We wanted to know what drew people to this mountain resort in the Canadian Coast Mountains, and then wouldn’t let some of them go? What makes some people toss their secure, nine-to-five job out the window in exchange for some time on these slopes? What makes them raise a family here? Open a business? What gets under their skin and embeds itself so deep that Whistler becomes part of their soul?

Although we asked a variety of people with different occupations, ages and backgrounds, the answers shared some similarities, although each was unique to the perspective and life story of the Whistler local we connected with.

Here’s a recap of our five summer videos, which might give you some inspiration for joining us in the mountains; whether you stay for a few days, a season, or a lifetime.

Trevor Ferrao, Executive Director of WORCA

In video 6, we chatted with Trevor Ferrao, Executive Director of Whistler’s Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) about getting out of the city, the perks of working from home and how digging in the dirt builds more than bike trails.

“One of the things I love about my job is that I work from home. So, as long as I’m getting the work done I try to get out for a lunch ride. I live in Cheakamus and there are trails within a minute of my home. It’s awesome. When I lived back in London, it used to take me about an hour to get to any trails. Having world-class trails on my doorstep is amazing, I love that.”

Steph & Jason Redmond, Co-Owers of The Raven Room

In video 7, we chatted with Steph and Jason Redmond, co-owners of The Raven Room about developing high-quality products, running a business with friends and how Vermouth should be kept in the fridge.

“There’s a phrase you hear a lot – living the dream – and I actually feel like I’m living the dream here. We get to do what we love, hopefully, make some money and get to see happy, smiling faces on a daily basis.”

Allan Crawford, Founder & Co-Owner of CWA

In video 8, we chat with Allan Crawford, founder and co-owner of Canadian Wilderness Adventures about dumpster diving, fun-led business plans and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“We offer everything I found that I wanted to do. I found a way to take any inkling of a passion, a spark and turn it into business, so I could be working and playing at the same time – that’s been the focus of my life.”

Miranda Foord and Elise Savard, Co-Owners of Peak Performance

In video 9, we chat with Miranda Foord and Elise Savard, co-owners of Peak Performance clothing store in Whistler about meetings on chairlifts, taking risks and working with your bestie.

 “Going to work every day is not really a job, it’s so enjoyable. Being able to talk about what run you did on the mountain that morning or how deep the powder was; it’s a special environment to own and run a business.”

Helen Hamilton and Charlie Stenner, Musicians

In video 10, we chat with musicians Helen Hamilton and Charlie Stenner of Little Earthquakes about drawing creative inspiration from the mountains, flow state and coffee art.

“I can combine all the things I love doing with outdoor sports. I can do the bike park, I can snowboard, skateboard, do yoga, but I can also make a living here through lots of different ways, and it’s a beautiful place to do that. Whistler is great for anyone who loves the outdoors and loves nature.”

Locals, like the people featured above, are the beating heart of Whistler, which is made up of passionate entrepreneurs, tireless workers and small business owners who all love to revel in the mountains. Check out the full 10-part series to hear what it’s like in the winter months.

We hope this might have inspired you to join us in the mountains sometime soon, for however long you choose to stay.

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Round-Up: Why These Locals Chose Whistler appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

We wanted to know what drew people to this mountain resort in the Canadian Coast Mountains, and then wouldn’t let some of them go? What makes some people toss their secure, nine-to-five job out the window in exchange for some time on these slopes? What makes them raise a family here? Open a business? What gets under their skin and embeds itself so deep that Whistler becomes part of their soul?

Although we asked a variety of people with different occupations, ages and backgrounds, the answers shared some similarities, although each unique to the perspective and life story of the Whistler local we connected with.

Here’s a recap of our five winter videos, which might give you some inspiration for joining us in the mountains; whether you stay for a few days, a season, or a lifetime.

Mike Conway, Physiotherapist & Business Owner

In video 1, we chatted with Mike Conway, a physiotherapist and the co-owner of Back In Action Physiotherapy about treating the Canadian Ski Cross Team, what it’s like to be on Whistler’s Search and Rescue team and how it feels to raise a family in a ski resort.

“I didn’t really know what my dream life was. I knew that nature was something I’d really like to be in, I didn’t like the city-style of things where everything is really close. I got into some things in Whistler that I didn’t even know I was interested in or that would become a life goal to pursue. My dream life keeps evolving here.”

Ed & Natasha Tatton, Bakers & Business Owners

In video 2, we chatted with Ed and Natasha Tatton, Co-Owners of BReD, an organic sourdough bakery that’s one hundred percent plant-based and vegan friendly. Originally from the UK, they talk about entrepreneurship, snowboarding and having the courage (and community) to take a leap of faith.

“When I moved here, I met my people. I found an awesome group of people who were into outdoor sports, health and wellbeing, and the environment.” Natasha

Kylie Wilkins, Assistant Manager at Vallea Lumina

In video 3, we chatted with Kylie Wilkins, Assistant Manager at The Adventure Group’s Vallea Lumina, a multimedia light show set deep in Whistler’s forest. She grew up in the Sea to Sky and talks about why she returned, what it’s like to work in the tourism industry and how it feels to make people smile.

“Whistler’s amazing because you can walk out your front door and do so many activities, and meet people from all over the world. You can have a different experience every day. It’s accessible and things are so close. I can go for a ski before I go to work – there are not many places in the world where you can do that.”

Jay & James Paré, Restaurateurs

In video 4, we chatted with Jay and James Paré, an uncle and nephew team who co-own and manage Caramba and Quattro at Whistler, two of Whistler’s most established and loved restaurants. We talk about the chaotic nature of the food and beverage industry, what it’s like to work with family and taking over a business during a pandemic.

“We’ve got the best playground in our backyard. It’s phenomenal. Summer, fall, winter, spring – it’s an awesome resort all year round and it’s an hour and a half from Vancouver if you want the big city feel now and again.” Jay

Court Larabee, Executive Director of Indigenous Life Sport Academy

In Video 5, we chatted with Siginaak (Blackbird in the Anishinaabemowin language), Court Larabee, Indigenous Relations Specialist at Vail Resorts and Executive Director of Indigenous Life Sport Academy. We talk about building cultural bridges, mountains and mental health, and why it’s important that we all fall once in a while.

“As soon as I arrived I fell in love with this place, with the community, it was the first place where I thrived rather than just survived. I also found a purpose here, which is to bond communities and create recreational opportunities for youth that our ancestors never had the chance to experience.”

Locals, like the people featured above, are the beating heart of Whistler, which is made up of passionate entrepreneurs, tireless workers and small business owners who all love to revel in the mountains. Check out the full 10-part series to hear what it’s like in the summer months.

We hope this might have inspired you to join us in the mountains sometime soon, for however long you choose to stay.

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Why Whistler? Winter. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

What is it about these mountains that draw people to them and then won’t let them go? How does the balance of work and lifestyle work here? What gets under people’s skin and embeds itself so deep that Whistler becomes part of their soul?

