Talk to your neighbours 

The OCP Community Advisory Group (CAG) is comprised of 20 Whistler Citizens, who will advise the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) OCP Coordinating Team on the format, structure, and policies of the Official Community Plan Update, and ensure alignment with Whistler2020.

The OCP Community Advisory Group has already contributed immensely to the OCP update, with three CAG meetings being held over the last few months. The first CAG meeting worked to identify key themes and issues that need to be addressed during the OCP update. The group identified that shared values are the strength of this community. The next meeting was a current reality session on growth management, land use and energy. This was an important working session in which members were provided a “snapshot” of where Whistler is at; building a shared currently reality will help the group to make informed decisions to shape our future. The third CAG meeting used objective, reflective, and interpretive discussions to evaluate the materials that have been developed thus far and to combine these with the draft growth management principles prepared by RMOW staff. This synthesis will enable the identification of choices that Whistler has to make relative to the OCP, and in particular, land use and growth management.

The next CAG meeting in set for November 23, and will be a continuation of the discussions around growth management choices for Whistler’s OCP update.

OCP update Community Advisory Group Biographies

Energy – Arthur DeJong
A Whistler resident for 30 years, Arthur Dejong is the Mountain Planner and Environmental Resource Manager for Whistler Blackcomb. He believes "if our past is our future, we will not succeed. Change is an imperative. According to Dejong, the Community Advisory Group will help define this change.

Health & Social – Greg McDonnell
Greg McDonnell has been a Whistler resident for 13 years. He is currently the Executive Director of Whistler Community Services Society and has a private psychotherapy practice. McDonnell believes in the essence of "community" and the opportunity it provides to heal, grow and learn.  

Learning – Andree Janyk
Andree Janyk has lived in Whistler for 15 years but has been involved with the community since 1965. She is a private ski instructor, a former school trustee, founder of the Whistler Youth Soccer Club, parent of two Olympians, and volunteer with the Weasel Workers. Being on the Community Advisory Group is an opportunity for Janyk to share her knowledge and vision of the community's future.

Materials & Solid Waste – Sue Maxwell
Sue Maxwell has been a Whistler resident for almost two years and an avid visitor before that. Maxwell has an environmental consulting business that focuses on waste reduction and sustainability strategies for Whistler. She is excited to be part of the Community Advisory Group because the OCP can make gradual changes to our built environment and the way we use land, which has a huge impact on the way we live now, but more importantly, in the future.

Natural Areas -- Tina Symko
Tina Symko arrived in Whistler 12 years ago and recently worked as the Senior Manager of Environmental Management & Sustainability with VANOC. Prior to working with VANOC, Symko was an independent environmental consultant and coordinator for the Whistler Sustainability Speaker Series and AWARE. She believes integrating environmental stewardship into our community’s goals and plans cannot be understated, and that the OCP update provides an opportunity to further embed environmental protection as a core component of Whistler's future.

Resident Affordability -- Tanya Ewasiuk Goertzen
Tanya Ewasiuk Goertzen has lived in Whistler for 19 years and operates the Upper Village Market with her husband.  As a local entrepreneur, she hopes to use her experiences to help identify potential issues facing our families within Whistler and our community as we all grow together.  

Transportation -- Scott Pass
Scott has lived in Whistler for 16 years. He was General Manager of Whistler Transit until August 2007, when he accepted the opportunity to work for VANOC as Director of Transportation, Planning and Contracts. He is currently still employed by VANOC, finalising contracts associated with the Olympic and Paralympic Games Transportation System. For the OCP to be a truly effective document guiding the future of Whistler, Scott believes it requires input and expertise from as many community stakeholders as possible. 

Visitor Experience -- Donna Savage
Donna Savage has been a Whistler resident for 10 years but a weekend warrior for 15 years prior. Savage just completed five years with VANOC and believes that the future of our community is strongly rooted in our ability to create and deliver an exceptional experience for our visitors. As the representative of the Visitor Experience Task Force, she plans to ensure that this concept is reflective in the OCP.

