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Peter Gibson ~ 30 Years on Mount Washington A3 WINTER/SPRING Marmot Released in Strathcona Provincial Park A10 2007/2008 2008 Mount Washington Special Events B1 Volume 18, #1 2007 Mount Washington Accommodation Guide B2 milehigh.ca MILE HIGH NEWS ON MOUNT WASHINGTON Marketing Mount Washington... A Bright Future Ahead! Photo: Neil Havers After years of careful planning, Mount Washington has its Win Win Partnership for Vancouver own Resort Association. The Association, doing business as Tourism Mount Washington, will promote, facilitate and encourage Island Mountain Sport Society the development, maintenance and operation of Mount Washington The Vancouver Island Mountain Biathlon and Nordic trails were outfitted Alpine Resort and association members. Sport Society has signed an historic with lights. The most important objective partnership with PacificSport that now will be raising the funds necessary to The woman in charge of Tourism Washington is starting from the beginning, VIMSS Chair Rick Morson hopes will build the centre, he said. Mount Washington is Sarah Nicholson, “we’re following a tried and true model,” result in a Regional Sports Centre at The Mountain Sports Centre will cost an experienced marketing strategist based she added. The purpose behind Tourism Mount Washington. approximately $1.5 million to complete, in the Comox Valley. Nicholson was run- Mount Washington will be to co-ordinate Morson said. continued on page 10 ning her own marketing consultancy the common interests of all property “I think it’s really important for secur- business when the new job came up at owners, businesses and stakeholders and ing the funding and sponsorship for Mount Washington. to promote their “all-season” alpine building the Sports Centre,” Morson said Her first two months on the job were resort, Nicholson said. “This alone is a of partnering with PacificSport. spent researching similar resort associa- key benefit to…stakeholders who operate The partnership is the sec- tions and liaising with other organizations on small budgets and who lack the time, ond phase of the Mountain that already exist at Mount Washington. resource and expertise to effectively mar- Sports Centre development, Although it seems like Tourism Mount ket their products to their full potential.” Morson said. The first phase continued on page 11 was completed earlier this year when portions of the Published for your convenience by RICK GIBSON of Royal LePage in the Comox Valley • www.rickgibson.ca • [email protected] If you are looking for more information, wish to advertise, or to submit information for future issues please contact us at 250-334-3124. A2 THE MOUNT WASHINGTON MARMOT • WINTER 2007~SPRING 2008 the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. News In Brief Forsyth participated in Alpine Canada’s Elusive Sasquatch Encompassing people, places and spring camp in Whistler in June, and it Caught on Film! happenings at Mount Washington. looked like all systems go. Then, five days For the first time ever, Sasquatch has before the start of the 2007-08 World been captured on film by a faithful Cup season, her knee flared up, forcing The Whiskey Jack Cafeteria received an Marmot reader. her to miss the 2008 season. $80,000 conference-ready makeover. "It's been hard, a harsh thing to deal The shot, which the reader has willing- New stunts, rails and fun boxes have with," Forsyth said from her Calgary ly shared with The Marmot, is the clearest been added to the Stomping Ground home. Forsyth, who has been told by sur- shot our editorial staff has ever seen. Terrain Park for the 2007-08 season. geons they are concerned about her abili- The witness, who asked to remain nameless, said he “heard a weird barking Extensive new glades have been created ty to function in everyday life with the sound” before the Sasquatch broke out of on the front side of the mountain, adja- current state of her knee. She will meet the trees. The witness had participated in cent to the Hawk 6 Pack Chair. with a specialist in Ontario to discuss a procedure known as an osteotomy. a Sasquatch calling course held last year Mount Washington will host the B.C. Forsyth is not just battling injury, she by the Search for Sasquatch Society, Freestyle Skiing Championships, March is also helping in the battle against breast which is why he recognized the sound. 