FESTIVAL NEWS

FESTIVAL NEWS www.pembertonfestival.com en Live Nation Canada Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:58:31 GMT Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:58:31 GMT 5 PEMBERTON FESTIVAL - THANKS YOU The Pemberton dust has settled. <div>Stages and campgrounds have been packed up. Artists and fans are heading home. There is a quiet stillness where only a few days ago thousands had joined together for a mutual love of music.</div> <div> </div> <div>After months of planning, weeks of preparation and 3 days of unsurpassed entertainment and spectacular scenery, the time has come to say goodbye to the first ever Pemberton Festival, and thank those responsible for making it as memorable as it was.</div> <div> </div> <div>This amazing weekend could never have happened without the tremendous support of the fans, the artists, the staff and especially the town of Pemberton.</div> <div> Thank you to everyone who attended and played a special part in making this magical event a reality.</div> Geoff Robins General Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-07-31T00:00:00 ebe38913-60e7-4798-8f6f-973a463bc119 1 Pemberton Alerts on Your Phone Get real time festival updates, contests, and secret offers, right on your Rogers phone. <div> <divget in="" with=""></divget> For all the latest Pemberton festival news, Rogers customers can text ALERTS to 4849 and be the first to get in on festival updates, secret offers, prizes, contests and much more.  </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> Still need a ticket? Single-day tickets are available for sale on the Wireless Box Office™ and are delivered directly to your Rogers handset. Text TIX to 4849 now! <div> </div> <div> </div> Geoff Robins General Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-07-15T00:00:00 e35cdb7c-52d0-4041-9289-3cc1e79c99c2 3 SHUTTLES FROM WHISTLER VILLAGE 3-Day Shuttle tickets available from pemfestshuttle.com! The Pemberton Festival is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and minimizing traffic congestion and is pleased to announce that daily shuttles between Whistler Village and the Festival will be available for all three days of the event. Shuttles will depart from Whistler between 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and depart from The Festival between 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Tickets are available as three-day passes for only $90.00 at <a href="http://www.pemfestshuttle.com/">www.pemfestshuttle.com</a>. Shuttles are available on a first come, first serve basis and space is limited. Buy your tickets NOW for $90.00! As of Friday, July 18 tickets will be $120.00 As of Thursday, July 24 tickets will be $160.00 Ticket pick up is at Whistler Blackcomb Day Lodge Geoff Robins General Mon, 12 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-05-13T00:00:00 dc5e88e7-f03b-4374-95b7-0cfdae67124f 4 ADVANCE FESTIVAL CHECK IN! Why not skip the line-ups to exchange your tickets for Festival wristbands, camping wristbands and vehicle tags, by checking in before you arrive at the festival? Come to any of the following locations before you leave or on your way to the festival : Vancouver Hyatt Regency Vancouver (Burrard and Georgia) Regency Ballroom D Wednesday July 23rd 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Thursday July 24th : 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Friday July 25th : 8:00 am - 3:00 pm Whistler  Blackcomb Day Lodge (please park in the day lots) Wednesday July 23rd 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm Thursday July 24th 9:00 am - 9:00 pm Friday July 25th 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday July 26th 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Sunday July 27th 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Exclusively for VIP/Carpools (4 or more persons) and motorcycles Whistler   Creekside Parkade Thursday July 24th : 9:00 am - 9:00 pm Friday July 25th : 9:00 am - 3:00 pm ON SITE Festival check in will be offered at the Pemberton Airport for those coming from the south and at the Pole Yard for those coming for the north. Check in at these locations commences for Camping Guests on Thursday July 24th at 10:00 am, and for Day Guests on Friday July 25th at 10:00 am. If you arrive before these times, you will be turned away. MISCELLANOUS Parking : If you have not yet purchased a parking ticket, we strongly recommend that you do so before arriving. Queues will be long and payment will be cash only. Disabled access : Please contact the Festival promptly through <a href="mailto:access@pembertonfestival.com">access@pembertonfestival.com</a> to make arrangements.  