Andrée Janyk, Whistler Councillor 2011-2014

A Community Leader, Energetic, Athletic, Strategic & Focused on Whistler’s Future

The Past Term:

Committees and Boards:  Human Resources standing committee; Education Task Force, AWARE, Walk Safe Committee, Measuring Up ( looks a accessibility in the Village), alternate to the SLRD Board, ELF (Environmental Legacy Foundation – part of the Whistler Foundation), Whistler Chamber of Commerce.

Recreation and Leisure Committee:  I make special note of this because I saw a missing link at the council table and the team of councilors agreed with me.  The reestablishment of this committee has meant a lot to me and we as a committee were very active in the listening to relevant groups, the drafting and the reviewing of the Recreation Master Plan that will come forward in the next term.

Environmental Focus:  Along with other councilors I helped lead the charge for a plastic bag free community.  Spring Creek students were instructive to council and I was ready to act. I also have brought up the growing garbage from coffee cups, reference the need for us to be vigilant and informed on LNG and the Northern Gateway projects.  I participated in a workshop on the Cheakamus Community Forest and emphasized that the Whistler landscape is important to the resort not logging.

Community commitment: Over the past 3 years I have listened to concerns re fire pits in the Cheakamus area, the need for better dog off leash parks, the use of our lakes and potential pollution, zoning issues, sprinkler issues in the Village, the improvements to park fields, air quality in the Cheakamus area, and lately the District Energy System, just to mention a few.. To each of these concerns I take the time to research the problem and then work on the action.  I have been successful in helping each of these agendas move forward and keeping citizens informed and happy.  People call me because they say I get things done.

General:  Council from the very beginning had a focus and a work plan that has lead to 3 key documents – the Economic Plan, the Education and Task Force, and the Cultural Plan reports – that shaped the actions of this past council.  It was pleasure to be a part of such good strategic planning. All these documents are found at www.whistler.ca

Why so many unanimous votes: One does not always find oneself at a table with so many like-minded people.  I was on a team of great collaborative thinkers. I did not need to be loud to be heard and when one is honestly listened to one can compromise.  I am proud of the work that was done and that I got to be a part of shaping the direction of the council.  I have stood up for many things, like plastic bags, the pollution of coffee cups, the importance of better information at the recycling depots before this last change, the lack of a quality education program at the proposed Whistler campus, the need for more debris drop off dates, the need for a strong motion in relation to Northern Gateway, the request that we have spokes people on LNG for and against come before council, and I spoke clearly about my dislike for the proposed covering of the west corner of the GLC.  Consultations directly with staff have lead to many solutions, issues that don’t always need to come to the council table.  For example I was insistent after listening to the folk of Cheakamus Crossing that better patrols monitoring fire pits and road traffic.

There is more work to be done and why I am running again and asking for your vote.