27-30, 2008. cancer. She has launched her own web- Besides footprints, naturalists have never Mount Washington Alpine Resort and site, www.pinkhelmet.ca, to raise aware- found any proof of Sasquatch at Mount Invest Comox Valley have teamed up Washington. Photographer MIA ness about inflammatory breast cancer, Hair samples from the trees within the vicinity to bolster the Resort’s labour which her mother died of last April. In other Sasquatch news, a documen- tarian in Alberta claims he has discovered of this sighting have been sent away for DNA force. Invest Comox Valley analysis.www.rickgibson.ca Unfortunately results were inconclusive. has helped the Resort The plan to save the a “Bigfoot domicile” or “sylvanic”. In a develop a strategy to Vancouver Island Marmot CanWest News Service article, Todd attract skilled workers to from extinction received a Standing said he originally began study- THE INSIDE the region. $133,000 boost from the ing Bigfoot to debunk the creature as a For example, says Invest Province in October. The myth, but instead has become a believer. SCOOP Comox Valley’s Marketing money will go towards captive Standing has not publicly revealed and Communications Manager breeding programs spearheaded by where he studied the Sasquatches, saying A4 • New Vision for Development Lara Greasley, ski instructors are the Marmot Recovery Foundation. he is afraid other humans will hunt them A5 • Night Skiing for Winter 2008 down. Standing is collecting signatures • Summer 2007 In Review available for immigration attraction sta- Our Sasquatch and Marmot are now for a petition he intends to introduce at tus. This is just one phase of a larger Olympic Mascots. The Sasquatch will be A6 • Comox Valley Shop & Dine the House of Commons in Ottawa. He labour force strategy being developed for known as “Quatchi”, and the Marmot’s A10 • Marmots Released in Strathcona Park wants the Federal Government to vote on the Valley. name is “Mukmuk”. We’re pleased the A12 • Mount Washington Real Estate Guide specie protection for bigfoot. world will now enjoy them as we do. B1 • Exclusive! Mount Washington Accommodations & Events Guide B2 • Strathcona Nordics Olympic Prospects Published for your convenience by Rick Gibson www.milehigh.ca • Olympics Update of Royal LePage in the Comox Valley. B3 • Alpine Olympic Prospects If you are looking for more information, wish to advertise, or want to submit information • Vancouver Island Riders Growing for future issues contact us at [email protected] B4 • 2008 Winter Accommodations Guide B6 • Mount Washington Alpine Map Olympic skier Allison Forsyth, who grew Editorial: Susan Quinn Design/Production: Havers Design B7 • Mount Washington Nordic Map up skiing at Mount Washington, contin- Sales/Distribution: Wendy Woodley Other Enquiries: [email protected] ues to struggle with her recovery after Ph. 250-897-3678 E-Mail: [email protected] B8 • Mount Washington Village Map blowing out her knee in a practice run for HIGHLANDER 2008 It’s Good to be Here OFFICIAL VEHICLE SUPPLIER TO MOUNT WASHINGTON Toll Free: 1-800-915-9168 • 150 Mansfield Drive, Courtenay, BC 250-338-6761 • www.courtenaytoyota.com www.toyota.ca THE MOUNT WASHINGTON MARMOT • WINTER 2007~SPRING 2008 A3 Peter Gibson In Profile... 30 Years on Mount Washington Peter Gibson grew up a Director of Skiing in 1979, Guest Services Manager in 1989, Resort Services hockey player in Cranbrook, BC. This 20th century When his family was considering a Director in 1994, General Manager in photograph shows Peter move to the Comox Valley in 1960, where 1999 and his present title since 2001. He Gibson with one of his his father, a doctor, was offered a job as also spent four off-seasons teaching in many ski school classes. the Director of the Upper Island Health Tasmania. But he really began his career Allison Forsyth, who later went on to be an Unit, the wiry centre discovered to his with the late Herb Bradley’s Fanny Dunkers. Olympic Champion, chagrin that there was no hockey pro- was part of this group. gram. Gibson was president of the club when Then, a prophetic event happened: he he was 15 and 16 years old, and ran and his mother were looking at a house meetings at the Courtenay Recreational Association. “It was a great leadership to water,” Bradley wrote about Gibson in Washington Resort. He chairs the B.C. on a pre-move trip. “I went into the bed- 1990. “Peter is an extremely hard worker and Yukon zone of the Canada West Ski room and (the son) had a trophy case in program,” he says. “Being around Herb Bradley, he was a pretty big inspiration to and dedicated to the sport of skiing. It is Areas Association, overseeing 47 resorts. his bedroom. He had the Wells Gray his life.” He would like to chair the entire organi- Trophy he won at Forbidden Plateau,” all of us that he taught.” “As a boy he took to skiing like a duck Last year he challenged his staff to see zation, after a couple of terms in this posi- Gibson related. “I got who would get out on the runs the most tion. Gibson also sits on three boards: quite excited about ski- often. Officially, he finished second with Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery ing,” he said. “I had an 119. Unofficially, he says since he skied in Foundation, Comox Valley Community ambition to get that other places for two more days, he won.