Former Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA Ted Nebbeling is heading back to the future. In an interview with Public Eye, Mr. Nebbeling confirmed he is thinking about running to become mayor of Whistler - a position he held before being elected to the legislature. "I'm not going to fool you, cause you're going to get to it anyway," he said, when asked about his political plans. "I'm having a little poll done right now because I think that's a smart thing to do. And then maybe, by the end of next week or the following week, I will make an announcement one way or another."
He then joked, "A lot of people have approached me - that's what every politician says." But he added, on a more serious note, that one of the main reasons people want him to come back is so he can "start doing those things that the Community Charter dictates and that some council members have seen as an optional thing - but that's not the case." Mr. Nebbeling was the minister of state responsible for the charter - which is supposed to give broad new powers to municipalities.
He then said, "I realized, after three months of being out (of public life), I have far too much energy and ideas and willingness to stay heavily involved. So that drove me in the direction of saying 'Let's see if the community is indeed as supportive as I think they are.'" The current mayor of Whistler, Hugh O'Reilly announced last Wednesday he would not be seeking re-election, instead taking a job in Hawaii to sell real estate for a division of Intrawest Corp.
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"The current mayor of Whistler, Hugh O'Reilly announced last Wednesday he would not be seeking re-election, instead taking a job in Hawaii to sell real estate for a division of Intrawest Corp."
The largest and most influential financial force in Whistler has hired Mayor O'Reilly... and he's still on the job? Can you say 'Caesar's wife'?
GVI--
Not in Hawaiian, unfortunately.
Well, if nothing else it shows how Whistler has progressed from laid back hippie hangout to a business bailiwick. The only reminder left of the old days is the fact that Whistler has one of the highest STD rates in BC.
If anyone watched the full extent of Mayor Hugh O'Reilly's press conference in Whistler regarding his announcement not to seek re-election they would have noticed the two occasions where he had to pause. Sniffle. Look up. Sniffe again. And then continue. Ah, Mr. O'Reilly, yes, the good times are gone. Your Whistler bubble burst. No more double digit growth. Whistler is not the #1 ski resort in North America, tourism is down, and even the snow isn't falling. Last year 2004/2005 was the worst on record for snowfall.
Hughie confessed that this last term was the hardest in his 17 years. Unions, strikes, bad economy, forest fires, floods, angry taxpayers, disenfranchised citizens, high prices, big box stores - these are issues that every small municipality is wrestling with throughout the province - and now Whistler is experiencing them too. And it's "been, oh, so difficult for Hugh".
Therefore, throw in the towel, announce his intention not to run for re-election, but run to Hawaii where he can play golf full time in the sun. And live off his very nice real estate investments he earned while in 17 years of public office.
Finally, we all know Whistler is a corporate town. Intrawest/Whistler/Intrawest. It's symbiotic. Yet, when the mayor leaves to go sell real estate for Intrawest and makes no bones about it, in fact, celebrates it, the lines between politicians and corporations isn't just blurred, it's laughed at and shat on.
Hugh, your suntan has never looked better.
The mayor is going to work for a developer with whom he had a long term relationship?
I guess everyone knows how it works now.
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