RV Camping (includes tent trailers, motor homes etc) : SOLD OUT. There are no on-site sales, and if you arrive without a ticket you will be redirected elsewhere. Tenting (festival and family camping) : Family camping is SOLD OUT. There are no onsite sales. Please note that vehicles are not permitted in the tent camping area. Geoff Robins General Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-07-21T00:00:00 5a12e455-3823-4b82-a050-9c50eb4bceef 1000000 BACARDI B-LIVE brings you the MASH UP Just announced... unforgettable collaborations are coming to the BACARDI B-LIVE DANCE TENT <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">The weekend kicks off with DJ Jesse James, Bongo sensation, Zuzu and local saxophonist, Kostas performing in a custom jam session made for dancing. </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> </div> <div style="margin: 0in -0.2in 0pt 0in">Saturday brings an exclusive collaboration at the Festival with Vancouver-based house DJ, Maurice, and the widely-acclaimed local band, Kostaman, creating an entirely new vibe by simultaneously mashing live vocal performances with a number of tracks – all while transitioning beats back and forth between each other.</div> <div style="margin: 0in -5.4pt 0pt 0in"> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">And to close out the weekend, BACARDI B-LIVE and Pemberton Festival concert-goers will experience a unique spin on classic music as DJ Dopey and members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will create brand new music featuring synchronized symphonic and digitally mastered tracks.</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Here’s the collaboration line up for the weekend…don’t miss it!</div> <div style="margin: 0in -0.2in 0pt 0in">Friday, July 25, 2008 - - DJ, Jesse James, bongo sensation, Zuzu, and local saxophonist, Kostas </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Saturday, July 26, 2008 - - Kostaman and DJ Maurice</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Sunday, July 27, 2008 - - DJ Dopey and Members of the VSO </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Join us for 3 days of music, mojitos and more, in the oasis of lounge and sound.</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">More Info…www.BACARDIBLIVE.ca</div> Geoff Robins General Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-07-15T00:00:00 7835b758-62ab-4e0e-8fdc-794e621a6494 1000000 Pemberton Festival announces KidsZone! Family entertainment at KidsZone throughout the festival: July 25 -27 <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">Featuring several of Canada’s top children’s entertainers and a variety of arts, cultural and play activities, KIDZONE gives family audience members the chance to be entertained, have fun and express their creative sides. </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">World class juggler, Robin Chestnut leads the lineup as MC. Dynamic duo Bobs & Lolo share engaging, inspiring, musical stories, while Norman Foote brings his off-beat sense of humour and mixes it with music and puppetry. Award winning Rick Scott, combines singing, songwriting and wacky human commentary to have you laughing from the minute he takes the stage. While Vietnam’s Khac Chi Music takes you on musical journey with rare instruments from their homeland. </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">Between performances, KIDZONE is the place for kids to have their faces painted by Magical Faces, visit the bubble zone and expand their First Nations knowledge through workshops by the Pemberton Arts Council. Other attractions include roving Vancouver Circus School performers, an art wall, water tables, bouncy castle and circus play area. Located next to the main entrance, KIDZONE is open from 11am to 6pm daily.  Expand your Lilwat First Nations knowledge, through hands on workshops demonstrations with support from the Pemberton Arts Council!</div> Geoff Robins General Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-07-15T00:00:00 31ea96d5-0dd8-487d-bf78-b794c34e8beb 1000000 Barn Dance Anounced! A twelve-year Pemberton tradition to be incorporated into the festival! <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">The Pemberton Festival has announced that it will incorporate a twelve-year-old Pemberton tradition into this year’s lineup. The Pemberton Barn Dance is an annual event which began as a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce and grew to include the Rotary Club, the Legion and the Lions. Typically a one-day event occurring in the same weekend as the Festival, the Pemberton Festival and Barn Dance organizers teamed up to bring the event to the festival and expand it to three days, running from noon to midnight each day. Festival campers can get a special sneak peak of the Barn Dance on Thursday, July 24 from 5pm to 11pm. </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">In keeping with tradition, the Barn Dance tent at the Festival will include local bands ands DJs including Still Smokin’, DJ Richy Hartl, 3-Legged Ginger, DJ Milton, DJ Vinyl Ritchie, Dale & the Coolers, DJ Julian Hine, J.P.’s Kitchen Party, DJ Dagan, Papa Josh, DJ Tone, Courageous Mountain Rangers, DJ Toddski, Kostaman and The Vibrations