The Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP) has been selected as a grant recipient by a B.C. consumer-based recycling program that not only diverts used tires from landfills but gives money back to community organizations that actually reuse the recycled tires.

To read the full article please click here. 

Vancouver, B.C. – Over half a million pounds of tires have been kept out of BC landfills thanks

to Tire Stewardship BC’s (TSBC) second round of Community Grants in 2011. For the fall

edition of the Community Grant Program, 29 BC communities and not-for-profit organizations

received a total $556,318 to be put towards using BC recycled crumb rubber in their various

community projects.

“This amounts to nearly 38,000 tires that were kept out of landfills and instead were recycled for

use in playgrounds, water parks and indoor and outdoor athletic facilities,” says TSBC Executive

Director Mike Hennessy. “In total, TSBC’s Community Grant Program recycled more than

680,000 pounds of rubber tires in 2011, benefiting the environment and helping to build BC’s

economy.”

For the fall edition of the Community Grant Program, TSBC raised its matched fund contribution

to $30,000 for the first time.

Funding for the Community Grant Program comes directly from the Advance Disposal Fee or

“eco-fee” that each retailer remits to TSBC for every new tire sold. These fees go directly

towards the operation of the BC-based scrap tire recycling program, including the transportation

and recycling of scrap tires to ensure they are disposed of in environmentally responsible ways,

such as recycling into rubber products.

Since the scrap tire recycling program was launched in 1991, more than 50 million vehicle tires

have been recycled in the province.

Applications of recycled BC rubber include:

• Playgrounds - Completely wheelchair accessible and provide safety by cushioning falls,

allowing people of all ages and abilities to participate fully and experience the joy of

physical activity and play.

• Sidewalks and Trails - Provides cushioning support that is more comfortable for

walking and jogging, is friendly to plant root systems and is water permeable. It is also

easily maintained and installed.

• Outdoor Fitness Parks - Rubber pavement cushions fitness station areas and provides

residents with easy access.

• Water Parks - Water permeability and a soft surface make BC recycled rubber an

excellent choice for spray parks and pools.

• Athletic tracks - Running tracks made from recycled rubber offer significant advantages

over other track surfaces, including reduced stress on a runner’s legs.

-more•

Synthetic Turf Fields – Sports fields that use particles of crumb rubber as infill material

increase the resiliency of the field. These fields are also cost efficient, low maintenance

and can be used in all weather conditions. The Synthetic Turf Council estimates that the

total amount of synthetic turf installed in North America conserves more than three billion

gallons of water each year.

Communities and organizations that received grants as part of the 2011 Fall Community Grant

Program:

YMCA-YWCA of the Central Okanagan (Kelowna); School District 28 (Quesnel); City of

Nanaimo; The Village of Cache Creek; District of Tumbler Ridge; City of Fort St John; School

District 20 (Rossland); City of Port Alberni (2 projects); Regional District of North Okanagan

(Vernon; 3 projects); District of Sechelt; District of Courtenay; City of Salmon Arm; Bench

Elementary (Cowichan Bay); City of Terrace; Whistler Adaptive Sports Program Society;

Vancouver Parks Board; District of North Vancouver Parks; Rotary Club of Campbell River;

Chesterfield Sports Society; Ladner Lawn Bowling Club; District of Mackenzie; City of

Greenwood, Village of Granisle; Family YMCA of Prince George; City of Coquitlam; Haida Gwaii

Fitness Association; City of Langford; City of Kelowna; Town of Creston.

Visit www.tirestewardshipbc.ca for more information.

- 30 -

Tire Stewardship BC (TSBC) is a not-for-profit society formed to accept responsibility for the provincial

scrap-tire recycling program. TSBC submitted its Stewardship Plan to the Ministry on August 17, 2006.

Ministry approval was received on September 19, 2006. On January 1, 2007 TSBC launched the new

scrap-tire recycling program replacing the government-run program that had been in place since 1991.

Reference:

Rebecca Peters

LBMG

604.637.6649 (direct)

604.762.2098 (mobile)

Rebecca@LBMG.ca

Many Olympic legacy initiatives are benefiting the village today but WASP has taken particularly large steps forward since the Paralympics and is expecting one of its biggest winter seasons to date.

The only thing better than a new winter season is a new board, or boards, to enjoy the new season.

That's the carrot that SHARE Whistler is dangling for the next six weeks: your choice of skis or most snowboards manufactured right here in Whistler by Prior. Six boards/pairs of skis will be given away.

