Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country, joins Mayor Jack Crompton on episode 14 of the Whistler Podcast.
They discuss the challenges of the year so far, how COVID-19 has impacted Canada and transformed his role as an MP and encourage support for local businesses. One of the unexpected outcomes of COVID-19 is the speed at which all levels of government have operated during the pandemic. The Mayor and Mr. Weiler discuss public access to and responsiveness of government and consider what the new normal may look like in the post-COVID-19 world.
Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country, joins Mayor Jack Crompton on episode 14 of the Whistler Podcast.
They discuss the challenges of the year so far, how COVID-19 has impacted Canada and transformed his role as an MP and encourage support for local businesses. One of the unexpected outcomes of COVID-19 is the speed at which all levels of government have operated during the pandemic. The Mayor and Mr. Weiler discuss public access to and responsiveness of government and consider what the new normal may look like in the post-COVID-19 world.
Narrator: 0:02
The Whistler Podcast. Candid conversations about everything Whistler. With host Mayor Jack Crompton.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 0:08
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Whistler Podcast. Thanks for joining us. My name is Jack Crompton. I would like to acknowledge as we always do, that we live, we work, we play on the traditional territories of Lil'wat Nation and the Squamish nation. We're grateful for the chance to work on this territory. I also want to thank Mountain FM for their support in the production of the Whistler Podcast remotely during COVID-19. Looking forward to being back in their Whistler studio shortly at some point in the future. Today, I'm pleased to be speaking to our MP, Patrick Weiler. Patrick is the member of Parliament for West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky country. He was elected to the House of Commons during the 2019 federal election. One of his important roles as MP is to ensure that our voices are represented in Ottawa. He's an environmental and natural resource management lawyer with deep roots in West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky country growing up both in West Vancouver and Sechelt, but with a real deep history in Whistler. I think you might be one of the only people who can say that the name of this riding actually does apply to you. Tell us about your roots in Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky country. Welcome
MP Patrick Weiler: 1:32
Jack, thank you so much for having me on the podcast today. It's great to join virtually, and hopefully next time we can We can do this in person. Just to give you a little bit about my background, like you said, I grew up between West Vancouver and Sechelt, so two of the three embassy regions of the of the riding I grew up in. My father was the president of a company that managed condos in Whistler, so my whole life I've been going up to Whistler for skiing and snowboarding. I worked for his company for a bit, and I did some construction work in Whistler, so I have a pretty longstanding connection to Whistler for pretty much my whole life
Mayor Jack Crompton: 2:24
Is West Vancouver to Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky country the longest name of a riding in Canada?
MP Patrick Weiler: 2:31
As I understand it, it's the second longest, and I think it was the longest, and then there was a a change recently. I think about 4 or 5 years ago when they reorganized some of the writings. It's unfortunately not quite the claim to fame for the longest right now.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 2:46
So with the podcasts, our first section we talk about Whistler news and then we'll go in and talk deeper about your work in Ottawa on our behalf and a little bit about COVID-19 and how that's changed things. But I want to start with the news and an update on what's happening locally around COVID-19. There's a number of local, provincial and federal COVID-19 support programs accessible to our community. For ease of reference, the RMOW has compiled an overview of all the resources available to individuals and businesses and local governments during COVID-19 and those can be accessed online at whistler.ca/community support. Our parks continue to be closed, though we are working on safe opening plans now. Public facilities like the Whistler Library and Meadow Park remain closed. The Whistler EOC continues to meet. EOC means Emergency Operations Center. They're continually working on ensuring that Whistler is well served during the pandemic. We continue to encourage the physical distance between people and on May 5th, next Tuesday, the RMOW will consider a budget revision in response to COVID-19. The stroll is empty most days, really, I would say COVID-19 has changed almost everything about Whistler. And it strikes me, Patrick, that the global nature of this emergency really touched every part of our community. I wonder what's most striking to you about how it's changed Canada.
