Tag: AWARE

Creating Whistler’s Parks: Emerald Forest, the three-wayCreating Whistler’s Parks: Emerald Forest, the three-way

May 30, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Nancy Wilhelm-Morden made many important decisions for the Whistler community during her time as councillor and mayor. However, the accomplishment she is most proud of from this time is the protection of the Emerald Forest.

Emerald Forest is the 56.3 hectare (139 acre) protected area between Whistler Cay and Alpine. It is a significant habitat corridor for many of Whistler’s furry and feathered friends and is enjoyed by hikers and bikers.

Before 1972 when the BC Highways Department extended Alta Lake Road connecting Rainbow Lodge (now Rainbow Park) to Alpine, there was limited access to the area now known as the Emerald Forest. The extension of Alta Lake Road, along with the construction of the first section of the Valley Trail between Whistler Cay and Alpine, meant that the Emerald Forest Lands became more readily accessible to recreationists.

When mountain biking took off in the 1980s the local trail builders started what are today Whistler’s world-renowned mountain bike trails. Many of the earliest trails were built through the Emerald Forest despite it being privately owned land.

Dan Swanstrom scanning one of his trails in 1994. Dan was responsible for building many of the popular trails through the Emerald Forest. Whistler Question Collection.

The lot had been bought by Decigon Corporation in the late 1970s. As the area became more popular with mountain bikes, ‘no trespassing’ signs started to appear. There were additional challenges as well when a mountain biker broke their back in the early 1990s and brought a lawsuit against the landowners.

Decigon made multiple unsuccessful attempts at getting the land rezoned throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Then in 1996, the municipality increased the minimum parcel size of land with the Rural Resource 1 Zoning (RR1) from 20 acres to 100 acres. This meant that parcels zoned RR1 could be subdivided into 100 acres at minimum. Trying to maximise their return on investment, Decigon came forward with proposals to develop the land before this change came into effect.

Their preferred plan was for high-density development on a small section of the land. Forty single-family lots with a total of 240 bed units were proposed for 20 acres. Under this plan, the remaining undeveloped land would be protected as parkland, therefore retaining many of the bike trails. This would require rezoning of the land and the municipality was reluctant to approve the proposal because the number of bed units exceeded the development cap.

WORCA president Al Grey appeared in the Whistler Question in 1995, discussing etiquette and maintaining trail quality as more and more riders were getting into mountain biking. Whistler Question Collection.

Decigon’s alternative proposal involved subdividing the entire lot into 20 acre parcels for six single-family homes with 36 bed units. This fit within the RR1 zoning restrictions, however, would be a huge loss of established biking trails. Local community groups Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) and Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) were also very active in campaigning for the protection of the forest for the environment and recreation.

Between 1996 and 1999, Decigon, led by the Houghton brothers, was constantly in the media trying to garner support from the Whistler community and council. However, they could not come to an acceptable agreement with the council and Decigon became more and more outraged as the years passed. Most meetings were held in-camera – closed to the public – and rumours were swirling about an impending lawsuit against the municipality.

Then, in August 1999 it was finally announced that a deal had been made for the Emerald Forest lands. Unbeknownst to the community, Intrawest had been brought in as a third party to finally make the deal happen. In the three-way deal, Intrawest purchased the Emerald Forest lands from Decigon for an undisclosed sum. The municipality then paid Intrawest $1 million and gave them approval for an additional 476 bed units so they could develop two further hotels in the Benchlands, in exchange for the Emerald Forest.

There was some disappointment toward this agreement because it meant that Whistler would far exceed the development cap outlined in the Official Community Plan. However, the unique agreement succeeded in ensuring the Emerald Forest was protected in perpetuity.

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Whistler Wildfire History, 1919-1999Whistler Wildfire History, 1919-1999

July 2, 2016 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Last week the Whistler Museum was fortunate to participate in a community forum on wildfires organized by the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) and the Sea to Sky Clean Air Society. Officially titled “Our Future with Forest Fires – A Climate Action Symposium,” the event featured a series of expert speakers discussing various public health and safety concerns associated with wildfires, and how these concerns will evolve in the near future.

Topics discussed included the use of controlled burns to mitigate wildfire risk, the public health impacts of wildfire smoke (think back to last July), and the growing risk that wildfires pose to our neighbourhoods (and vice versa), and tourism economy.

claire ruddy wildfire
Just a few days after the community forum on wildfire hazards, A lightning storm sparked several small wildfires in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, including this one on the southwest slopes of Whistler Mountain. Photo: Claire Ruddy.

One especially eye-catching comment came from Whistler fire chief Geoff Playfair, who noted that, as the climate continues to change, our wildfire season is growing at an average rate of roughly 2 days per year. Having worked at the local fire department for 30 years now, Playfair corroborated that the wildfire season is roughly 2 months longer now than when he began his career.

Our contribution was a timelapse video showing the extent of wildfires in the Whistler area during the 20th century. The video was made using GIS data from the Whistler Forest History Project, a project that used aerial photographs, historical research and fieldwork, or “ground-truthing”  to build a remarkably comprehensive record of natural an human disturbances to Whistler’s natural landscape over the last century.

Here’s the video:

First of all, the video makes it clear that there have been lots of wildfires over the years, and a significant portion of our valley burned in the last century. As well, while it may seem that burns are becoming smaller and less severe. This may be true, but the number of fires has held fairly steady. Sure, we’re getting better at controlling and mitigating wildfires in our region, but that doesn’t mean that a large, devastating, and potentially dangerous wildfire in Whistler couldn’t happen again.