Please click here to visit Pique Newsmagazine for the full article.

The Whistler Nordics are concerned by the lack of public input into a recent municipal decision to stop grooming trails on Nicklaus North Golf Course as a cost-cutting measure.

The decision will reduce the Lost Lake trail network from 30km to around 25km, and will change the way a lot of people access the trails. The Whistler Nordics also say the flat golf course trails are crucial for beginners, kids, families, adaptive skiers and others who have a difficult time with hills.

To read the full article please visit Pique Newsmagazine by clicking here.

ALPINE CANADA ALPIN

For Immediate Release

Français à venir sur www.canadaalpin.org

‘The Freedom Chair’ premieres at Banff film fest

Calgary, Alta. (November 2, 2011) – In 2004, Josh Dueck was a freestyle ski coach who loved being in the mountains so much he had the word freedom tattooed on his chest. 

When the then 23-year-old misjudged the speed of a jump at the Silver Star ski resort while helping prepare a course for national championships, onlookers knew the outcome would not be good.

“When I was in the air, they were already calling the ski patrol,” says Dueck.

Now an X Games gold medallist, Paralympic silver medallist and para-alpine downhill world champion (2009), Dueck’s relentless love for the sport of skiing is what inspired Whistler based producer/director Mike Douglas to create “The Freedom Chair,” which premieres at the Banff Mountain Film Festival on Wednesday.

The doctor who broke the news of his spinal-cord injury was the parent of one of the kids Dueck coached. “He said I was going to kick ass in a wheelchair and be back in the mountains riding a sit ski,” says Dueck. “Knowing I had an opportunity to go back to where I belong, it made it palatable, made it digestible.”

Only a year after the accident, Dueck set himself the goal of competing as a para-alpine athlete at the 2010 Paralympics in Whistler, B.C. He went on to win silver in slalom but didn’t stop there. In the documentary, Dueck takes on extreme backcountry powder slopes in Chatter Creek, B.C., on his monoski. 

“The wheelchair is like my pair of shoes, my sneakers…the monoski is my freedom chair,” explains the Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team veteran. 

“If you could ask him (Dueck) to describe what skiing is in one word, it’s freedom,” says Douglas who admits he had tears in his eyes while he was editing. “One of the most powerful things about the film is simply Josh himself, his ability to tell his own story. He’s probably the most courageous person I have worked with.”

Douglas’s production company, Switchback Entertainment, created the 15-minute short with the Banff Mountain Film Festival in mind.

“The Banff film festival is pretty much known as the most prestigious mountain film fest in the world. For us it was always a goal to have the film play there,” says Douglas. 

“It’s supposed to be an exciting, adventure film, yet evoke emotions and challenge people to find their passion in life, ” says Dueck, who plans to compete at the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games in 2014.

 “The Freedom Chair” premieres at the Banff Mountain Film Festival on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. as part of The Snow Show.

For more information http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/schedule.mvc

Watch the trailer http://vimeo.com/28602757

Follow Canada’s Alpine Ski Teams on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT ALPINE CANADA ALPIN

Alpine Canada Alpin is the national governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada. With the support of valued corporate partners along with the Government of Canada, Own The Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, world championship and World Cup medallists to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community. Please visit us at www.alpinecanada.org.

INFORMATION:

Bretton Davie

Manager, web content | Gestionnaire du contenu Web

Alpine Canada Alpin

#153, 401 – 9th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB  T2P 3C5

T  403.777.3651

C  403.437.0156

bdavie@alpinecanada.org

http://alpinecanada.org

It is that time of year again; time to start thinking about training for your front line staff.  Please see that attached invite to send all or some of your front line staff to learn everything there is to know about winter in Whistler.   

Free for you staff to attend with fantastic door prizes, complimentary drinks and snacks and this season we have opted to do go with the Trade Show portion on its own.

Please see the attached invite for more details.

 Resort Update Invite Winter 2011.pdf  

We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers, Cathie  

Cathie Coyle
COORDINATOR, VILLAGE HOST PROGRAM

RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER
4325 Blackcomb Way
Whistler, BC V0N 1B4
TEL (604) 935-8478
E-MAIL ccoyle@whistler.ca

FACEBOOK  Whistler Village Host

MUNICIPAL WEBSITE: www.whistler.ca
OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATES: www.whistler2010.com

Whistler was the proud Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.