Does anyone really care?

The process of Sun Peaks becoming the first Mountain Resort Municipality in British Columbia was a difficult road filled with study committees, municipal consultants, provincial ministries, First Nations consultation and of course local public meetings and input from the community.
It seems leading up to incorporation, many residents and businesses voiced concern about the new municipality [...]

Are humans slow learners?

Mankind has been dealing with forest fires and wild beasts since we got up off all fours a millennia ago but has the passage of time really taught us much? Listen to the news and you’ll hear about devastating wildfires around the globe this summer. Moscow recording the highesttemperature reading in 140 years of [...]

A breath of fresh air

In the year leading up to Sun Peaks Resort becoming Canada’s first Mountain Resort Municipality, speculations were rampant. Will council raise property taxes through the roof? What role will Sun Peaks Resort Corp play? Will the politicians that get elected immediately raise their pay like some other local councils have?
Well the ink is now dry; [...]

Autonomy at last

It’s with great pleasure that I welcome the new mayor and council of Sun Peaks Resort to the pages of SPIN Newsmagazine.
While the tasks ahead for this group may seem daunting to some, I know the experience and history of this newly elected body will put this community in good standing for our future growth.
The [...]

New horizons

Back in the mid-80’s when I first visited Tod Mountain (now Sun Peaks) to attend the first Velocity Challenge speed skiing race, little did I know that this out of the way, off the map day ski area would not only one day become my home and place of business, but would also one day [...]

Learning the hard way

As a lifelong skier, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with many that live, eat and breathe backcountry recreation. They are helicopter skiing guides, Cat skiing guides, backcountry touring guides and avid snowmobilers and most of them make their living keeping people like me safe and alive while enjoying our recreational backcountry [...]

Protesting the protesters

Like all Canadians, I love this country. One of the most fundamental reasons is the freedom of speech that we all enjoy, living in this great democracy called Canada.
While this freedom is available to all Canadians to use for whatever purpose they see fit, I feel the need to address a certain segment of our [...]

Let’s make informed decisions

By the time many of you cast your eyes on this issue of SPIN Newsmagazine a historical event in Sun Peaks Resort will have already taken place, with eligible voters casting their ballots in a referendum on the question “Should Sun Peaks Resort become the first mountain resort municipality in British Columbia?”
While I sit writing [...]

Make your vote count

On Dec. 4 the Minister of Community and Rural Development put the future of local governance in Sun Peaks Resort into the hands of eligible voters who live or own property within the resort community. On Jan. 30, 2010 voters will decide on being governed by a locally elected mayor and council or to continue [...]

Little ski hill all grown up

It was a cold, clear bluebird day on Jan. 1, 1989 as I headed over the Duffy Lake Road for a winter away from the “Whistler” scene. I had loaded my 1972 Toyota Corolla with all my ski gear and worldly possessions and headed for Tod Mountain. Little did I know, but this barely used, [...]

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