Dear Editor,

Lately there seems to be quite a few people writing in to the local papers complaining about the “abundance” of noise that the Olympic Plaza concerts are apparently causing.

Honestly, if your biggest issue right now is a little bit of enjoyable music playing past your 9 p.m. bedtime then I think you’re doing pretty well.

The concerts are put on to entertain both tourists and members of the community and bring everyone together to enjoy a night of free entertainment. Unfortunately, yes this may mean you have to listen to the tasteful sounds of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra or an up-and-coming new artist past sundown.

Or that you can’t put your children to bed on time, but really what’s wrong with exposing them to what the community has to offer during the summer months here, even if it means staying up a little late?

Whistler is not your typical town in so many ways, one of them being that we are privileged to draw people here from all over the world, so why not take the opportunity to enhance their experience with a free local concert showcasing some of our great talent?

Now you say these concerts bring in the drunks since they are free and this is the only thing they can afford to do. If your issue is with people being drunk and rowdy then call the RCMP. That is after all what they are here for, and from my experiences with them they are usually pretty quick to respond to complaints/calls.

If you feel that people being intoxicated is the reason you are so upset then address that as the issue, don’t take it out on the free concerts that so many of us enjoy every weekend.

On another point, the Village/Olympic plaza area is in the heart of Whistler. Events, concerts, festivals, and yes noise all take place here as they would similarly in the downtown of any major city. Generally if you do not want noise living in a city you live in the suburbs or outskirts of town where the main “hub” is not located.

Same thing applies here. If you wish to have a very quiet weekend away from the festivities, tourists, and concerts that Whistler draws then it may be in your best interest to relocate to another area away from the village.

We live in Whistler year long for its outdoor activities, scenic mountains, and the constant excitement of the next event to happen in town. Let’s keep it this way.

Amanda Young

Whistler B.C.