with DJ Phroh, Slush, DJ Ricochet, DJ Lon, Whole Lotta Led, Jay Greenway, Wes Makepeace, DJ Sheila, The Rising Tide, DJ Praiz, Hairfarmers, DJ Feet Banks, Animal Nation, DJ Mr. Fister, Fall of Summer, Black Collar Crowd, The Hits, Andrea Graham, DJ Foxy Moron, Acid Wash, Tessa Amy, DJ Kori K, Gordo, DJ Rob Banks, Brother Twang, DJ Rick Flebbe, Bluesparks, DJ Peter McCrae, Altered Beast and Donny’s Ashes. </div> Geoff Robins General Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-07-03T00:00:00 75dddef9-dd04-4328-aae2-84ca2b491ed8 1000000 Single Day Ticket Presale! Single Day Ticket Presale! Text "TIX" to 4849 on your Rogers Wireless Phone to get tickets now. Rogers customers, get in on single day tickets before anyone else. Text "TIX" to 4849 and purchase your single day tickets through the Rogers Wireless Box Office (TM) now. Presale is available until June 12th Geoff Robins General Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-06-08T00:00:00 8b743353-e30a-4360-aa33-d08b90380f68 1000000 DAY BY DAY LINE UP ANNOUNCED! Day by Day Line Up Announced. Single Day tickets set to go on sale June 13th at 10:00 am! The Day by Day band line up has now been posted on the website. Please go to the line up page for more details. In addition, single day tickets are set to be released June 13th at 10:00 am. The tickets will be $149.50 + s/c per day and are available at the ticket section of <a href="http://www.pembertonfestival.com">www.pembertonfestival.com</a> or 1-800-594-5499 Three Day and VIP Tickets are still available and are on sale now at www.pembertonfestival.com Geoff Robins General Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-06-05T00:00:00 e9f06e07-76db-41aa-9cab-6a3df147f461 1000000 Molson Canadian Rocks Pemberton Look for "code hunters" during Festival to win prizes! Ice Cold Molson Canadian will be flowing throughout the beer garden starting 5:00 pm on Thursday in the Barn Dance Tent and continues all weekend long in the beer gardens throughout the festival.  Look for the “code hunters” who will be handing out cool prizes all weekend long. What code do you live by? Tell our promo team and they’ll reward you.  Haven’t got your tickets yet? No problem, just text “ROCKS” to 14747 which will automatically enter you to win one of 10 pairs of three day tickets.  See you there!<o:p></o:p> Geoff Robins General Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-06-03T00:00:00 bc318f73-b365-4e47-a683-ac954624a3ee 1000000 NEW LOCAL ACTS ADDED Local talent bring the vibe to the daytime lineup. <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">BACARDI B-LIVE has added a stellar line up of top DJs, VJs and live musicians from Pemberton, Whistler, Vancouver and Victoria. </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">These new acts include: </div> <ul style="margin-top: 0in" type="disc"> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Czech</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Mat The Alien</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Vinyl Ritchie</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Hebegebe</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Hedspin</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Kristian Littmann</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">James Boatman</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Maurice</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Andrew Pacey</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">DJ K-Tel</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Michael Ziff</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Little T</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Tyson Villeneuve</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Jesse James</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Tassho Pearce</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Mikey Da Roza</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Rob Rizk</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Sean Lalla</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Foxi Ozzi Surgeon</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">Peace Frog</li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify">RAMM </li> </ul> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in"> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Performing along side these artists will be VJs; Technomorph, Bent Matter and Electrabelle plus live musicians Kostos and Zuzu.</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Join us for 3 days of music, mojitos and more, in the oasis of lounge and sound.