We ask a variety of Whistler locals Why Whistler? In Video 10, we chat with musicians Helen Hamilton and Charlie Stenner of Little Earthquakes. We talk about drawing creative inspiration from the mountains, flow state and coffee art.

How Did You End Up in Whistler?

Charlie (C): I’m from a little island called Guernsey, which is in the English Channel. Just after finishing university, I came on a holiday with family to BC and I just loved it so much that I decided to come back, and I stuck around. As everyone says, I came for the winter and stayed for the summer.

Helen (H): I’m from South London, in a place called Epsom in Surrey. I came to Whistler in 2014 shortly after I separated from my ex-husband; it was a getaway, get-over-trip. I stayed with my best friend who eventually convinced me to get a working visa and move out here.

The main reason I stayed here is that I fell completely in love with the town, the scenery. I knew that I wanted to stay because I felt a completely different energy here. I was in London before, working really hard, a little burnt out perhaps, and Whistler was this amazing tonic of outdoor life that I’d never experienced before, and I became absolutely smitten with it.

What’s the Vibe of Whistler?

H: It’s this mix of this tiny, little mountain town with amazing scenery that almost feels like this enchanted place, but mix that with so many tourists and so many people living here from different cultures that you kinda get that slight buzz of the city. This works for me because, coming from London, I still needed a bit of buzz, a bit of nightlife and big energy, and you get it in Whistler through the people and the tourism, but you’ve also got the wide-open spaces and this amazing, beautiful landscape that feels kind of endless.

How Did You Get Into Music?

C: I asked for a drum kit one Christmas, my parents said that would be too loud, so they got me a guitar instead. I’m sure I had a tantrum about it, but I decided to give the guitar a go and got really, really into it.

H: I first got into music with my ex-husband; we were in a band together in our early 20s. We performed together for about eight years, travelling all over Europe in an electronic duo, booking all our own shows and leading a very cool, DIY, music lifestyle. Then I went on to play all over Europe in a party band, doing high-end events for people like Google and Asahi Whiskey, which was full-time back in London. Then, moving here, I’ve been doing music since I landed. I went to the local jam nights and started playing music in different bands and duos.

How Did You Meet?

C: Helen and I have been playing music together for two years. Helen runs vintage pop-up events in Whistler, and we met because she booked one of my previous music projects to play. When the other half of that music project, Ellie, decided to go back to the UK, Helen stepped in and here we are!

H: I saw Charlie play at one of his early gigs at Cranked and I asked him to play at one of my vintage pop-up events, which I run every month in Whistler and Squamish. I loved his sound and when I heard his music partner was leaving, I approached Charlie about making music together and we’ve been doing that for nearly two years now. Charlie feels like family to me.

How Would You Describe Your Sound?

C: Indie, folk, alternative. It’s got quite a mystical melancholy to it. We’re going for that enchanting, sad space.

H: Originally styled, cover versions of alts, pop, lofi, R&B, a kind of rocky sound. We love making original versions of quite well-known songs, and we also play some more obscure, melancholy, enchanting songs as well. Someone recently described us as heartbreak and hope, which I really like.

I relate to heartbreak and anything that feels really emotive. I remember watching a singer who said they suffered to sing happy songs, and I really resonated with that. I like anything that goes deep and talks about hard times in life, and I like expressing my emotions, it’s almost like writing a journal, getting it all out. It’s better to get emotions out rather than keeping them suppressed inside.

What’s Your Favourite Thing About Playing Music?

C: Forgetting myself. When I’m completely immersed in what I’m doing, I feel whole and complete.

H: I used to ride my bike when I was six, another reason I love Whistler is the mountain biking, but I used to ride along my street and sing songs to myself and make up lyrics. I stood up at school and said I wanted to be a singer, so it’s something inside me that I knew I had to do.

When I write music and when I’m performing, I’m in my complete flow state; nothing else matters and nothing beats it.

I’m inspired by playing in Whistler. We did a show right on the shores of Alta Lake, at The Point Artist-Run Centre, where we watched paddle-boarders and boats go by as we performed in the sunshine; it was absolutely beautiful and I have to pinch myself because I genuinely can’t believe I’m living in one of the world’s most beautiful places, doing what I love the most.

What’s the Music Scene Like in Whistler?

C: Healthy. It’s supported by the fact that Whistler is a big tourist destination, to that end musicians can actually make a living here. That has its own traps in terms of where the music territory goes. Artists always have to deal with the tension between pleasing the masses and following individual creativity. It’s a difficult balance to strike. There are a lot of venues that want the same, familiar setlist; that doesn’t necessarily encourage artists to nurture their own projects.

H: It’s buzzing. There are loads of musicians. The first jam night I went to was at Crystal Lounge, I met a lot of musicians that night. There are some old-timers who have been here a long time and there are loads of newbies coming in all the time. It’s amazing to see such a merging of different talent and different experiences from all over the world come together and because of that, you have a real mix of genres, musicians, instruments and abilities. Whistler really stands up to a city because of that mix.

Is Whistler Supportive of Its Artists?

C: It’s immensely supportive of artists in general. Whistler, and more broadly, Canada, has great funding for the arts; it’s valued. But at the ripe, old age of 25, I haven’t lived in a lot of places. It beats Guernsey.

H: The community really supports its artists. There are so many bars offering live music. You can possibly be performing a similar set each week as your audiences changes because they’re tourists, so that works well for repeat gigs; you can’t do the same in London, or many places in the world. The Resort Municipality of Whistler and Arts Whistler really help you out with shows; we just finished a mentorship program which was all funded and was an amazing experience. I’ve never felt more supported as a musician.

What Makes Whistler a Good Place for Creatives?

C: It’s the same thing that the mountain bikers love, the snowboarders love, and it’s a different way of them accessing that sense of losing yourself in your practice. That is a different expression of life, and being fully involved in living.

What Makes Whistler Special and Unique?

C: It attracts lots of people who have a lust for life; the community is buzzing with that energy.

H: I’ve heard this story multiple times here, people say; I’ve been all over the world, I came here and I stayed. That is the essence of Whistler. I’ve travelled a lot myself and you stop here, and you don’t go anywhere else. As a musician, I used to want to travel all the time, tour and gig, but since moving to Whistler, I don’t need to do that. I’m happy to stay in Whistler and play on those patios because I love it here.

What Do You Love About Whistler More Than Anywhere Else in the World?

C: How big everything is and how it makes me feel like a child again. Everything – the trees, the skunk cabbages; nature is absolutely breathtaking here and I am in constant wonder of it.

H: I can combine all the things I love doing with outdoor sports. I can do the bike park, I can snowboard, skateboard, do yoga, but I can also make a living here through lots of different ways, and it’s a beautiful place to do that. Whistler is great for anyone who loves the outdoors and loves nature. I was in the bike park a few weeks ago and we saw deer, rabbits and a bear. I love it when people come to visit me because I start exploring Whistler again; it’s like you’re reliving your first time at Cheakamus Lake or your first time on the gondola and PEAK 2 PEAK.

What Other Things Do You Do in Whistler?

