the cold months with myriad events held long after the sun descends behind the peaks. Amid all the excitement, it's no surprise that energy usage increases each winter to run the constant activity.
Sleeping through the dream | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
On any given night, some dozen or more RVs and camper vans are huddled under the sentry lights in Whistler’s day lots. Even more are stashed up logging roads or snuggled for the winter into local driveways. Housing takes many shapes and forms in Whistler, and this photo essay is but an impression of a small slice — an attempt to see the macrocosm in the microcosm, and to take a reflective glimpse into a persistent housing crisis that spans from Whistler to the Lower Mainland.
Entering the ring
Jamey-Lyn Horth has barely sat down before she jumps into her story. “I’m like a squirrel,” she confesses. “Over here, over there, I’m always on the go.” It’s no surprise. This 26-year-old plays striker for team Impact in the Metro Women Soccer League while also charging up the rankings in mixed martial arts (MMA). On top of that, there’s her full-time job at Squamish’s Sports Source, coaching youth soccer games and the two- to three-hour sessions at the gym every day.
Survival of the fittest | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
Just like Franz Wilhelmsen, who was passionate about Whistler and hiked the mountain on weekends in the early 1960s, Swiss industrialist Johann Heinrich was infatuated by the crisp, clean mountain air of the Engadin valley region in the eastern Swiss Alps when he trekked through in 1834. And the appeal of the mountains gained momentum in 1865 when doctors in England and Germany sent their tuberculosis patients to the Alps.
Sea to Sky entrepreneur faces the Dragons
Nicolette Richer hoped to win over dragons with a vegetarian spread. To see whether she returned from the experience unscathed, well you’ll have to tune onto CBC’s Drag’s Den on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The owner of The Green Moustache Organic Juice and Live Food Bar restaurant chain faced off with the fiery panel in the entrepreneur’s hot-seat television series in April. And Richer’s not giving away the ending.
Squamish comes together in an education program following First Nation teaching
It’s 9 a.m. and there’s a hush in Stawamus Elementary. At the end of the hall, in the T’Kaya class (the Skwxwu7mesh word for wolf), nine-year-old Talise Chapelle has rung the chime to get the Grade 4 to 6s’ attention. Today she’s stepping into the role of class instructor. With the help of her teacher, Naomi Radawiec, Chapelle created an itinerary and lessons for her big day. “I am nervous and excited,” she openly admits as the class gathers round.
Best of Whistler 2016: Media, arts and culture | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
Whistler is still reeling from the loss of painter, DJ and filmmaker Chili Thom, who passed away after a yearlong fight against cancer on Nov. 30. Voted the resort's Best Artist for 14 years in a row, Thom's landscapes and seascapes are much loved — and a retrospective of his work is planned for the Audain Art Museum in June 2017.
Best of Whistler 2016: Sports and recreation | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
Whistler's king of summer reigned supreme again in 2016. The 25-year-old slopestyle superstar may have had a slightly down year by his lofty standards, namely suffering a 14th-place finish at Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx. However, he bookended the season with wins in Rotorua, New Zealand and at Red Bull Rampage in California, and his no-holds-barred approach to riding has helped win him fans the world over.
A new beginning? | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
The long-anticipated powder has overtaken Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. From the community below, the line of snow accumulation has been gradually descending the slopes as temperatures drop, invigorating locals and tourists alike in the annual excitement that marks each ski season. This season brings a major difference with the recent sale of Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. (WB) to Vail Resorts.
The Ice Guys | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
There are only a couple hundred sliding-track workers on the entire planet and they are entrusted with the safety of bobsleigh, luge and skeleton athletes travelling speeds over 140 kilometres per hour. Pique took a behind-the-scenes look at the Whistler Sliding Centre ice crew earlier this season as the workers aimed to create the best sheet on the IBSF and FIL World Cup circuits. In any number of sports, the people who create the playing surface are often forgotten.