</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">More Info…www.BACARDIBLIVE.ca</div> Geoff Robins General Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:00:00 GMT 2008-06-02T00:00:00 907ca522-e848-4585-9404-01a1a91bbceb 1000000 BACARDI B-LIVE ARRIVES The oasis of lounge and sound comes to Pemberton. <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 12pt">The BACARDI B-LIVE experience will feature:   <li>a multi-level stage where DJs will play all genres of music and infuse their performances with live instrumentals  </li> </div> <li>a custom live video remix wall and a thunderous sound system </li> <li> fully stocked BACARDI rum and mojito cocktail bars serving signature drinks custom-mixed for the event <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> And of course the LINE UP:    </div> </li> <li>The Crystal Method (DJ Set)</li> <li>DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist</li> <li>Booka Shade (Live Set)</li> <li>Junkie XL</li> <li>Dave Seaman</li> <li>MSTRKRFT </li> <li>Deadmau5 (Live Set)</li> <li>Chromeo (Live Set)</li> <li>M.A.N.D.Y</li> <li>Tommie Sunshine</li> <li> 3 Oh! 3</li> <li>Kevin Shiu</li> <li>Timeline</li> <li>Live visual mix by Tony Pantages & VJV2 (Vello Virkhaus) <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Join us for 3 days of music, mojitos and more, in the oasis of lounge and sound.</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">More Info…<a href="http://www.BACARDIBLIVE.ca">www.BACARDIBLIVE.ca</a></div> </li> Geoff Robins General Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:00:00 GMT 2008-04-21T17:00:00 a737169d-d951-4fe7-a526-8abde617543b 1000000 ADDITIONAL ACTS - ANNOUNCED! Pemberton Festival announces Additional Acts! Pemberton Festival is very excited to announce that N.E.R.D, Matisyahu, Minus the Bear and Inward Eye will be now performing during the July 25,26 and 27th weekend! Please see the line up page for more information about these new additions. Unfortuantly MGMT will no longer be playing the festival due to scheduling conflicts.     Geoff Robins General Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:30:00 GMT 2008-03-28T05:30:00 87f5ebec-d70f-48bc-abb8-ecbe28add7f2 1000000 EARLY BIRD CAMPING TICKETS! Early Bird Camping Tickets Just Announced! <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">The Pemberton Festival takes place from July 25th – 27th, 2008, and for the full event experience, the Pemberton Festival Campgrounds are THE place to stay! Campers will wake up every morning with the picturesque Mount Currie at their feet in the heart of the Pemberton Valley and all its scenic wonder.  For a limited time only, early bird camping tickets are $40*/person when purchased in conjunction with the three-day festival ticket. Located directly adjacent to the festival site and all its amenities, the campground will have 24 hour security, toilets, cooling stations, wash facilities, a general store and a campground clubhouse including a bar that will serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as well as food service from 7:00 AM - 3:00 AM daily. Campers can come and go between the campgrounds and the festival site at their leisure during the festival site hours (11:00 AM - 2:00 AM). Adventure tour operators will also be on site to take campers on excursions such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking, swimming and more.</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">Camping tickets, valid for four nights, purchase a ten foot by ten foot plot which can be combined with other plots to create a larger campsite. Plots are reserved on a first come, first served basis; therefore, campers who wish to combine plots must arrive together. To help campers avoid the busy crowds, the festival camping site opens Thursday, July 24 at 9:00 AM and closes Monday, July 28 at 5:00 PM.</div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt">* CDN dollars - plus applicable fees and service charges  <a href="/tickets">Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 28th at 10:00 AM PST </a> Don't delay - availability of tickets at our special early bird price is limited!</div> Juliana Fraser General Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:00:00 GMT 2008-03-20T16:00:00 3edb2291-a7d5-4f58-893f-b57b9cd75296 1000000 PEMBERTON FESTIVAL LAUNCHED Welcome to Pemberton Festival ! We are delighted to announce the line-up for the first-ever Pemberton Festival, to be held July 25, 26 & 27 in one of North America’s most breathtakingly beautiful settings, Pemberton, British Columbia. The festival represents the first European-style festival we at Live Nation Canada have started from scratch. Can it get any better than this? - Our inaugural lineup includes big names such as Coldplay, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Nine Inch Nails, Jay-Z, The Tragically Hip, Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie, My Morning Jacket and Flaming Lips, plus up-and-comers Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Grand Ole Party and The Airborne Toxic Event. There are two stages and a dance tent with more than 50 bands in all over the three day festival. Pemberton is just a two-hour drive from Vancouver and has long been a favorite winter vacation destination due to its close proximity to Whistler Resort. With