H: I do a lot of things in Whistler, and that’s not to just make ends meet, it’s to fulfill my own motivations, I’m a very driven sort of person. Alongside music, I run monthly vintage nights because I have a passion for sustainable and environmentally-friendly fashion. I’m also a wedding makeup artist, that’s my training, my background, as I trained at the London School of Fashion in editorial makeup, and now I’m busy with weddings all year round.

I also make coffee at Mount Currie Coffee Co., which was voted Whistler’s Best Coffee in 2020. I’ve been making coffees since the day I arrived and I’ve loved every minute and I’ve met so many locals. I’ve really become aware of what a beautiful community Whistler is through the coffee shop, so I still work there part-time. Before I worked there I was actually caffeine-free, not anymore! I love the culture, the creativity; it’s a wonderfully social job, and it’s an art form. I learned my latte art at Mount Currie, it took me months to get up to scratch, my specialty is a bear!

What Does the Average Summer Day Look Like for You?

C: I will inevitably go to a lake and cool off. Camping in the evening. Spending time with friends. Patio gigs. I’ve just bought a bike and I’m looking forward to zipping around the Valley Trail on that.

H: I do yoga on my deck in the sunshine. I love breakfast at Alpine Cafe. I will go mountain biking if it’s not too hot, or come skating at the Whistler Skate Park. I’ll definitely go sit by a lake, maybe do the bike park in the evening and I love hiking too!

Do You Skate?

C: It was my great love before music. I was seven when I got my first board. I fell away from it at university but always came back to it on holidays. The island that I come from doesn’t have a skate park, so having a skate park like this one in Whistler is incredible.

H: I learned skateboarding at 32, which is pretty late in life, but I believe that you can pick up any skill at any time. I came to Whistler for six weeks in the winter of 2016 and then went back to London, which I was a bit depressed about because I’d wanted to stay. My best friend taught me how to skateboard to cheer me up. I learned to drop in, some tricks, but it was really to try and cheer me up from leaving Whistler!

Where Do You Dream of Playing in Whistler?

C: I’d love to play a jazz set at the lounge in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and I’d love to play up the mountain at the Roundhouse; that sounds like an adventure, you take your instruments on the gondola, zip up the mountain and you’re on top of the world, playing music, what more could you ask?

Has Living in Whistler Changed or Influenced You in Any Way?

C: It’s opened my eyes to a huge variety of cultures and walks of life. I think it’s a place where people of lots of different ages hang out and it doesn’t matter because they’re inspired by the thing that they’re doing, and that generation thing is broken down. I have quite a lot of friends who are older; I think Whistler’s an amazing place with a huge variety of ages and cultures, and it’s expanded my being.

H: I’m way more in-tune with myself and my emotions. I get outside a lot more, slowing down has helped me become a better version of myself; I’ve got to know the real me. In London, it was such a fast-paced life that I’d kind of forgotten who I was. Moving to Whistler has allowed me to reconnect with myself.

What Are Some of the Challenges Living in Whistler?

C: Trying to find a solitary spot if you want to have nature to yourself; that’s very greedy of me. I think keeping away from mosquitos is a bit tiresome. Paid parking. Having to leave.

H: Housing. There’s not a lot of opportunities. I share a house and it’s great, but I’d love to find more permanent, secure housing. It’s expensive, but you work hard and you make it work because it’s a really great place to be.

What Gives Whistler its Heart and Soul?

C: The great community of people here that love the mountains and keep the place running.

H: Whistler’s not only an amazing landscape, a beautiful mix of lakes, mountains and forests, but it’s combined with this amazing community that has found heaven on earth and has come together for the same reason. There’s this connecting vibe that way.

Check out the latest on Little Earthquakes on their Facebook page. To meet more Whistler locals, take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Helen & Charlie. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

The golf course in the video is Whistler Golf Club.

What Drew You to Whistler?

Elise (E): I’m originally from the little town of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, and like many people, I came here for skiing, and for two seasons I was a ski instructor; back in 2000 and 2001. Miranda was actually my supervisor at ski school; she got to boss me around back then, not anymore, ha ha! We connected right away and became good friends. After the ski season, I went to Australia and we connected over there, and then travelled together.

Miranda (M): I’m originally from the Melbourne area in Australia, and my dream was to be a ski instructor even though I didn’t know how to ski! However, in my first season, I failed my Level 1 instructor course and ended up working in a retail store for Whistler Blackcomb. I wanted to stay, so I learned to ski, passed my CSIA Level 2 exam and then worked ski school for three winter seasons. I’ve lived here year-round since 2011 and I am very lucky.

So Miranda & Elise, Why Whistler?

E: It’s the golfing, the skiing, the lakes, the paddleboarding, the lifestyle; to call Whistler home is a dream.

M: The lifestyle, the people; they’re active, outdoorsy, love life. It’s an amazing spot. I actually moved back to Australia for a couple of years and tried to settle down, but I missed the lifestyle over here.

How Did You End up Owning a Clothing Store Together?

E: It was something we talked about when we were instructors – how cool it would be to have our own store in the Village. It was almost like a joke, I never thought we’d have the guts to do it.

Then one day we said, we’re thirty, what have we got to lose? Let’s do it. Let’s make it happen! It was our dream to do something here and make a living in the best place in the world.

M: We opened the store in December 2011, so coming up on 10 years this year! Back when we were in ski school we’d joke on these minus 25 days about how it would be nice to work inside, and here we are! We didn’t have much experience; Elise and I jumped into this headfirst, we took the risk and it paid off.

What Is It About the Retail Industry That You Love?

E: Actually, when we first opened the store, we had no experience in retail; we had to build everything from scratch. But having a retail store in Whistler is different from the city, everyone’s on holiday here, the customers are happy, they want to chat and that makes it a fun interaction. It’s just a different experience to having a store in the city where people are in a rush.

M: Going to work every day is not really a job, it’s so enjoyable. Being able to talk about what run you did on the mountain that morning or how deep the powder was; it’s a special environment to own and run a business.

Why Did You Choose Peak Performance?

E: We fell in love with the product when we travelled around Europe. It’s a great brand for a four-season resort like Whistler. Here you have golfing, hiking, running, skiing; everything you can do here in Whistler, we have the clothing for it. It’s a perfect brand for this place.

M: I know that our customers are going to be happy with what they’re wearing in whatever weather Whistler dishes up. I love the quality and style. We live in Whistler, so we can use the product. For example, in the winter testing out the ski gear, in the summer the golf apparel. I have a business I can get out and play in.

What’s it Like Working With a Good Friend?

E: We definitely complement each other. She’s a good manager, she’s great with the staff and I’m more the numbers and accounting part. She has different qualities than me and we work really well together.

M: It’s amazing. We’re opposite, Elise does a lot of the backend stuff, the accounting, the numbers. I oversee the front end, managing staff. We treat our staff like our family, so it makes coming to work every day super fun. Our staff are amazing; they’re the backbone of our business.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Peak Performance Whistler (@peakperformancewhistler)

We have meetings on the chairlifts, discussions about the store, work and play mix. But that’s part of it. I think it’s what makes us successful, that we live the business. We live the brand. We’re in the store dealing with the product, but then we’re out skiing in it, talking about the product, about work, doing up the mountain with our staff.