Downtown Squamish is quickly growing - and changing
Jack Cutler plants the palms of his hands firmly on the top of the display counter. “The only thing you are going to be able to recognize Squamish from is the Chief and Garibaldi,” he says pointing out the front door of the Mini Flea Market on Cleveland Avenue. “But I’m not going anywhere. This is a family business.
Desperately seeking Vertbag | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
Like Keyser Söze from The Usual Suspects or The Stig from Top Gear, last winter Whistler had its own mysterious, elusive character: Vertbag. Vertbag was the undisputed champion of last season, blitzing the mountain's inaugural vertical competition. In five months, the anonymous skier set an unofficial world record, racking up over two million vertical metres (six million feet) and riding nearly 4,000 lifts.
Beyond the plate
Krystle tenBrink and Michalina Hunter are biting into a massive undertaking. Backed by a $50,000 BC Real Estate Foundation grant and with support from the Vancouver Coastal Health Smart Fund, the Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN) director and president, respectively, are examining how to weave food policy into the fabric of the community.
Dynamic duo opens door to Squamish artisans
Marissa van der Horst has her own DIY YouTube channel. With her focus turning to bath bombs, she’s creating a whole line of personal care products, from candles to bath salts. It’s a line she intends to showcase in a shop she’s opening this coming Saturday (Nov. 12). Oh, and by the way, Marissa is 11 years old. “I was really inspired by a lot of different YouTube videos,” she says of what originally took her down this path.
Pique Halloween Stories | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
As Schubert approached the house, he was, oddly, jarred by its normalcy. It was smack-dab in the middle of a perfectly quiet street, up a slight hill and around a couple of lazy curves from the highway, painted a modest earthy brown to almost camouflage it in its forested surroundings. And strange things had been happening there. As a renowned paranormal investigator, Schubert was shocked to receive a call at his Belgian office beckoning him to Whistler.
Squamish’s roads less travelled
When it comes to the road less travelled, Squamish is full of them. For more than a decade, Squamish resident Derek Jarman has gone up or down these roads, exploring the outreaches of the Sea to Sky Corridor. “I like the comradery with the other members, the challenge of pushing the truck to its limits, but for me the best part about it is being able to see so many parts of the province that you wouldn’t be able to access driving a car,” Jarman said of his love of four-by-fouring.
On thin ice | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
The photos of the first complete circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island by Jon Turk and Erik Boomer don't show the true picture. Those freeze-frame moments of the glass-like Arctic ocean with the azure backdrop were captured as circumstances permitted, and not when the two kayakers were trying to make their way through the narrow bottleneck of rumbling, grinding, smashing ice between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.
The parking ‘elephant’ in downtown
Squamish’s other leaders seem to be ignoring an elephant in the room, says Coun. Ted Prior. Since being back from summer break, District of Squamish officials have sat through meeting after meeting outlining new downtown development proposals. “Basically there are 1,000 units proposed for downtown,” Prior said in an interview with The Squamish Chief.
Sweet 15: The Whistler Writers Festival grows up | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
Over 1,200 tickets have been sold, 61 writers are raring to go, and organizers are crossing out the final items on a long, long to-do list. The Whistler Writers Festival (WWF) returns for its 15th year and with its unique two-part approach in serving both readers and writers with events, readings and workshops, it has brought authors and their works to the public's attention and supported both established and wanna-be writers in the development of their craft.
Sharp shooters
The sign over the door to a room stuffed with bows and rubber deer heads reads “no snivelling.” And tonight not a single snivel can be heard, although there is the occasional whine. “Did you see that? I was so close,” a young boy says to a gaggle of his pre-teen friends, pointing to his arrow just shy of a bullseye. It’s Friday night and that means family night for the Squamish Valley Rod & Gun Club’s archery division.
Howe Sound Women’s Centre hunts for longer-term housing
As Clasina van Bemmel prepared to cut into the Howe Sound Women Centre’s 35th anniversary cake, she couldn’t help but reflect on her own life. Friday, Oct. 7, also marked the philanthropist’s 72nd birthday. Like most of the members at the women’s centre, van Bemmel has seen society take strides toward equality. As a teenager in a village south of Munich, Germany, the police did nothing but casually question her father after she reported that he’d beaten her.