artists performing against the backdrop of majestic snow capped mountains, we are also making every effort to be envrionmentally friendly in all our approaches to the festival organisation and logistics. <a href="/tickets">Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 28th at 10:00 AM PST </a> Don't delay - availability of tickets at our special launch price is limited! Sophie Crosby General Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:00:00 GMT 2008-03-14T13:00:00 ed9bfc5e-b421-4976-9a48-e2e06547a2d4 1000000 TICKETS ON SALE 28 MARCH "Early Bird" prices on launch for 3-Day event tickets - don't delay! Tickets for the Pemberton Festival will go on sale right here at <a href="http://www.PembertonFestival.com">www.PembertonFestival.com</a> beginning Friday, March 28th at 10:00 a.m. Pemberton, a two-hour drive from Vancouver, has long been a favorite winter vacation destination due to its close proximity to Whistler Resort. Complete with a festival village, camping facilities, an RV Park, and much more, concert-goers will be able to camp on site or sleep in accommodations ranging from motels to top notch luxury hotels in Whistler. Standard 3-day event tickets have a launch price of $239.50 CDN. Or you can enjoy the festival like one of the entourage and get a VIP 3-Day event ticket, giving you special access to the festival and guest areas. Also available, camping tickets, (including family camping tickets for those attending with under 19s), plus RV supplements. Check out our <a href="/tickets">tickets page</a> for more information to help you make your decision. Sophie Crosby General Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT 2008-03-14T00:00:00 b6bf4de8-855d-47b9-8234-cb30220d25a1 1000000 A GREENER FESTIVAL In this location, how could we think otherwise? As our artists  will perform against a backdrop of majestic snow capped mountains, we are making every effort  to produce the festival with as little impact on the environment as possible.  Hydro-electric energy will be the main power source for the festival’s energy, and the festival will promote car pooling with the incentive that cars coming in with four or more people will be able to park for free.   And local Pemberton Valley farm products, which the area is well known for, will be served throughout the 360 acre festival site.  A farmer’s market - where local farmers can sell their goods directly to concert-goers - is even being planned for the site. Find out more in coming months about ways in which we are reducing the carbon footprint of the festival. Sophie Crosby General Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT 2008-03-14T00:00:00 80e18ac3-2dfc-4005-99ee-2c63751eb3e1 1000000 Plenty Sea to Sky Gathers Around the Harvest Table Despite allegations of doping and genetic modifications, there was no evidence last week that Chad Gilmore’s giant pumpkin had been improperly interfered with in its quest for super status. Sure, 890 pounds is a record-sized pumpkin even for Pemberton Valley’s champion giant vegetable grower, and granted, the winning behemoth did look more like Jabba the Hut than any squash I’ve ever eaten as the forklift lowered it onto the set of scales. But Gilmore swears its supersized girth was simply a matter of good growing conditions. “There was definitely no doping!” Gilmore says. “There’s no genetic modification. I mean, you do select for seeds with the thickest walls, the best shape, you find the desirable traits… but really, the secret is good soil.” Good growing is Pemberton’s defining quality – and that fecundity seems to extend beyond the fruits of the earth, with 57 babies plus four sets of twins born just this year. Says Whistler chef, Grant Cousar, “It’s a clean, beautiful-growing, agricultural region, and it’s just 25 minutes up the road.” Since his early days in Whistler 12 years ago, working in the kitchens of Araxi and La Rua, to his current business at Whistler Cooks, Cousar has been working with Pemberton produce, from celeriac to banana fingerlings to blueberries to beef, and building relationships with local growers. At first, it was because he wanted the best. “I wasn’t as emotionally married to this community as I am now. I was young and I just wanted to work with the best food. I didn’t care if that meant raping and pillaging some little village. I wanted the best and I got it.  