I have no problem getting up in the morning and answering emails straight away, I just love what I do. Some people like to keep work and life separate, but for me, I love picking up the phone at any time of the day. We both have a passion for our store and I think that’s what makes it a success. I love coming into the store every day, I love talking to people; it never gets old.

How Does it Feel to Be Entrepreneurs in Whistler?

E: During COVID, our VIPS and community definitely came out to support us. There’s a great, supportive feeling here in Whistler from the community.

M: The community has been so supportive over the past ten years, especially over the last year and a half during the pandemic. We have a really strong connection with our local and VIP customers, and they’ve just been amazing. Our customers end up becoming friends, it’s something special, the relationships that are built through the store. We’ll go out golfing or take a few runs on the hill with some of our customers, we’re really lucky.

What Does the Future Hold for Peak Performance?

E: I think the brand has a lot of potential to grow here in Canada. It’s only at the beginning. This year it’s our 10th anniversary, we can’t believe it’s been ten years, time flies when you’re having fun! We’re going to have a party in the store, a thank you to our locals and VIPs.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Peak Performance Whistler (@peakperformancewhistler)

M: It’s a young, fresh brand to Canada; there are only three stores here right now and they’re looking to expand. Not a lot of people know us yet; it’s a Swedish brand that’s big in Europe but new to Canada. It’s a good technical product perfect for the West Coast. Elise and I want to grow the brand, and keep customers dry and happy!

What Does a Normal Summer Day Look Like for You in Whistler?

E: I like to go for a run, then head to work. If I have time, I might do nine holes after work or go for a paddleboard. The summer evenings are so beautiful here, I just try to make the most of it.

M: We’re on Whistler hours, so we open at 10 AM. It allows us to play – go for a run, or mountain bike before work or in the winter, go ski some powder. It’s a flexible lifestyle and we work with our staff to make sure we all get outside.

What Are Your Favourite Activities in Whistler?

E: Skiing, obviously, but in the summer I like to golf. There are so many amazing courses in Whistler. Golf is a great way to socialize, but be active at the same time.

M: My golf game is improving, I’ve got a lot of work to do, it’s a sport I just picked up a few summers ago. I’ve got a good coach in Elise, she gets me through. I love it. The courses here are spectacular. It’s got me off my mountain bike a bit this summer.

We also like to wine and dine, Bar Oso is one of my favourites. We get out on the lake paddle boarding too.

What Makes Whistler Unique?

E: The great outdoors and all the activities you can do. For me to call it home is amazing. People dream of coming on holiday here and we get to live here. I try to remind myself how lucky I am to be here.

M: We’re so lucky to be living in a place like Whistler. The like-minded people, the activities; it’s a dream come true to live in a place like this.

What Makes You Proud to Call Whistler Home?

E: Whistler is a big icon and we came here, starting from scratch. Now to have a store, to make a good living, it’s a dream come true.

M: I’ve created a lifestyle I love here.

Has Living in Whistler Changed You?

E: I’ve always been active, but living in Whistler I don’t want to miss anything, I want to try everything, all the time. It’s just made me more active!

M: I’ve always been a happy person, but to do all the things I love in one place and not have to travel as much makes me a super lucky person. I feel very privileged.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Peak Performance Whistler (@peakperformancewhistler)

What Gives Whistler Its Heart and Soul?

E: The people that live here. It’s a different pace, a different world.

M: The people. The people here are happy. I mean look at where we live! It’s high energy.

Follow GoWhistler on social media to get the next installment of Why Whistler?. To meet more Whistler locals like Miranda & Elise, take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Miranda & Elise. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

What is it about these mountains that draw people to them and then won’t let them go? How does the balance of work and lifestyle work here? What gets under people’s skin and embeds itself so deep that Whistler becomes part of their soul?

We ask a variety of Whistler locals Why Whistler? In Video 8, we chat with Allan Crawford, founder and co-owner of Canadian Wilderness Adventures. We talk about dumpster diving, fun-led business plans and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Where Are You From and Why Did You Come To Whistler?

I was in my fourth year at university (1993), not very many people went to university from the town I’m from; it’s a very small, English, farming town in Quebec, most people go straight to work or work on their family’s farm. I ended up going to school because my mother talked me into it. She told me – go to university it will be the best time of your life. So I did. Then as I was finishing university, I remembered what she’d said and thought, does that mean the rest of life is downhill? What a dilemma. I called my uncle, because he’s always good at solving dilemmas, and he said to move to Whistler, the fun will keep going. So I did, and he was right!

I’ve travelled around the world, to at least 31 countries, looking for somewhere better and I haven’t found it.

What Kept You in Whistler?

I think I’m a bit different than most people. A lot of people came here to get away from the big city, they wanted this little town and might have gotten a bit frustrated as the town grew. But, fortunately for me, I came from a town of 600 people and I liked the growth because I actually came here for the size of the place, and the bigger it gets the better it gets.

More people, more fun, more stories, more opportunities, more arts, more guests to come on our tours, allowing us more opportunities to build here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

Where I’m from is beautiful, but everything was declining, the only busy place was the funeral parlour. I come out here and it’s booming, growing, it’s excitement and thrill – it’s amazing here. We get more diverse people here as we grow. We used to just get the jocks, they’d ski and then go get drunk at the bar, that was about the extent of it. Now, we have an artist community and positive people from all over the world, choosing to be here and adding to the community. Vibrant people with all kinds of backgrounds are being drawn here, it’s like a huge vortex sucking people in – I can’t get enough of it.

How Has Whistler Changed or Influenced You?

Whistler’s given me the opportunity to grow. When I first got to Whistler, I couldn’t believe it existed. One of the first jobs I got, when I arrived in the fall, was in lift maintenance. They gave me an ATV and told me to head up the mountain. Next, they had me climbing the towers and I was like, you’re letting me do this? People would pay to do this. I’d grown up in my father’s machine shop, truckers and farmers, solid people around me all my life, and now I’m looking out this door of the alpine shop and what I see is like something you’d see on TV. When we started our business we then worked with the people who we saw on TV. I’m teaching Arnold Schwarzenegger how to drive our snowcat. It was like being inside the TV – I was living it. Unbelievable.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

When you’re from a very small community, you’re pegged straight away. What’s your dad’s last name? You’re judged instantly. You’re Protestant, not Catholic? English? French? Not one of us. You come to Whistler and every religion is here. At home these things hold you back, people fight over it. In Whistler, people couldn’t care less about what life you were born into – you’re with us now, let’s go. It opens you up; lets you have freedom.

There’s such a great economy here, literally, you could do anything and it will work here. People will back you, there’s a vibrant influx of international dollars to make anything you want to do happen. And that’s what I did. I did anything I could think of.

What’s It Like Being an Entrepreneur in Whistler?

You suggest an idea and people are right behind you, they want to help and be part of it.

