WORCA Q&As for Whistler Mayor and Council Candidates
WORCA is hosting an All Candidates Meeting on October 6.
We sent all of the candidates some questions so that you can get to know a bit about them before this event and voting.
Cathy Jewett
Are you a WORCA member? YES
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Farout/Flashback
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I think that it was a good move to include WORCA in the FFS. Given the needs that the other FFS organizations have, I think we are good as far as distribution goes. The one change I would make is to add CPI annually.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? Housing!
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? Livability - congestion, community needs
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? Raven - they are very social and problem solvers.
Dawn Titus
Are you a WORCA member? One of the founding members of Worca circa 1989 - to 2003 ~ now you are all too fast for me!
Fav Trail : Green Lake Loop from Wedge with gazillion dollar views
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? 290,000 is a substantial amount of funding, but I am also cognizant of the hundreds of volunteer hours that go into running Worca programs and maintaining trails / keep up the Good work ! ( you only get what you ask for normally)
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? One would have to agree there has been the creation and addition of many WHA rental units in the Cheakamus community ( too bad the rents have become unaffordable for some and many people are waiting to be able to purchase / not rent )
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? Affordability; reining in tax increases with efficiencies in the municipal budget and shifting WHA rents away from 30% of salary if tenants get a raise ! )
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? oooh a dolphin .. I like to go with the flow and I’ve learned how to surf some big waves. But when a ‘swim’ is needed upstream … I’m still quite strong and can get to where we need to go.
Brandon Smith
Are you a WORCA member? Not Currently
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Donkey Puncher
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? To the best of my knowledge; it is working and I do not personally have any reason to change it.
I have wondered if there would be more opportunity to incorporate additional fuel thinning services alongside WORCA's current trail management programs and thus greater funding could be provided.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? There was brand new outdoor access, fire escape staircase added to the Point Artist Run Center - a great success.
Outline your "keystone" issue for this election? Preserving Whistler as premier mountain resort community built around sport and recreation.
What is your "spirit animal" and how might its traits help you serve the community? The Raven = This enables me to think outside the box and beyond the conventional restrictions of what can and can't be done; allowing focus onto the higher potential of possibility.
Jessie Morden
Are you a WORCA member? No.
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? The Flank Trail
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? The Fee For Service program is a great initiative for organizations in our community as it provides funding that is reliable. WORCA does a great job at presenting and voicing their needs for the program.
Currently, I wouldn’t change anything as it pertains to WORCA.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? Housing. Over 300 units of housing have been built in the short 4 years.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? I want to address the plans for growth in our community. I do not want to see Whistler turn into a metropolis and will work hard to maintain that.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? My spirit animal is a mountain goat because I stand my ground on challenging terrain, I love navigating steep climbs and competing priorities, I am deeply connected to the mountains, I am persistent, resilient, and hard to knock off course.
Jeff Murl
Are you a WORCA member? Yes, thanks for the reminder
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? My son did Peaches N Regalia for the first time on the weekend, so doing that with him is a highlight, still learning the network.
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? We get great value from our FFS dollars, WORCA leverages those dollars to maintain a premier trail network that benefits residents and contributes to our tourism success. The FFS program is an effective method of having the non-profit sector deliver services that the RMOW would have to do otherwise.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? Housing was our top priority and we approach this election looking to understand if it still is the top priority because of the housing we've delivered in this term.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? The election is the best opportunity for a high level of community engagement. So I'm focused on listening to the community to understand what priorities council should focus on delivering in the upcoming term. Is it still housing, the budget, impacts of tourism, I will use this time to listen and understand to inform the work that follows.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? The Octopus - It's intelligent, sensitive, flexible, adaptable, and has the ability to employ eight tentacles in all directions to achieve its goal of crushing its prey with its beak. Helpful traits to achieve the goals of the community.
Ralph Forsyth
Are you a WORCA member? Yes. And, I’m the council appointed member of the WORCA board.
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Chipmunk Rebellion! So much bang for your buck.
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? The Fee for Service program was created by the council I served on between 2008-2011, It’s been through a few different iterations, but I think the current model with a three-year term is the sweet spot, as it provides stable funding which helps the WORCA budget process.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? Our number one priority was delivering employee housing… we were able to add 386 new employee units and have additional employee units approved or under development for 533 more units.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? Smart Tourism. I’m keen to continue my work as Chair of Whistler’s Smart Tourism Committee. Smart Tourism is about making tourism work for Whistler. Tourism can and must support the community. It’s about ensuring that stakeholders benefit from tourism as much as shareholders, and that the success of tourism accrues to the people that work in tourism.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? Eagle… I try to see the big picture and not get lost in the details.