Then I got to know the people, and my backyard, and became more aware of the social impacts,” Cousar says of a growing politicization about food which has seen him become a leading member of the Slow Food Whistler convivium. The backyard he became aware of produces an estimated 12,000 tonnes of seed potatoes a year, in addition to other produce, with almost the entirety of that potato seed leaving the Valley for far-flung destinations like California and Idaho. Meanwhile, Cousar estimates there are between thirty and forty food service delivery trucks a day driving up Highway 99 to stock Whistler’s kitchens, taking $150 to $200 million a year in food services sales back to Vancouver and the head offices of Sysco, Coca Cola, Neptune, Lays and other multi-national companies. This globalization of the food network, says Resort Municipality of Whistler Sustainability Coordinator Kevin Damaskie, has happened in the few short generations since the 1930s. “There’s really a heightened awareness across the board that we’ve moved from a community food system to a globalised food system. In the pursuit of large scale efficiencies and profit, that global food system has undermined people’s ability to be as healthy as possible, and we’ve also impacted communities, society and the environment,” he says. The cumulative effect of those impacts has recently seen a revived interest in eating closer to home, with a growing consumer buzz about local food, and a policy trend toward supporting community food systems. “The least distance your potato travels from the farm to your fork means the least negative impact it’s had on the globe,” says Damaskie. “We may be in the time and space that we’re considering things on that level.” This growing appetite to eat local - for food with fewer frequent flyer miles than the diner, and whose provenance can be vouched for by a grower whose personal integrity is on the line if an “improper interference” is established - infuses the season of the harvest in Pemberton. After all, most people are only one degree of separation away from a farmer. From pumpkin weigh-offs and carving contests, to neighbours sharing the excess of their backyard bounty, to 100 Mile Thanksgiving Potlucks, to families pooling resources to buy local beef, the celebration of the season of harvest is pretty earthy in Spud Valley. This proximity to the fruits of the earth was noted when Vancouver Coastal Health and Sea to Sky Community Services partnered last year to develop a Community Food Action Initiative. An Olympic legacies project, the CFAI was essentially a gap analysis geared to establish what each Sea to Sky community’s assets and needs were in order to achieve food security. Food security was defined by the Initiative as the availability of good, affordable, culturally appropriate food on the table, now, and seven generations from now. The BC Food Systems Network calls this a sustainable food system – where a consumer can access food, a grower or supplier can make a living producing it, the planet retains its productive capacity for future generations, and the cultural, spiritual or life-affirming aspects of food are celebrated. The initial survey involved  forums in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, followed by a two day Open Space event, geared at identifying and brainstorming specific responses, during which it became apparent how many different interpretations of food security there are, depending on one’s postcode, income, or knowledge. Says Karen Clarke, Community Developer Sea to Sky, Vancouver Coastal Health, of the resulting report, “We need to recognise foremost that these communities in the Sea to Sky corridor are drastically different from each other. Pemberton has farming, First Nations and a much more earthy focus. There was a lot of talk in Pemberton about having the ability to supply the corridor with food. Squamish was, at one time, a farming area, and there’s been a bit of a revival in that lately. But we have a significant population. We’re the transportation gateway to the corridor. And the other issue in Squamish regarding food security is the low income population, the poverty and homelessness. Whistler’s needs, really, are looking at avenues for being a positive role model, heading towards eating organic, eating locally, eating well, or healthfully.” Whether food security means accessing the soup kitchen or food bank when you need to, being part of a community of backyard gardeners who share tools, extra potatoes and planting tips, or trying to develop a high-tech greenhouse, what was apparent during the Community Food Action Initiative was that food is an issue that is intimate to us all, regardless of postcode, income, or know-how, and that a corridor-wide collaboration adds a great variety of strengths to the table. Whistler’s role as foodie poster child is no more apparent than during it’s annual orgy of food and wine, Cornucopia. A celebration of bounty centred around 1000-person wine tastings and glam-black-tie dinners, that generates plenty of exposure for the resort, the plethora of bubbles and bodies beautiful is more a showcase of hedonism than sustainability. All the more reason, agree Cousar and Clarke, for a food strategy to be enfolded into Whistler’s comprehensive sustainability plan. “Any document about sustainability that doesn’t include food as a number one priority is maybe not really the cycle of economy that it should be. Food is our daily bread,” says Cousar, “and it’s a staggeringly frustrating economy because so much of our North American