Mandy Rousseau

Advocacy: I participate in the spring and fall Bike to Work Weeks, setting up teams with colleagues to educate (and encourage) them about how fun and practical commuting by bike is. I also recognize that participation data helps demonstrate demand for active transportation and supports advocacy for better infrastructure and policies to different levels of government.
Reducing my carbon footprint: In the non-snow months, I bike commute around Whistler; in winter, I use a bus pass. I also carpool when possible and pick up hitchhikers. I use reusable shopping bags, a coffee cup and water bottle, eat a plant-forward diet, and make a conscious effort not to waste food. I limit my trips to Vancouver, and opt for the buses over a personal vehicle when possible.
Past work / volunteerism: During my time working in office positions at Whistler Blackcomb, I participated in volunteer mountain clean-up days.
Past work / advocacy: While working as the Regional Business Liaison with the SLRD, I prepared a presentation for senior staff underlining the benefits of refrigeration facilities throughout the region as a way to strengthen local food security. I also support the Squamish Climate Action Network.

We should continue FireSmart and wildfire mitigation work, while strengthening communication with residents and remaining open to different approaches as we learn more. I’d also like to explore an optional practice evacuation day. It could educate residents, identify real-world pinch points and help reduce anxiety about how an evacuation would actually work.

We also need to make sure our infrastructure investments are resilient to the conditions we expect to face (wildfire, atmospheric rivers, flooding, drought, heat and smoke) when we plan and prioritize infrastructure and critical services.

As a tourism community, we should be thinking about how to make Whistler more resilient when outdoor recreation is affected by weather or changing environmental conditions. I think there is an opportunity to explore indoor and inclement weather recreation, and we could explore incentivizing experienced operators to invest in this type of infrastructure.

It’s important Whistler council works across jurisdictions, with residents, businesses, tourism partners, First Nations and other levels of government to prepare for climate-related risks.

I like the briefing notes AWARE prepared for this election cycle. They’re a great example of community organizations bringing forward thoughtful, actionable ideas that the RMOW can consider as it develops policies, priorities and workplans.

I think we could strengthen these relationships by creating more regular opportunities for meaningful dialogue. Quarterly or bi-annual check-ins with organizations such as AWARE could give Council a chance to hear what’s working, where we’re falling short and where community groups see opportunities to do things differently.

I’d also like to see these relationships be two-way. Community organizations have expertise, capacity and connections that can help the municipality, while the RMOW can provide information, resources and a clear understanding of how community ideas can move through municipal processes.

Whistler is fortunate to have a range of organizations preparing reports that outline key indicators for our community’s wellbeing, such as:
- Survey Results from Tourism Whistler’s Resident Surveys that check-in on how residents are impacted by current visitation.
- Whistler Community Foundation’s Vital Signs community report
- Reports from the Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation
- AWARE’s annual impact report
- WCSS’s annual report
- Whistler Chamber’s current advocacy priorities

This is scratching the surface on the information available to us on how our community is doing. If elected, I would recommend to fellow councillors that we take stock of reports such as these, and reference them when setting our term’s priorities. We can then use them as benchmarks each year to see how/if we are moving the dial on the challenges our community faces economically, socially, and environmentally. We could then use this data to set priorities, measure progress, and adjust course.

I’ll be honest: I’m not yet familiar with every policy and program currently in place to protect Whistler’s ecosystems, biodiversity and watershed health. What I would prioritize in my first 100 days is learning what we already have, where the gaps are, and who has the expertise to help us set meaningful targets for protecting these systems over the long term. I’m comfortable asking questions, seeking expertise and changing my perspective when new information arises.

I also think we have an opportunity to build greater community connection to the natural environment we’re working to protect. Whistler has more than 58 parks, including 22 natural protected areas. We could do a better job of telling that story and helping residents understand what is being protected around them. I’d be interested in exploring ideas such as self-guided experiences like Go Whistler Tours’ Ancient Trees walk, while ensuring that increased awareness doesn’t come at the expense of sensitive areas.

Finally, I’d be keen to explore how we can better support and empower the citizen scientists and community organizations already doing important work—from glacier monitoring to watershed stewardship and biodiversity monitoring. Groups such as Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation, AWARE, Cheakamus Community Forest and the Whistler Naturalists bring knowledge and capacity that Council should be listening to and learning from.

I think growth and environmental protection need to be considered together, with a focus on the long-term impacts of development. For new developments, I think it is reasonable to expect comprehensive and practical environmental assessments, and to look at ways to incentivize energy-efficient upgrades to existing buildings. I would also like Council to consider how development can contribute to the infrastructure needed to move people more sustainably, whether that’s the Valley Trail, bus shelters, bike storage or other transportation improvements.

I also think we need to be thoughtful about the costs of growth. New development can create opportunities, but it can also create demands on infrastructure, services and the environment. Understanding those trade-offs is important to making responsible decisions.

Because I’m not well versed on Whistler’s environmental planning and development policies, I would better familiarize myself with the RMOW’s Official Community Plan, Big Moves Strategy and Balance Model to understand what is working, and seek out the expertise needed to identify where we can improve.

Lastly, I’d want decisions to be grounded in good information, long-term thinking and collaboration, so that we collectively prioritize Whistler’s environmental and community resilience.