Arthur De Jong
Are you a WORCA member? Sign me up!
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Sea to Sky Trail
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? Always feel we get real value from WORCA on Fee For Service - no on change.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? From my climate file - Reframing our Cheakamus Community Forrest management policy from provincial cut requirements to Climate resilience, Biodiversity and Recreation.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? Defining Whistlers limits to growth and Fire fuel reduction.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? The name Arthur is of Celtic origin and means Bear. First Nations view the Bear as Keeper of nature - Do my best to uphold this!
Jack Crompton
Are you a WORCA member? Yes
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Cut Yer Bars
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I am proud to have been part of the Council decision to engage WORCA through a Fee For Service agreement. The agreement serves our community extremely well and helps deliver some of the recreational infrastructure and experiences that make Whistler special. If re-elected, I will work to ensure the Fee For Service program continues.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term. We have built LOTS of housing for Whistler families and workers. Much of that success has been the result of effective advocacy with other orders of government. We have attracted tens of millions of dollars in housing investment to Whistler, helping deliver homes for people who live and work here. I am proud of what we have accomplished together.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election. I am excited about what's next for Whistler, and I am committed to ensuring our organization delivers the kind of service we need to build the future we want together. We are modernizing our zoning bylaw to facilitate more housing for Whistler workers and families within existing neighbourhoods. If we reach an agreement with the developer at Northlands Boulevard, we can weather-proof our recreation system through a new indoor recreation facility. We will continue improving our transportation network through more transit, trails, and resident-focused village infrastructure such as bike parking and lockers. We will continue working with resort partners to make tourism work for Whistler. I am extremely proud of the team at the RMOW, and I am confident we can raise our game even further. Your government exists to serve you.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? A donkey! I like to think I am dependable, consistent, and (hopefully) easy to be around. My goal is to bring stability to the work so that, together, we can dream big and accomplish even bigger things.
Tina James
Are you a WORCA member? No
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? green lake look out
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I support the fee for service but wanting more strategic, transparent and tied to measurable community outcomes. also good to really know what we are trying to achieve.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? Employee housing. During this term, Council approved 104 new employee-rental apartments at 1475 Mount Fee Road, and 78 new employee housing units at 1400 and 1450 Mount Fee Road were occupied in 2024.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? protecting the whistler its people, its nature. and its future.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? “The bear has always been my spirit animal. To me, the bear represents strength, resilience and protection—but also respect for the land we share. And that’s how I want to approach the Council: with the strength to stand up for what matters, the humility to listen, and a commitment to protect the place we all call home.”
Robin Brown
Are you a WORCA member? I am a WORCA member.
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? My favorite trail is the descent down Flashback
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I am in favor of the Fee for Service program. I understand that the municipality has instituted a "no-growth" budget baseline that results in no wage increases or inflation adjustment. When asked if I favored an Annual "CPI" increase for the Fee for Service organizations in Whistler my reply was an automatic Yes. WORCA provides an extremely valuable service to the community and visitor building and maintaining a massive trail network that serves every level of cyclist. The municipality gives themselves increases but doesn't believe our not-for-profit organizations deserve the same. WORCA provides this work cost effectively. The same work done by municipal staff would cost significantly more. Climate change is upon us and the riding season will likely be extended. Extreme weather events will likely increase maintenance needs for the trail system, which will raise costs. The municipality should support this increased expense. I will continue to support reasonable increases for WORCA and the other Fee for Service organizations.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? The success of the current Mayor and council was delivering more housing.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? The Keystone issue I see for this election is Responsible spending. The past four years have seen significant tax increases for both residents and businesses at a level that is not sustainable. I am not in favor of reducing the contribution to our Fee For Service organizations; I believe there are other avenues to reduce costs and maintain services. We need efficiency that can come from modernizing systems.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? The bear: we are fortunate to have lots of bears come through our property, they eat and roll around on our grass. Undisturbed they move gracefully to and from their destinations. They meet their goals calmly and non-confrontationally. This is how goals should be attained, a direction I would pursue in a council setting.