Long-time gelato shop closes
After more than 12 years, Karina and Gregory Fischer are gearing up to scoop their last gelato. “We opened up when half of Cleveland Avenue was shut down,” Gregory says. “The windows in the storefronts were just full of paper,” Karina adds. The owners of the Bistro & Gelato Carina have been active proponents of downtown Squamish’s revitalization since first opening the doors to their café.
Black bear charges at couple
A Squamish couple is lucky to get away with a few scratches after a bear charged at them Thursday night, says a conservation officer. On Oct. 6, just before 8 p.m., a man and woman were sitting by a side door to their house in Garibaldi Estates when a medium-sized black bear rounded the corner from the backyard. The bear, which was not tagged, ran at the couple and hissed at them, said Sgt. Simon Gravel, who works for the Sea to Sky Corridor’s conservation service.
Lifeline | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
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For Whistler Search and Rescue (WSAR), there are missions that make headlines: the case of hiker Tyler Wright, for example, who set out on a rugged 50-kilometre journey from Squamish to Coquitlam in 2010 and sadly never returned; or Christine Newman, who was near death after falling down a tree well during a snowshoeing trek in Garibaldi Park in 2014 and whose story had a miraculously happy ending.
By Gail Johnson Verified, Nicola Jones Verified, Vince Shuley, Phillip Vannini, Jonathan Taggart, Rebecca Aldous
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Pique NewsMagazine
Verified
Touching the sky
A world map is pinned to the wall of his apartment. It’s covered with marks – dots indicating where four-time British kiteboarding champion Lewis Crathern has kited. South Africa, China, Morocco – the list of exotic countries goes on. Then there are the points where Crathern wants to kite. Canada sat in his “to-do” category for a long time, beckoning him with every glance at the poster.
Let the Clash begin
While Whistlerites are accustomed to shredding the slopes, it’s time for them to shred the water. The fourth annual Kite Clash is hitting the Sea to Sky Corridor from Friday, (Aug. 26) to Sunday (Aug. 28). The Canadian national freestyle championships attracts big names in the sport from around the world. “The key for me is making it a better event every year,” Kite Clash founder Steve Tulk said. Like many kiteboarders, Tulk’s introduction to a board started on snow. He moved to Whistler in 1989.
Sightings in the sky | Feature Story | Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA
The existence of humankind — at its most basic level — consists of clinging to a big blue ball in the middle of a vast dark void with very little understanding in regards to what it all means. As we look to define it, the only respite our species has at grasping the nature of existence is science, which has lead to some game-changing breakthroughs in the last century.
Out of the darkness
The professor babbles on about fiscal financing. Susan Chapelle can’t focus. She sits at a desk in the middle of the room, her deep, dark-brown eyes fixated on her laptop. The sentences streaming out from the Simon Fraser University instructor join the storm of words swirling in her mind; snippets of a radio interview the Squamish councillor heard that morning.
Woman identified in Stawamus Chief tragedy
Police have identified the woman who died after falling from the Stawamus Chief last weekend. As of press time Wednesday (Aug. 7), Squamish RCMP Sgt. Wayne Pride said police had put a name to the woman who fell from a lookout above a rock feature called the Black Dyke. However, police would not release the name until the victim's family was informed. "We are confident that we have identified the lady, but we have to be 100 per cent sure," Pride said.
Squamish gets rocked
"Say it ain't so," sang headliners Weezer and thousands of concert goers at the 2011 Live at Squamish music festival on Sunday (Aug. 21). It seemed an appropriate way to end the two-day event. Close to 8,000 fans were rocking out and singing along but the time to party at the second annual event was dwindling. Say it ain't so, indeed. The group played a mixture of old favourites and new hits to close the festival and frontman Rivers Cuomo got up close and personal with the fans several times.
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