Written in 2018 and kept as originally published. Ages, figures and references to “recent” events reflect that time.
Pique Newsletter – Letter to the Editor Link to Article
FIRE CONCERNS ON WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
by Lance Bright
Everywhere in the news these days is Vail Resort's purchase of Whistler Blackcomb and the exciting $66 million being spent on lift operations and upgrades. I hope and trust, however, that they are aware they have also purchased a highly flammable tinderbox.
Did Vail educate themselves about the logging that took place in the '60s and how that has manifested itself into a major fire hazard today? Did they ski off either side of the Olympic run or the Peak to Creek and see how dangerously dense and thick those logged areas have become, forests so congested you can no longer ski through them?
We can thank the taxpayer-funded study initiated by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), which identifies thousands of acres of high-risk forest within the valley, a significant portion of which is now under Vail's care, some of which is right up against the village and other high profile properties and neighborhoods.
To the credit of the RMOW, they have committed funds resulting in firebreaks and thinning, started FireSmart programs, and are engaging stakeholders. For some, though, it's not such a priority.
The harsh reality is that this fire danger is like a chain, and any weak link can fail the entire chain. Any positive efforts of the RMOW could be lost with a lack of effort on the part of another.
Vail is now a prominent link in that chain and would likely be one of the biggest losers if that chain should fail. Not only do they control much of this high-risk forest, but they continually cycle thousands of tourists through them every hour, at a time when B.C. has declared a state of emergency due to fires raging throughout our province.
As a former pilot, I can attest it is now harder, if not impossible, to bring water bombers into Fitzsimmons Valley because of the zipline and the Peak 2 Peak—the smoke now makes it nearly impossible to fly in the valley.
Is the reservoir in that valley capable of handling continual helicopter scooping? The main reason both recent fires in West Vancouver and on Green Lake were extinguished so quickly was their immediate proximity to lakes and scooping was easy.
I realize that in the event of a major fire, Vail Resorts would likely not feel the same extent of pain as the citizens and businesses of Whistler, as their business model of selling Epic Passes to customers all over the world means those skiers can simply choose to go to some other resort. The company would, however, be left to deal with negative backlash here if forests under their control, and the activity within, was the culprit.
Speaking as a citizen and business owner in Whistler, I would be encouraged if Vail would let us know what their mitigation plan is regarding the high-risk forests in their care and what their thinning programs are.
A ski run, after all, would be a perfect fire break if used and treated as such.
Lance Bright
Whistler
Originally published September 17, 2018 on lancebright.com.