I got into mountain biking, doing about three big rides a week and doing the Loonie Races. I got my cardio to a place where I could go from the bottom right to the top of Whistler Mountain without stopping. I was feeling pretty proud of myself. One evening, we were coming down Khyber and I fell, caught my leg in a tree, split my pelvic bone open and it was a nightmare to get out of there. I was stuck for the rest of the summer, six weeks in bed and they told me that if it didn’t heal well I’d have problems for the rest of my life.

My friend Randy, who lives here and has worked here since day one, brought me a notepad and I started writing down any ideas I could dream of to submit to the government as I’d heard they often cut back a lot of your ideas. But lo and behold they accepted everything and I have about ten lives worth of opportunities to get done here and I’m just trying to get to it all!

What Do You Offer at Canadian Wilderness Adventures?

We offer everything I found that I wanted to do. I found a way to take any inkling of a passion, a spark and turn it into business, so I could be working and playing at the same time – that’s been the focus of my life.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

I saw this guy selling two trailers of canoes and I felt like going canoeing, so I bought the two trailers. My favourite place to canoe is the River of Golden Dreams, so we started trips down the river. When we first started snowmobiling it’s because I’d seen a whole row of snowmobiles at Blackcomb that they were selling and I wanted them, so we started doing snowmobile rides. Anything that seems fun, it seems to be that if you offer it, other people will find it fun as well. As I grow out of one idea I add new ideas, so whatever the passion of the year is those become our tours.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

How Did You End up in the Callaghan Valley?

This location has quite the story to it. We were originally a little further south on Highway 99, but when they were putting the bids in for the Olympics they wanted us to move here. It was a lot of work to uproot ourselves, but in the end, it gave me a blank slate to create new trails that were specific to the products we’re offering. For example, if you’re building a trail for sleigh rides, you want it nice and tight to make it romantic and quaint, but not too steep as the horses have to pull people up it. But for dogsledding, because they’re six or eight pairs of dogs on a long lead line to the sleigh, if you make the trails too tight you’ll end up in the trees. This place had old logging and mining roads, which we linked together, but it was a fresh start.

I was reading David Suzuki books at the time, so I was getting a deeper appreciation for nature. I chose this particular spot because it’s surrounded by old-growth, but where we’ve put our infrastructure was previously logged, so we’re doing minimal damage to the areas we venture into. Knowing that infrastructure needs septic fields, roadways and gravel and everything, we chose this spot because it was previously disturbed.

Do You Have Any Ideas Brewing Right Now?

The river next to us is this tight, little river which I have a plan to do whitewater rafting on. One of the waterfalls is spectacular, it’s shaped like a horseshoe so we call it Horseshoe Falls. Then there’s another place we’ve named Gun Barrel Rapids, I’m hoping to one day offer Cowboy Rafting, where you ride a horse to the put-in, so you get that fun experience of going through the old-growth forest on the horses, and then you come down through this tight little river on small little boats so you get this wild ride. Maybe at the end, we’ll have mechanical bull riding in the barn, some après, those are just dreams.

What Do You Love Most About What You Do?

The people. People become your life. One guy, for example, is Dennis, he’s been here for about 25 years now and he keeps everything mechanically sound. Somebody asked him what his favourite part of the company was and why he’s stayed so long, and I think I’ve adopted his philosophy – you just never know what’s going to happen next.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

You can be here and the phone rings and it’s Disney on the phone – we need your barn, we’re going to turn it into a reindeer home for a Christmas movie. Then the next day it’s a call from Porsche saying they have new 4X4 cars and they want a race track building, so we do that in the mountains at an old, abandoned gold mine. I joked that they should leave the cars behind – they left ten and now we do tours in Porsches. This town is magic. What’s gonna happen next?

Can You Tell Us About Your Treasure Hunting Hobby?

I’m sorry I was late for this interview because I had to go to the dumpster, I’m a bit of a dumpster diver. There are so many wealthy people in this neighbourhood buying new things, so they throw the old things into the dumpster and that’s my art. I go there and I salvage things. I can immediately see what can be done with these great materials. Just this morning someone had thrown away a trampoline, it’s got nice curves, good metal, all the fittings and bolts, and I thought – that would make a good railing. I picked up a wine barrel too. I want to build this zipline with a crow’s nest and a ship theme, and this could work so I’ll put it in my inventory.

As things come I’ll grab them. But in this town it’s not just the little things, we’ve torn down a complete lodge that was being renovated with full boilers, full commercial kitchens. We’ve torn down famous houses, like the old Rob Boyd house. Now, the value of land here is so expensive nobody can store anything and time is money in this town, I’ve got trucks and trailers for the snowmobiles I’ve got loaders and excavators from building our facilities, I get a call and I get there immediately – it can be midnight. I want to build a spectacular resort out of recycled materials because that’s what Whistler wants. Whistler wants to be sustainable and people now have incentives to keep the stuff out of the dumpsters. They started the Re-Build-It Centre a bunch of years ago, and I think I was the one who suggested the name, and that’s my next stop after the dumpster every day. I go treasure hunting daily – I’m a treasure hunter.

What Are Your Thoughts on Waste and Sustainability?

I think, instead of paying someone to make your waste acceptable, it’s better to do something about it. So, if I can literally pull something out of the dumpster my guests can use, like people are choosing to use our structures, which we build out of waste, having their photoshoots, movies, weddings, their most special day of the year, in front of our waste.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

Luckily, I grew up in a welding shop and if you needed something you made it. Every day I try to gather more tools and more materials and turn them into creations that will entertain our guests, whether it’s their special day of the year, daily tour, or the highlight of their holiday. I’m playing all day long. It’s creation. Art.

Take our barn, for example, the timbers were destined to be a bridge, but the project was abandoned, so I acquired them. The roof trusses came from a temporary building that was used during the Olympics, I got those for free. Some of the windows I bought used, they were meant to go into my house, but I came to work one day and they had appeared in the barn. One of the guys decided they fit there perfectly and I didn’t take them out because they fit there perfectly! The doors are reused cedar from the Creekside grocery store, the other windows came from three different houses on Blueberry Hill, which used to be the fanciest place in town, so those are some fancy windows in there!

Are There Any Parts of the Base That You’re Particularly Fond Of?

I don’t know if it’s my favourite, but the caboose gets the most attention, it has some kind of magic vibe to it. At the time, I was only allowed temporary buildings so your typical solution would be a trailer or shipping container, but they kind of lack character so this caboose I got for $2,500. The doors had been stolen and the windows smashed, oh, and it had been in a train accident.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

That caboose is a big hit. I’ve had to drag billionaires out of there because they’re having so much fun at events we have, they love it there, they feel comfortable, it’s so unique and different – it works. We’ve had all kinds of events there, we had one guy zip line into his wedding from the roof of the building across the way. It’s just a real freedom place. It doesn’t fit any categories, so nobody has any expectations. The nearest neighbours are 12 miles away, except for the dogs you can hear barking in the background.

What is Canadian Wilderness Adventures?