Water -- Marjo Vierros
Marjo Vierros is a Senior Fellow at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies where he coordinates the Global Marine Governance Project. A Whistler resident for four years, she is also an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the United Nations University Traditional Knowledge Initiative, where she works on projects related to the role of biological and cultural diversity in enhancing community resilience to climate change. Vierros hopes that her knowledge about biodiversity, climate change, protected areas, an ecosystem approach and water resources management will positively contribute to the Whistler OCP update process.

Arts, Culture & Heritage -- Doti Niedermayer
Doti Niedermayer has lived in Whistler for eight years and is the Executive Director of the Whistler Arts Council. Her goal is to provide a perspective that is based in community cultural development, events and festivals, arts programming for families, young people and visitors, cultural tourism, economic sustainability for local artists and performers, as well as arts and culture as a basic necessity for a healthy, vibrant and interesting community.

Built Environment -- Rod Nadeau
Rod Nadeau has lived in Whistler for 33 years. He runs a construction business based out of Whistler and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Through the Community Advisory Group, Rod hopes to help Whistler plan for economic stability.

Economic -- Scott Carrell
Scott Carrell has lived in Whistler for 31 years. In 2005 Scott was Whistler’s businessperson of the year. Carrell is an active member of the community and currently sits on the Whistler2020 Economic task force, Whistler Chamber of Commerce Board Chair and the Tourism Whistler board as the Chamber representative. He has built his home here in Whistler with his family, and hopes to share his experiences to help Whistler plan for the future.

Resident Housing --Dave Kirk 
Dave Kirk has lived in Whistler for 27 years. He ran a successful retail company and now is just enjoying Whistler. For Dave, working with the Community Advisory Group is a continuation of what he has always done, that is to take a keen interest in public affairs through participation. He sees the opportunity for relatively 'close in' participation as a privilege.

Food -- Kari Mancer
Kari has lived in Whistler for six years. She has been working with WCSS since 2005, and is now a Program Manager for Community Kitchens, the Food Bank and the Community Greenhouses among others.  She is currently developing the new Food Buying Club and has a real interest in local food culture and the potential WCSS has in linking local food sources to Whistler's mouths. Kari is excited to work with, continually gain input from and to be the voice of farmers, 'foodies,' grocers, food suppliers and all those who put food in their mouths during the updating process of the Official Community Plan. She is honoured and thrilled to be part of the process, and I look forward to the collaboration of community members while representing the Food Task force

Elected Community Members

Steve Anderson
A Whistler resident for 36 years, Steve Anderson has been a commercial river outfitter and guide for 30 years and works during the winter months heli-ski guiding. For Anderson, participating in Community Advisory Group is important because if the vision of Whistler2020 is realized, Whistler would be a sustainable community with close to zero impact on the Natural Environment.

Brent Harley
Brent Harley has lived in Whistler for 32 years. With degrees in Landscape Architecture, Environmental Studies and a Masters of Business Administration, Brent Harley is the President of Brent Harley and Associates Inc., Distinctive Mountain Resort Design. Harley believes this Official Community Plan update is a key element to ensuring that we will achieve our shared Whistler2020 vision. Harley sees this as an opportunity for him to give back to his home and to make a significant contribution to the Whistler of the future.

Duane Hepditch
For the last 16 years, Duane Hepditch has been a Whistler resident. He is president of Guestfolio Inc., a software company working within the hotel and travel industry. Participating in the CAG enables him to contribute to how this community evolves, ensuring that his family continues to live in a vibrant Whistler culture.

Johnny Mikes
Jonny Mikes has lived in Whistler for 14 years. He works with environmental NGOs and First Nations on land use planning. Mikes wants to “keep” what makes Whistler a very special community. He feels that Whistler needs to evaluate how it is going to deal withfuture issues in a balanced way, especially after the huge focus on the Olympics. 

Youth Advisory Committee Representative
Ali Calladine (Grade 11 Whistler Secondary) 
Ali Calladine is a grade 11 student at Whistler Secondary. Although she has only lived in Whistler for two years she is amazed by the bizarre and original combination of nature, community, tourism and culture that IS Whistler. She hopes to see this community develop into a thriving, sustainable community for her and her generation while keeping the wonderful foundation and atmosphere that has already been developed.

Read the complete Terms of Reference for the OCP Community Advisory Group.