MP Patrick Weiler: 4:32
Well, it has more or less changed everything in the country. And it's really almost like a wartime mobilization, but in a very different way then we've ever experienced in our country before. Instead of sending people off to war, we are keeping people in at home. What's been really amazing to me is just to see how everybody has really done their parts, and bought in, and really made such incredible sacrifices to make sure that we're able to mitigate the pressure on our health care system and flatten the curve. So we're gonna avoid the worst impacts of the pandemic.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 5:20
It has been a massive sacrifice to families, to businesses, to pretty much everyone. I agree. The second section of the Whistler news is just a comment on a new way of living. This week, May 3 to 9, is Emergency Preparedness Week, which means something a little different in our current context than it may have meant in 2019. I think we're all now very familiar with living in an emergency and importance of the work that's been done to prepare us to respond well. For Whistlerites, I encourage everyone to visit whistler.ca/whistleralert and sign up for our local emergency notification. I encourage people at their homes to firesmart their properties while they are staying home. Wildfire season is just around the corner, and we are making fire smart assessments available throughout the community. You can access those by emailing firesmart@whistler.ca. For the last couple years, we've been talking a lot about the importance of an emergency plan for families. I encourage residents to visit whistler.ca/evacuate for more evacuation emergency preparedness information. It really gives some good direction about how you can be prepared, has a family. New way of living, I think we're gonna be living with physical distance for a while. We are going to be doing tourism in a COVID-19 world, far before we do tourism in a post COVID-19 world. School sports, recreation, parks, trails, everything will be impacted by this new experience of physical distance, and it strikes me. Even Parliament is impacted by this new reality. Tell me about the debate around how many people can fit in the House of Commons.
MP Patrick Weiler: 7:18
Just like all organisations were as parliamentarians grappling with a very different world and trying to make sure we can continue to operate in ways that are respecting social distancing. What that's meant is, for the past month and 1/2 there hasn't been any regular sittings at the House of Commons, but instead, the House of Commons has gathered a few times, now just to pass emergency pieces of legislation. What that's meant is it's just been a much smaller group of parliamentarians gathering. Typically, there's 338 members of Parliament, but we've seen a very small subsection of that, in the low thirties have been attending Parliament just enough that you have a proportional representation of the different parties. But one of the really amazing developments over the past, actually, just since yesterday, was we had, for the first time ever, a virtual sitting in Parliament. And so what we had was a zoom meeting where we had over 300 members of Parliament connect, and we had the opportunity for ministers to present and then for people to ask questions. But this was a completely different scenario than what people would normally see on TV because you have nobody talking over people, you have no heckling, and as a result, things are much more collegial. So I think it's actually really nice change in many ways, and you never know. This could be a game changer for the way that we operate in certain ways going forward.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 9:10
Interesting. Collegially delivered by Zoom. There you go. I just want to finish up Whistler News by talking about the importance of supporting local business. Whistler leans on a tremendous group of small businesses to deliver the international tourism product that we do. And I think it's so important that people support those businesses in this time of a real trial for them. Our family does take out every Friday, we've now done Tandoori Grill, Splits, Creekbread and Barefoot in the last four weeks. I've also heard that the Barn Nork, which is a Thai restaurant in Mount Currie is doing deliveries on Friday as well. So, I encourage people to get out and support those businesses if they can. Lots of Whistler businesses are now online. I've said to anyone who will listen, why shop online at Amazon when you can shop online at Armchair, so buy a book from Armchair, and then there's a lot you can do, then do, type actions. So if you can continue to buy the memberships that you have in the past like WORCA, do it. If you can buy gift cards for future use than do it. If you can give to the food bank, then please do it. But I think it's just so important to note the need to support the businesses and organizations that we trust and need. On the other side of this, you're a bit of a virtual traveler by zoom throughout your ridings. I'm wondering if anything's jumped out at you as far as interesting ways to support local business during a pandemic.
MP Patrick Weiler: 10:53
Well, I think you've highlighted many of the ways that I can think of, you know, supporting those businesses that remain open. Delivering their products in different ways. Whether that's through take out or delivery. It's been pretty amazing to see how some businesses have been able to adapt to the pandemic. There's a least five distilleries in the riding that I know of that are now producing hand sanitizer.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 11:23
Wow. So they're no longer making alcohol for consumption. They're no longer making booze. They're making hand sanitizer?