We’re entertainers. Our goal, our purpose here on earth is to entertain people. People go about their day, they could be curing cancer or teaching kids, driving trucks to deliver our food, cleaning buildings during a pandemic to keep us safe and alive – everybody has a purpose, and ours is recreation.

A mentor of mine said to me that if you break the word recreation down it’s re and creation. People come up this highway to be rejuvenated, they will often come on one of our tours and we’re usually just a piece of the holiday, but often people call us the highlight. That’s what keeps us going on those rainy, cold, windy, wild times. You get instant feedback, instant gratification, people leave happy, recharged, full of energy – it’s brilliant.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

What Gives Whistler Its Heart and Soul?

Obviously the people. For all the people who think it’s gotten big, it’s still really very tiny. You have any kind of issue and people are right in there, it’s a strong, strong community.

What Makes You Proud to Call Whistler Home?

I was in Guatemala one time and I’m in some little restaurant grabbing food and on the TV, in this rustic, backpacker place, Whistler came up on the TV. Not only that, but it was one of our tours. It felt really proud to see that.

How Did You Grow Your Company?

The growth of the company isn’t something I completely understand. We had a staff party at Christmas one year and I think 115 people turned up – how did that happen? If I was a kid in today’s world I’d probably be classed as ADD and put on Ritalin. I’m probably working on a hundred projects at one time. I just go to the next interest. Some things I start keep going and some finish. I look around and wonder how we got here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Canadian Wilderness Adventures (@canadianwilderness01)

People always say we’re like a big family because we loved working together so much. You work so many hours, you become friends and when you go on a holiday you call it a staff trip. We go on these big, three-day trips, rent RVs, go surfing, throw wild parties. Anyone who’s had frustrations with a co-worker they’ve bonded back together over those three days. We’ve had so many people meet their spouses at work, they have children, they feel so attached to the company. No one really quits, they just move on, they often come back again, everyone is still part of the team. They share homes, they share cars, they start their own businesses together. We respect each other, realize we all have our own needs, we try to make room for everybody to grow.

Part of the thrill of this town is watching the changes, the different people that come here, the things people do, the homes people build. Just take a drive up some of these divisions on the side of the mountains; people are building palaces. You could get a job as a carpenter and work on one for five years straight without a day off to make money and get ahead, or you could get a new job the next day in something completely different. There’s just endless opportunity here.

Inspired to come on an adventure in Whistler? Chat to one of the locally-based team members at Whistler.com to see what’s happening during your visit. Canadian Wilderness Adventures offer ATV, Off-Road Buggy, 4 x4 Sightseeing, E-bikes, Canoe, Forest Bathing and Salmon Bake Mountain Top Dining in the summer, and in the winter Snowmobiling,  Snowshoeing, Snowcat, Fondue, Yukon Breakfast and Steak Night Dining, Dog Sled and Campfire Cookouts. 

Follow GoWhistler on social media to get the next installment of Why Whistler?. To meet more Whistler locals, take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Allan. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

Why Did You Move Here?

Steph: I moved here for the summers, unlike a lot of people who come here for the winter. I love the hiking, biking and lakes. It was my husband who kept me here though; I tried to run away a few times, but he loves it here so much we had to stay. That’s a terrible answer, haha! No, I love the outdoors and how you can walk out of your door and be playing outside in five minutes; there’s not a lot of places in the world where you can do that.

Jason: This all started with a trip from Ontario to Jay Peak in Vermont. We’d heard there had been a snowfall of thirty feet, decided to rally, and when we got there it was chest-deep. I’d never seen snow like that before. I thought that’s it, I’m moving out west. I’d also gone travelling in Australia and East Asia, and when I got home to Ontario I found it a little closed-minded, it was too far from the ocean and the mountains seemed a bit small! I just needed to be out west, which is what my parents did when they travelled from Ireland to Canada, I just went further west.

Quality of life has kept me here. I came here for the skiing, but I do love the summers as well. Year-round it’s just a great place to be.

How Did You Get To Where You Are Today?

Steph: I’ve been in Whistler for fifteen years. We’ve worked really hard to get to where we are today. We’d been in the hospitality industry for over twenty years and I was starting to move out of it. I was working for Whistler’s environmental charity, AWARE, when Jason and Luke started planning the opening of a restaurant. I slowly got pulled back into it and I couldn’t be happier.

We’ve had The Raven Room for two and a half years, sixteen months of that were in a pandemic. Given that, I’m starting to think we might just make it!

Jason: I’ve been in hospitality most of my life. It was a side job while I was at university and a job I could do while I was travelling. I picked up a bunch of skills, serving, bartending, managing and just kept improving on those. The inspiration for The Raven Room came from wanting to own a place where you could get a high-quality martini alongside high-quality food.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Raven Room | Whistler, BC (@theravenroom.ca)

We keep our Vermouth in the fridge, so you can have a proper martini with us. We squeeze all our juice fresh, make our own syrups, no pop-gun mixers, we choose quality spirits, local spirits, and experiment with techniques that not many people try. I have a favourite drink, a classic, it’s a 102-year-old recipe; the Negroni, stiff stirred bitter, it’s delicious. We’re known for our rotating cocktail list, which we adjust every fall and spring, and we always have a selection of house creations, which are a little bit weird, a little bit different, but we also do the classics.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Raven Room | Whistler, BC (@theravenroom.ca)

What Do You Love About the Food & Beverage Industry?

Steph: I love putting high-quality products in front of people that I feel proud of, and then seeing their smiles and hearing their reactions; them being able to try new things because our team has got creative and thought of incredibly innovative ideas.

Jason: I love it when people leave our space with smiles and high-fives at the door; a high level of stoke. That gets me going.

What Do You Loathe About It?

Steph: It’s hard work, long hours and difficult to find staff. But that aside, there are so many positives in the challenges.

Jason: There’s not a lot that I don’t love. I knew the challenges when I signed up. I knew we were going to have to staff all the time, which just means I have to do more jobs.

What’s It Like Working With Your Partner?

Steph: It’s incredibly rewarding working with my partner in our own business because we get to share in our successes together, in our challenges together; it’s together. We chose to spend our lives together and we really are spending our lives together!

Jason and I will have a hot moment once in a while, but we like to say that when we walk through the black curtain it all goes away (editor: they use a black curtain to divide the back and front of house in their restaurant). We’re pretty good at dusting it off, but of course, every day is not perfect. Jason definitely complements me; he’s outgoing and definitely loves hanging out in the front of house and chatting with all the people. He’s the definition of hospitality in my mind, whereas I’m good at the behind-the-scenes stuff, the computer stuff, nerding out on excel spreadsheets and making sure everything keeps ticking along.

Jason: It’s fantastic! It can be challenging at times, but she’s so good at what she does. She does a lot of the things that I’m not strong at, we do complement each other.

What’s It Like Working With Close Friends?