It should also be noted that this video only goes to 1999. Among the significant fires that have occurred in Whistler since then are at least 3 that occurred on the upper slopes of Blackcomb, imperilling ski-lift infrastructure. You can actually ride through several of these burnt forests today, serving as aesthetically pleasing but no less sobering reminders of the continued risk of wildfire.

bc-090730-cj-blackcomb-fire-plane-306
Water bombers fighting wildfire on Blackcomb Mountain, August 2009. Courtesy cbc.ca

All of this theoretical discussion was made all the more real when just a few days later, lightning strikes from an intense thunderstorm triggered multiple fires in the Whistler & Pemberton area. The largest fire, on the southwest slopes of Whistler Mountain, just outside the ski area, required aerial water bombing to get it under control before it became threatening to nearby developments and infrastructure.

To learn more about the risk of wildfires, and practical steps you can take to protect yourself, your property, and our community, please visit our local Firesmart website.

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Building AWAREness

Building AWAREnessBuilding AWAREness

September 2, 2013 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Great news for local green-minded folk. In the run up to their forthcoming 25th anniversary, local environmental group AWARE (Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment) has some exciting announcements to make.

As a recent AWARE release stated:

AWARE has traditionally been a volunteer-run organization and as such has faced the challenges shared by many similar organizations… Now on the eve of the 25th year the group is not only still going but has a fully active board of directors and has this month fulfilled a long-term aspiration of hiring an Executive Director.

Last month Claire Ruddy, who has long been involved on the AWARE board, was  hired as the new Executive Director. The board revival and new executive director means that leading into their 25th anniversary, AWARE is now able to take on and deliver more ambitious projects. As Claire Ruddy highlighted “this is a very exciting time to be a part of AWARE and with the 25th Anniversary year coming up we are trying to create lots of opportunities for people to get involved.”

Over the past 24 years AWARE has been a key player in the protection of wildlife habitat, education and awareness raising relating to the environment and sustainability as well as advocating for the environment.  Last year AWARE was able to expand the local debate around old forest logging in Whistler through holding an Old Forest Symposium with guest experts and a field trip to the Ancient Cedars.  A tree age study carried out by the group also found Whistlers oldest tree on record.  This year tree coring work continues and AWARE has started new projects such as starting a Zero Waste Station at the Whistler Farmers Markets to help educate around the issue of composting.

A recent AWARE gathering at the Ancient Cedars.
A recent AWARE gathering at the Ancient Cedars.

They have also been holding regular Green Talks at the Whistler Museum to promote awareness of pertinent environmental issues. Two upcoming events provide a great opportunity for interested individuals to learn more about the rejuvenated organization, its future direction, and the many ways to get involved.

First, on Wednesday  September 4th from 6-8pm a Green Talk will be held at the Whistler Museum, focusing on the presentation of AWARE’s new long-term strategic plan. 

Then, on Wednesday October 2nd, 6-8pm, again at the Whistler Museum, AWARE will be holding it’s annual general meeting, where new board members can be voted in and the group can continue to build its capacity.

If you can’t make the meeting but want more info please email info@awarewhistler.org.

 
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Green Talks, July 3rd: Is Waste Incineration in our Future?Green Talks, July 3rd: Is Waste Incineration in our Future?

July 2, 2013 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments
Is a waste-to-energy incineration plant, like this one in Burnaby, in the Sea-to-Sky's future?
Is a waste-to-energy incineration plant, like this one in Burnaby, in the Sea-to-Sky’s future?

Energy, waste, recycling, land-use planning, carbon emissions, air quality, climate change… The topic of producing electricity through burning our garbage touches on many of the key environmental issues of our time. Not surprisingly, it is also quite polarizing.

There is significant movement surrounding the potential of bringing a waste incineration plant to the Sea-to-Sky (click on the photo above to link through to a relevant newspaper article).

Should we embrace this as an opportunity to produce sustainable, quasi-renewable energy? Or should we fight like hell to protect the air we breathe? IPPs and asphalt plants have already proven that these are two hot-button concerns for our region. So naturally, one should be as informed as possible.

Come on down to the Whistler Museum on Wednesday, July 3rd for the latest installment of the bi-monthly Green Talks series, organized by AWARE. The FREE talk features local environmental professional Sue Maxwell, and promises to be important, informative, and most likely contentious as well. Afterwards, everyone is encouraged to join AWARE regulars for a round of Green Drinks at Black’s Pub.

When: Wednesday, July 3rd, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Where: Whistler Museum (4333 Main Street, behind the library)

How Much: FREE (donations to AWARE encouraged)

Why: Because it’s important!!!! 

Presenter’s Bio: Sue Maxwell is the principal of Ecoinspire. She holds an MA degree in Environment and Management from Royal Roads University with a thesis topic of Zero Waste, as well as a B. Sc. In collaboration with teams, she has developed the program plans for the first phase of the LightRecycle fluorescent lamp stewardship program and Unplugged, the small appliance recycling program and seen them through to program implementation on time and on budget. A thorough understanding of EPR in BC is complemented by knowledge of waste reduction programs and experience implementing recycling and composting programs within the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. She co-authored Closing the Loop –Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Creating Green Jobs Through Zero Waste in BC and recently she was part of a team with EBA developing a Zero Waste Strategy for the Resort Municipality of Whistler. She is a Whistler resident and has gained a solid understanding of the local solid waste system through volunteering on the Whistler 2020 Materials and Solid Waste Task Force, the Whistler Official Community Plan Community Advisory Group and the Squamish Lillooet Regional District Plan Monitoring Advisory Committee. Other volunteer roles have been on the Board of the Recycling Council of BC and its policy committee, and with various Zero Waste and sustainability projects. She has also taken courses in the Natural Step (Level I) and Community Based Social Marketing (basic and advanced).

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