MP Patrick Weiler: 11:34
They are still making a little bit of booze, but by and large, they've retooled to mostly just make hand sanitizer, and delivering that to local governments, to Vancouver Coastal Health, and other organizations that really you need to have access to it. For instance, I know of Brewery, for instance, has been partnering with local grocery stores so that they're delivering groceries to people that can get them. They're even delivering that to the boat that will take it to Gambier Island, so folks there don't have to come in on the boat to get their groceries. It's been really incredible to see. There's just so many examples like that of how businesses have stepped up to support people right now. So it is really important that we support them in the ways that we can. Like you said, also getting gift cards. So even if you're not able to support them right now, they need to have access or they're gonna need to have that support so they can get through to the other side of the pandemic so we can enjoy the type of products and services they give and they can provide that that we need and that we rely on you know, throughout our communities.
Narrator: 12:53
You are listening to the Whistler Podcast. Candid conversations on current events, local government, and everything Whistler.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 13:01
Patrick, you have been in government now for six months. Is that true?
MP Patrick Weiler: 13:06
Yeah, it's a little more than six months. It feels like a lot longer than that.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 13:11
So I'm guessing you didn't expect the pandemic when you put up your hand for being MP of our riding.
MP Patrick Weiler: 13:18
Yeah, that certainly wasn't expected. Certainly the pandemic has been an incredible challenge, but it seems like it's been one major crisis a month. In January, there's the the tragedy of the shooting down of Ukrainian Airlines flight, the flight from Iran. That touched a lot of people in the community. And not just about everybody knew somebody that from the personal community that was connected to that. There was the blockades that were happening that was disrupting our transportation system. That feels like it was years ago. And in addition to that, the tragedy in Nova Scotia of last week. So, 2020 has been a very, very difficult year. And really it's been one thing after another each month.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 14:17
So those tragedies obviously frame most of your experience serving our country where you are right now. But coming into government, what were you hoping to work on? What were those things that sort of animated your desire to be in Parliament?
MP Patrick Weiler: 14:39
Well, for me, it's really related to the type of work I've been doing for most of my career. I come from, as you mentioned earlier, I come from a background working in environmental and aboriginal and natural resource law. So those are some major, immediate and long term legal and policy issues we need to grapple with in that area. But I've always been really motivated to work on most my career. I've worked on those issues around the world, but not so much domestically. I've always been very, very interested in working on that. I have very, very close connections throughout the riding. I have close family and friends that live just about everywhere. Being able to work for those people and to make advancements and to deliver on different priorities that people have has really been the other area that I've really been interested in. But all these all these ideas and ambitions that I came in with have fundamentally been taken off track by the events of this year. In terms looking medium to long term,, those objectives and long term goals really remain the same. Those challenges are are still remaining. But really, all the best laid plans have really gone through a loop.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 16:07
Yeah, good preparation I imagine for negotiating in Ottawa.
MP Patrick Weiler: 16:14
Well, that's one of the benefits of being in a minority government is that there is so much more negotiating. You have a lot more power as an MP as well, so it's been really great to build those relationships with members from different parties. Each party has their different, very good ideas. It's really good. I really like that in order to pass something through Parliament, we have to agree with at least one party. That usually means that we're able to address certain issues, and the ideas that we have, and to come up with a better solution.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 16:53
What an amazing time to be a part of House of Commons, I would imagine. Let's get into COVID-19. It's totally transformed your work as an MP. I imagine things were moving extremely fast. One of the benefits I've recognized that now weekly, all three levels of government yourself, Emily Jordan, Sturdy and the corridor mayors talk about what needs to be done in our communities. What's a federal responsibility, what's municipal responsibly, what's a provincial responsibility. And it feels like there is access to change and action in a way that I haven't experienced before. What's been the biggest adjustment for you, as you've as a result of COVID-19?
MP Patrick Weiler: 17:44
I was probably just getting used to a routine of going back and forth to Ottawa and the legislative processes there. So I mean, it's all been a big change for the last six months, and I never really got comfortable. Probably the biggest change is i'm not in Ottawa and really the almost the entire focus is on the community. Yes, it's less passing legislation and in policy of at the national level, and it's entirely focused on immediate relief programs, and that's really been the entire process to date. And so it's been great to connect with yourself and the other Sea to Sky mayors, and Jordan, and likewise with the elected officials from other parts of the riding as well, because you all know much better than I do, what the situation is in your communities. I'm really here to learn from you, and to be able to take what you're telling me and really have that be heard in a lot of the the national level policy making that's being made, and also ensure that the policies that are made aren't going to have critical gaps that are leaving people behind in the community.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 19:10
Do you have more access to Cabinet than you did before COVID-19?