Steph: Working with close friends is amazing. Even when staff start out as employees, they quickly turn into family. We’re all incredibly close, we all take care of each other. That’s what you have to do in Whistler. Your actual families are all far away and so what happens is that you end up becoming family with the people that are here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Raven Room | Whistler, BC (@theravenroom.ca)

Jason: When I met Luke, we were working at different places, but we were on the same page about our next move and what we wanted to create. We sat down at the Dubh Linn Gate and planned the future out over a pint or two, maybe some whiskies. It’s fun and going well. We’re all focused on quality and keeping that stoke going. We always try to elevate each other, lift up our brand and help other businesses around Whistler with what we know. Luke says that a rising tide floats all boats, and I agree with that.

What’s It Like Being an Entrepreneur in Whistler?

Steph: It’s a difficult place to succeed, but the community is incredible and I’m still shocked some days that we have this. It feels like an honour to be a business owner in this climate, in this place.

Jason: There’s a phrase you hear a lot – living the dream – and I actually feel like I’m living the dream here. We get to do what we love, hopefully, make some money and get to see happy, smiling faces on a daily basis. We’re also an hour and a half away from Vancouver, so if we need that connection it’s right there, and vice versa.

What’s the Future?

Steph: More Raven Rooms to come, this is just the beginning. We don’t want to stop with this one; the last sixteen months have held us back a little, but we have big dreams which go beyond these walls.

Outside of Work, What Does an Average Summer Day Look Like?

Steph: It revolves around the lake. One of my values in life is having a wet head! I absolutely love swimming, whitewater rafting, anything to do with water; we’re always happiest when we’re around water. Lake life is about relaxing, hanging with people from all over the world, dog kisses at the dog park, jumping off the dock. It’s just a relaxing, welcoming environment. We also play in the Whistler Volleyball Association League (WOVA), it’s so much fun and usually ends with a beer in my hand!

Jason: There’s so much to do here in the summer, whether you’re golfing, hiking or biking, swimming in the lake, kayaking, a little beach volleyball, some bocce, sometimes just reading a book down by the water, get a little zen time before work.

Having a restaurant that opens in the evening means we can focus on being active during the day and then doing our thing at night. In the winter there’s lots of shredding before work, got to get those powder days in. I never have to miss a fresh powder morning, it’s ideal, it’s the dream.

Lake life in Whistler is the best. I like Rainbow Park because you can be active and then relax; so playing beach volleyball and then jumping in the lake. It’s nice to clean off the sand, get the sweat out of your eyes, freshwater, glacial views, you can’t beat it. I’ve been playing volleyball since I got here, so twenty years, the league is great and a lot of fun.

What Is It You Love About Whistler More Than Anywhere Else in the World?

Steph: We can access nature in a heartbeat. You can be surrounded by beauty, calm, peace, serenity and adventure in seconds. It’s one of the most incredible places I’ve been. There’s fresh air, clean water – we’re so lucky to live here. Work is busy, the business is busy, so to be able to go and relax in the sun, surrounded by mountains and being able to jump into a glacially-fed lake, there’s nothing more relaxing than that.

Jason: The quality of life and how many people come here from all over the world who we get to meet. I really enjoy hearing their stories, hearing where they’re from and planning my next trip based on something someone just told me at the bar.

What Makes You Proud to Call Whistler Home?

Steph: The community here in Whistler is very small, we’re at 12,000 people, but we play host to millions over a summer or winter season. We’re part of an open-armed, international community; it feels like you’re travelling, even when you’re in a small village.

Jason: It’s a great community of locals taking care of each other. We’re like-minded and an active community, which I find keeps you feeling young. The primary reason is lifestyle, work is secondary.

Has Living in Whistler Changed or Influenced You in Any Way?

Steph: Absolutely. I’d never live anywhere else, it’s one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been. I feel so lucky to live here. I have a travel itch, but I don’t feel that as much here because you can connect with people from other cultures all the time. What I’m most excited about with the borders opening up are our international guests.

Jason: Definitely. Aging is on pause. I’m trying to keep up with the 20-somethings dropping cliffs in the winter and trying to beat them at volleyball in the summer.

What Gives Whistler Its Heart & Soul?

Steph: The mountains. That’s it.

Jason: I’m going to agree with my wife on that one. The mountains give Whistler its heart and soul. I think we’re all here for the mountains.

If this tempts you to try The Raven Room, we suggest making a reservation as this summer has turned into a busy one! Take a read of Summer Sippers: The Insider’s Guide to Summer Cocktails in Whistler, which highlights a couple of The Raven Room’s cocktails. 

Follow GoWhistler on social media to get the next installment of Why Whistler?. To meet more Whistler locals, take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Steph & Jason. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

What is it about these mountains that draw people to them and then won’t let them go? How does the balance of work and lifestyle work here? What gets under people’s skin and embeds itself so deep that Whistler becomes part of their soul?

We ask a variety of Whistler locals Why Whistler? In Video 6, we chat with Trevor Ferrao, Executive Director of the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association, known locally as WORCA. We talk about getting out of the city, the perks of working from home and how digging in the dirt builds more than bike trails.

What Drew You to Whistler?

Initially, I came for the winters and the snowboarding. I grew up in London, England, in the city, but I wanted to get out to the mountains. I did seasons at different resorts in BC and Alberta; Fernie, Red Mountain and Lake Louise, and then I came to Whistler, which also had a lot more mountain biking. Although I came for the winter, it’s the summer season and the biking that made me stay in Whistler.

How Did You Get to Where You Are Today?

After university, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I had a degree in mathematics, operational research, statistics and economics, so looking at careers, the main ones were chartered accountancy or actuarial work. I picked chartered accountancy because it was the quicker qualification, and also because I knew I wanted to travel a lot, and I thought that qualification would give me the best chance of doing that.

Within a year of getting into that work, I knew the city life wasn’t for me. My main hobby, at the time, was snowboarding, and I wanted to find a way to do that most of the time, so I moved to Canada, became an instructor and it led to working in events in snow sports and then mountain biking.

When the WORCA role was posted it looked like the dream job to me. I bring my background in chartered accountancy to the business and administrative side, but also my experience in outdoor sports events. I’ve worked for Whistler Mountain Bike Park and for Crankworx running events, and that experience helps with all the WORCA events that happen throughout the biking season. I also know all the trails, because I ride them! It seemed like the perfect fit.

I’ve now been working for WORCA as their Executive Director for three years, that’s actually when the job was created, but I’ve been a WORCA member since 2005 when I first came to Whistler. Working for a non-profit that has a lot of impact on the community is why I do the job. It’s a lot of work, and there’s lots involved; it’s challenging but very rewarding. It’s not something my friends or family would have expected, some of them are a bit jealous, ha ha!

What Does an Average Day Look Like?

It starts with emails and administrative work. I’m the first point of contact for WORCA, so members, stakeholders and sponsors come through to me. I also check in with our staff. We have a trail crew and a trails administrator, so I make sure they’re all set up. We also run youth camps, so I’m in contact with our Dirt Camp Manager who organizes a large group of instructors. I’m in constant contact with our board of directors. We have 12 of them, with lots of different roles and I coordinate them. For example, we have a member of the board who is the Trails Director, and I assist with the backend logistics, like registration for our volunteer Trail Nights.