Mandy Rousseau
Are you a WORCA member? Yes
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Cheap Thrills
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I think it’s great. I was on the WORCA Board 2012 – 2015, serving two terms as fundraising director, and we did not have a FFS agreement at that time. I’m happy the RMOW recognizes the value WORCA brings to the community, and I like that the agreement outlines annual opportunities to re-negotiate the annual amount, providing a guaranteed base amount for WORCA to plan with and the flexibility to add-on should additional funding be available. There’s always areas of opportunity, though, and I’d be keen to learn from current WORCA board & staff how this agreement could evolve to better serve WORCA’s needs.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? I think community engagement is integral to effective governance, and making the current mayor and council more accessible to the community through the ‘Borrow a Councillor’ program at the library really stands out to me. I also think hiring Chris Vick as CAO, with a background in tourism & hospitality, is going to serve our community well. Having a CAO who knows the importance of fulfilling residents needs while maintaining operational efficiencies and empowering staff is essential to our community's wellbeing.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? Collaboration. I’d like to continue moving the dial on community engagement and collaboration. Whistler residents have a lot of ideas about what we should be prioritizing—from racket facilities and community spaces to a new museum, wildfire mitigation and preparedness. At the same time, we all want to keep costs down. Figuring out how to make progress on these priorities responsibly will take a strong council team that listens, builds good processes, and nurtures a culture of trust.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? Flying squirrel. I live and play amongst the trees (old growth is my preference!) and I approach life like this cute, gliding rodent: eyes wide open, I take leaps of faith and change direction mid-air when necessary. I communicate well, and I work well with my companions.
Raul Bautista
Are you a WORCA member? I'm currently not a worca member, but I've been in the past.
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Too many to just choose one, but lately, everytime I ride Slaybertooth Kitten, I am amazed at how well built it is.
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I believe that the value that the trail network developed and maintained by WORCA brings to town is priceless, so, while I don't know the specific numbers, as a mountain biker, I'm all for supporting the partnership between the RMOW and WORCA and open to explore possibilities to take it even further.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? The delivery of finished housing has been outstanding.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? I'd like to dig into options to make the WHA rental rates lower and to make it easier for WHA ownership to see the improvements in their units reflected on the resale price.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? While I'm not very spiritual, I feel the Salmon's journey is a beautiful and accurate metaphor of the cycle of life and how we all play a vital role in our environment.
Michael Burnett
Are you a WORCA member? No, I’m not a WORCA member.
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? This will sound boring to your members considering what you do on bikes, but I inline skate for miles on the valley trail nearly every day that weather permits, and love it.
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I can see at least three things to consider in response to this question. First, should the policy itself be
reviewed? Are there improvements that could be made? Second, should the way the policy is applied to organizations like WORCA be reviewed? Is the policy applied in a consistent, fair, effective manner, according to the policy’s own standards and the principles of administrative fairness? Third, are the grants made under the policy adequate to fulfill the purpose for which they are made? Does WORCA get the right amount of money for what it does contractually? The first two questions are exactly what I would be asking you if I were to be elected, along with the third, which I’ll get to in a moment. I reviewed the policy, it’s purposes, the connection the grants have with complying with the Official Community Plan, the Community Charter, RMOW policy, and so on, and it appears to be a well worked out, comprehensive set of guidelines and standards. But I recognize that WORCA gets world level recognition for what it does, and your thoughts on the program as it relates to your organization are no doubt more relevant than mine, so if you think there are areas for improvement, I would want to be hearing about them if I were on council. The third question, the matter of the amount of funding received from the RMOW by WORCA on a fee for service basis, was interesting for me. Initially, when I saw how much WORCA gets it seemed like a lot. But when I looked further into what WORCA does for the grant and realized the quite substantial ripple effects for the local economy that WORCA has, it seemed like a lot less. At the very least, WORCA should get enough to enable it to continue doing what it does without falling behind because restricted levels of funding increases don’t keep up with increased operating costs for things like materials and labour. But beyond this, considering the importance of biking to the local economy (not to mention the local culture), and the scale of the economic benefits associated with WORCA’s mission, I would argue that WORCA would be well justified in asking for more in the next funding cycle than they now receive.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? The mayor and council have done a good job in their negotiations with Beedie over the Northlands development. They have taken strong stands on several key issues, while making reasonableconcessions to further the chances of the deal working out. It’s a good accomplishment, worth recognizing, and it’s too bad that the unfortunately unresolved situation of the Racket Club is perhaps making it seem less an accomplishment than it is. If the continuity of the Racket Club could be assured, the mayor and council’s negotiating successes with Beedie would seem even better than they do now.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? Of course I have thoughts on a lot of issues (or I wouldn’t be a council candidate!) but the thing that ties them all together is the conviction that communities are the best experts and consultants on themselves. This expertise has to be drawn upon through practices of deep democracy. Generally speaking, people’s faith in governments is pretty low these days. Some of this is justified. If I were on council, I would be saying to my colleagues that people feel disconnected from political decision making, and there are many serious problems that governments appear unable or unwilling to solve, in spite of promising to do so. This results in distrust. We need to try to reestablish the credibility of democratic institutions by having those institutions become much more democratic in ways that mean more than simply voting every four years can mean to people. We need to find new ways to engage people in meaningful ways, and listen to what the community tells us. In a town the size of Whistler, it should be possible for people to have regular, accessible, direct ways to engage with mayor and council in order to try to have influence of the political direction of things, rather than just having input on adminstrative matters after the political decisions have already been made.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? To choose a mythical symbol that characterizes my aspirations for community service, I am attracted to the dragon in the Chinese system of animal signs. As good councillors should, the dragon soars high to see the big picture and look into the future, but it also swoops low to see the close up detail of things. Dragons are known as guardians of treasure, like the treasure that Whistler is, and bringers of prosperity, which we all need. Dragons are fierce guardians of the people, which requires tenacity, courage, and strong principles, and these are important qualities for a councillor who wants to be an advocate for the community and for the individuals that make up the community.