MP Patrick Weiler: 19:17
Absolutely, I would say so. I've really found from the beginning that the Cabinet has always been very open. You know, I have have good relationships with most people in cabinets. We're quite close and friendly. But what we've had every day is a daily call with the Minister of Small Business, the Associate Minister of Finance and a rotating Minister from different departments where there's a specific issue that we're discussing. And that's been really great because it gives us the opportunity to question what's being put forward and really highlight some key areas that perhaps have been overlooked, or where there is a gap. But really from the get go, I have most of the ministers that I'll just be texting if I have an issue that comes up and they know the different issues that I'm interested in. So when something's being contemplated that's going to impact that they're they're quite proactive and reaching out to me to let me know as well.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 20:28
It's not just specific to the federal government. It feels like government is more responsive across the board. More accessible to the public, more accessible to each other quicker in the work that is being done. I wonder why a pandemic is what, not is required, but what has changed, or have we lost anything by becoming so responsive? So what did we have going into this that we don't have now. What were we doing that we can't do now, that is replaced by all of these quick cycles, this access to each other? Maybe it's sleep, I don't know. But it feels to me like we had to gain that time and capacity from somewhere to be able to then become as responsive as we have become as governments.
MP Patrick Weiler: 21:21
What I think it has done is it shows that government can operate very, very quickly when it needs to. It will be interesting to see if that changes expectations for people going forward for how government should operate in normal times. But what we're seeing is policies and the programs being put together in days or weeks that take months or years. It's been really is incredible to see how that's been possible at all levels, and things that were once unthinkable, to be happening at the rate that they are are happening on a regular basis. So it's really, really been incredible to see. And and I think it's really made, in a lot of cases, giving people more trust and faith in governments that can actually get things done. I think really people have a new appreciation in that sense.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 22:25
I certainly do. I've also been struck that the access to the public has grown and you've been all, you know in a number of different settings, talking to business owners and community members about how best ideas need to win, and how, your mind is open, and you'll take things back to government that can change policy. Have you been receiving input from the public that has changed policy in ways that you can point to specifically?
MP Patrick Weiler: 23:00
Yeah, absolutely. Because things are being rolled out as quickly as they are, and there hasn't been as much time for consultation. These these programs really should have to make sure that there's no gaps. And so you know, the government or the bureaucracies got good ideas. Elected officials have good ideas at the federal level. And I know Jack, you've had lots of very good ideas that I've taken back. I've tried as much as I can to invite people that have good suggestions to reach out and let me know those, and whether that's by phone or by email. I've been receiving lots of good suggestions. Just to give you an example of that, a community member that lives on Thormanby Island had some very major concerns about having to go pick up her mail from her PO box, which is on the main land. She was concerned if she didn't go pick it up, that after two weeks, it would be sent back. That was something that I brought back to members of my caucus and the Minister and brought forward some ideas that maybe we can just have that extended. And so, this person is not going to have to put themselves at risk during the pandemic by having to go pick up their mail. And now, actually, the mailbox is keeping their mail for a much longer amount of time. So this person has that flexibility, and doesn't have to worry about having to make that trip to go pick up her mail.
Mayor Jack Crompton: 24:43
That's cool. You guys have so much to be considering during this pandemic, and there are things that are beyond what our community is considering. It's good to have economists and the kind of inputs that you'll have as government to inform those decisions. Thanks. I thought this was an interesting interview. I'm grateful that you took the time to sit down with me and chat about things, and I'm really grateful for the work that you're doing for the Sea to Sky. You're so engaged and so involved in and what's happening here on the ground. I'm really grateful for it. I also want to thank Mountain FM for their continued support of the Whistler Podcast. Thanks for listening. I'm Jack Crompton. See you next time.
Narrator: 25:35
You've been listening to the Whistler Podcast. Candid conversations about everything Whistler. To find out more about the Whistler Podcast, visit whistler.ca/whistlerpodcast