market is built on cheap crap. If you look at the way we spend our money, proportionately, over the decades and across the continents, North Americans today spend less money as a percentage of their income, on food, than any other people in time or space.” It’s that economic prospect that Damaskie sees as being one of the biggest opportunities in developing a sustainable community food strategy, an outcome to be pursued via a newly-struck Task-Force of the Whistler 2020 process, with the first three meetings planned for November, including one, ground-breakingly, in Pemberton. “A food strategy is a huge opportunity for W2020 to understand the value of regional partnerships. Whistler has little capacity to produce food at this time, but a massive capacity to support food producers. Pemberton has a real and historical commitment to food production. If we can match the production capacity with marketing and distribution, we create a huge economy, and the value is not 30 tonnes of potatoes leaving the valley at a dime a pound, but weekly pick-up truckloads from root cellars and farms throughout the valley, up and down the corridor at $2.50/lb.” In the wake of Professor Atkins and the Irish Famine, the potato has suffered an image crisis. But 2008 could see a swing in the fortunes of the humble spud. The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato, in recognition that the tuber, once venerated by the Incans, is one of the world’s key staple crops particularly in mountain communities. Tucking into a locally grown spud after a morning of ripping the slopes might be the most authentic mountain experience Whistler could offer, with a neat little message of sustainability to boot. It’s just a question of packaging the message. As French military chemist, Antoine-Augustin Parmentier did, in 1785. Commissioned to find a food capable of “reducing the calamities of famine”, Parmentier persuaded the King of France to plant 100 acres of spuds outside Paris, conspicuously guarding the field with armed soldiers. When the guards were allowed to go off duty, as part of Parmentier’s master plan, the local peasants saw an opportunity to nab something that was clearly of great value, treating the contraband potatoes like gold, and propagating them throughout the country. Says Damaskie, “That logic is exactly what we can do with a local community food system. We have gold here. It’s been under our noses the whole time. We’ve just never realized. If we, as a society, can connect ourselves to the food we eat, we’ll be enhancing our economic opportunities, our social systems, and address aspects of the food system that cause environmental degradation. And that is true sustainability.” And so Whistler, with the Year of the Potato around the corner, has the chance to be a poster child for a different food story. Karen Clarke sees this as an exciting development. “There are so many things going on at a political level that are impacting farming right now.  Border regulations, abattoir regulations shutting down small local producers. We’re totally heading down a road towards large meat production only.  And we have a farming community in this corridor that we need to protect and promote. And that is all of our responsibilities’. What Whistler is doing, in establishing this Whistler 2020 Food Task Force, is progressive. It’s great. They’re very mission-driven at this stage, so to recognize food security as a priority and to tie in the work that has been done is fantastic. And they have the ability to tie it into a bigger level. People will look to them as an example. Yes, the food task force is a grassroots process, but the little work you do in your little town can go really huge. Whistler can totally be seen as a leader in food security and community food strategies.” The harvest table is a potent symbol for North Americans. We gather around it, we offer thanks, we brave airport chaos and crazy roads to visit with family for Thanksgiving celebrations. We eat and drink until we have to lie on the floor and rub our bellies. We take our cornucopia for granted… But the warnings are being sounded now. A globalised, industrial food system has made us vulnerable to the price of oil, to unsustainable farm practices, to genetic modifications, to large-scale crop failure, to contamination of the processing chain… We need to act to preserve the table. And the first order of business is to set it for a feast of ideas, to be shared across jurisdictions and regional boundaries, across postcodes and income levels, by a group of Whistler, Pemberton and Mt Currie grocers, truck-drivers,  purchasing officers, planners, nutritionists, marketers, chefs and farmers...    And when we plan together for this table of plenty, now and seven generations from now, we work towards a truly sustainable harvest.   By Lisa Richardson General Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT 2008-03-13T00:00:00 0fd30ff4-d535-4fbd-80d8-ff7da4cb358e 1000000