Jen Ford
Are you a WORCA member? Not currently, but have been for years, and will again one day... a neck injury kept me off my bike this season.
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? Just another bike trail
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? Fee for service is an incredible fund that benefits the community in many ways. In giving funds to non-profit volunteer led groups like WORCA allows them to operate, build trails, build community and plan for the future of our awesome trails and bike village. Non-profits can leverage funding from the RMOW and seek other donations/grants with confidence that the community is behind them and supportive of the work you do. The community benefits as well, because the municipality contracts out the work on trail visioning, building and maintenance rather than adding an internal department.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? I am proud of the long term, sustainable certainty of the fee for service funding that we provided. I am sure there are improvements to be made.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? I think we've made good strides with better community engagement and transparency. That needs to continue to improve. My keystone issue for this election is to explain what IS the ROLE of the municipal council, what can be done within the jurisdiction and what can be improved. If I can help people understand the importance of voting, good governance, and what the municipal role is, I'd be happy with this campaign.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? I just took a quiz to find out what my spirit animal is, and it turns out that I am split between the Intuition of a Bat, the Loyalty of an Ox, and the transformative nature of the Butterfly. I do my research through feelings, I am persistent in supporting and protecting the integrity of the community, and I have been through a lot of changes in the last 4 years.
Marco Zunino
Are you a WORCA member? No
What is your favorite bike trail in Whistler? I moved to Cheakamus in November 2024 and was immediately introduced to the Farside and Riverside trails by friends that lived nearby. I’m relatively new to trail riding so would like to explore more throughout the valley. If elected, I’d love to start a Mayor’s Newbie Ride to learn more and bring others to the sport!
What are your thoughts on the Fee For Service program as it pertains to WORCA and would you change it in any way? I also work for a non-profit Fee For Service recipient in town so I understand the pressures of this vital funding source. Having not received a CPI increase last year, my organization was not able to offer inflationary pay rises to staff (so they received a real-terms pay cut) and we had to cut programming. Staff, and the knowledge that they have, are an organisation’s most valuable asset. FFS recipients should have clarity about their funding to ensure they are able to effectively plan for the long-term. I believe that WORCA should continue to receive funding in this way. The work to develop and maintain trails, and a coherent network, is crucial for the environment as well as ensuring Whistler remains an attractive destination for visitors. The trail system offers diversity to our economy, which is essential as we adapt to climate change, and is a rare resource that both residents and visitors can benefit from.
Outline a success current mayor and council have achieved during this last term? In September 2026, council passed a supportive housing bylaw amendment that reduced the 30-hour requirement for some social housing tenants. For certain cases, such as a single-parent families, those with caring responsibilities, or WHA families that undergo a split, it can be incredibly difficult to achieve this minimum hours requirement. I sit on the board of Whistler Valley Housing Society, which is Whistler’s first social housing provider. This amendment will help us serve our tenants more effectively and it was achieved as a result of intense lobbying of the community’s need by a number of Sea-to-Sky non-profit providers.
Outline your “keystone” issue for this election? I would like to introduce a dedicated social housing policy to complement the great work done on employee housing, to ensure no one in our community is left behind. Further, I’d like to introduce some more diverse housing provision, for example opening up development opportunities for other non-profit providers and investigate new models such as co-op and modular housing. We need to do everything possible to increase affordability. Finally, I’d like to look at policies to help movement within the WHA for those that want to downsize to make space for those with growing families. Too many residents are having to move out of the area to address their housing needs.
What is your “spirit animal” and how might its traits help you serve the community? Elephant – these gracious animals are wise, empathetic, with deep community loyalty. Our elected leaders need to hear the voices of all members of our diverse community.