One of the things I love about my job is that I work from home. So, as long as I’m getting the work done I try to get out for a lunch ride. I live in Cheakamus and there are trails within a minute of my home. It’s awesome. When I lived back in London, it used to take me about an hour to get to any trails. Having world-class trails on my doorstep is amazing, I love that.

What’s the Future for WORCA?

Before I started in my role, WORCA was run purely by volunteers, so I had to set up lots of procedures and structures. Since I started I’ve managed to increase revenue by 50%, which means more money going into the trails, which is the key part of what we do. The benefit is that people can see the trails have better maintenance. We just had an increase in our funding this year from the RMOW, which is really key.

We’ve also had a great turnout for our volunteer trail nights. It brings the community together and means there’s a lot more work getting done on the trails.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by WORCA (@worcawhistler)

What Role Does Biking Play in Whistler?

Biking is huge. The main sports people come here for are skiing and snowboarding in the winter and biking in the summer. Most of the trails in Whistler were built by volunteers, avid bikers who came here, wanted to stay and built trails. The sport’s grown massively over the last ten years. Each year we’re seeing an increase in bikers to the Sea to Sky area. it’s an important hobby, not just for locals, but for visitors too.

What are the Trails Like in Whistler?

We’re known for world-class trails. Historically, it’s been the more challenging trails that people recognize here. We have steep terrain, and the original trails were quite technical. Over the years we’ve definitely built more beginner and intermediate trails, this has been a key focus so that we can make the trails accessible to more people.

There are lots of people in Whistler who have come for the winters and never mountain biked before and then discover the sport in the summertime. There’s definitely a need for more beginner and intermediate trails because of this.

How Did WORCA start?

It was created in 1989, so over thirty years ago, as an advocacy group. Basically, bikers in town wanted to ensure there was access to trails and they set up WORCA for that main reason. They wanted to bring the community together and raise some funds, so they started events like the Toonie Rides. All the trails we maintain and advocate for are multi-use, so they’re not just for the bikers. We’re increasingly seeing members who are runners and hikers who use the trails here.

What Do You Love About Whistler?

I’ve travelled a lot, and Whistler’s the best place for me. I just love that the whole community is passionate about sports and the outdoor activities that we do here, whether that’s skiing, snowboarding, biking, or hiking. Everyone’s really passionate about that and continues to be.

There are lots of other resorts around the world, but I don’t think any have as many world-class activities all year-round. Whistler has become busier in the summertime, when I first came here it was the winters that were busy, now the summers seem busier. The spring and fall are great times of the year too, it’s year-round here.

Has Living in Whistler Changed or Influenced You?

My quality of life has definitely gone up. I get to enjoy my hobbies a lot more. When I lived in England, I worked in an office and didn’t have as much time to enjoy outdoor activities. That’s been huge.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by WORCA (@worcawhistler)

What are Some of the Challenges With Living in Whistler?

The cost of living is pretty high, that’s something you have to accept and work with. I was in shared housing for many years until I got my own place a couple of years ago. Renting was hard, I went through a few years when it was really tough to find somewhere to live. Luckily, there are some systems in place, like Whistler Housing Authority, who really helped me.

Emigrating to a new country is hard. It took me a long time to apply for my permanent residency; I applied on my own and it took about four years. It was a tough period of time to find work visas and work it all out. I had to move back and forth between Canada and the UK at one point, which was challenging. In the end, it paid off.

What’s Whistler’s Heart & Soul?

The people and community. We’re full of passionate people who really love life in Whistler, and moved here specifically to enjoy the outdoors. I think you notice that. When visitors come and see what life is like here in Whistler they begin to understand just how passionate we are about the outdoors. I think that comes across when you meet people who live here.

WORCA is made up of avid mountian bikers and it brings us together with a common goal, which is having amazing, world-class trails to ride. Seeing local kids in the youth camps really enjoying themselves and making connections within the community is great.

Favourite Mountain Bike Trails in Whistler?

Some of my favourite trails in Whistler are actually close to my home in Cheakamus. I love the flowy trails we have, like High Side and HiHi, which are intermediate flow trails. Then I do a loop that takes me to some more technical trails like Business Time and AM/PM, which are rocky and rooty. I like a mix of those different trails, anything where I can find my flow.

How Do You Name the Trails?

The builders are involved and historically it was them that got to decide on the name. A lot of the original trails were unsanctioned trails, there was no approval process back in the day, but now there is. The newer trails, which take a couple of years to go through that process, are still named by the builder(s), but WORCA’s board of directors will have some say as well. The builders spend hundreds of hours out in the forest, so they have the best ideas about what to call them.

How Do People Get Involved in WORCA?

We welcome everyone here. There’s a mix of trails, from beginner to expert. The trails are open to everyone and are multi-use, for bikers, hikers, runners, dog walkers, etc. We encourage anyone coming to Whistler to check out the WORCA website, we have lots of info on there about trail etiquette, trail info and how to help out.

We have volunteer trail nights, which is a great way to learn how our trails are built and maintained from experienced builders. It allows people to give back, you can really see what’s involved in the work and then you’ve made your mark. Every time you ride that section of trail you can feel good, knowing you did a bit of work on it.

You can also join a Toonie Ride, which is more of a social event, where you can feel part of the community. We change the courses every week and there’s something for all riders. When I first came here, this is where I met people. I remember at one of the first Toonie Ride après, I met the Mayor of Whistler and he welcomed me to town!

If you want to join a WORCA event, become a member or sponsor, or need trail information, take a look at WORCA’s website and sign up for their newsletter to stay connected. For some local suggestions on where to ride in Whistler, check out Insider’s Guide: Cross-Country Biking in Whistler.

Follow GoWhistler on social media to get the next installment of Why Whistler?. To meet more Whistler locals, take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Trevor. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

What is it about these mountains that seem to empower people? How are they a cultural conduit that can bring about social change? What gets under people’s skin and embeds itself so deep that Whistler becomes part of their soul?

We ask a variety of Whistler locals Why Whistler? In Video 5, we chat with Siginaak (Blackbird in the Anishinaabemowin language), Court Larabee, Indigenous Relations Specialist at Vail Resorts and Executive Director of Indigenous Life Sport Academy. We talk about building cultural bridges, mountains and mental health, and why it’s important that we all fall once in a while.

How Did You End up in Whistler?

I’m originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario and I’ve been in Whistler for 16 years. I came for the love of snowboarding, but also because of the mountains; to be humbled by something greater than yourself is a beautiful experience.

As soon as I arrived I fell in love with this place, with the community, it was the first place where I thrived rather than just survived. I also found a purpose here, which is to bond communities and create recreational opportunities for youth that our ancestors never had the chance to experience.

What’s the Indigenous Life Sport Academy?

For the first 16 years, we were the First Nations Snowboard Team, but we recently rebranded to the Indigenous Life Sport Academy. We focus on unstructured sports and training, and we create mentorship programs for youth in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

It’s important because we’re creating opportunities and breaking down access barriers to sports in the mountains, like snowboarding. We also offer skateboarding, which we run in West Vancouver all the way up to Mount Currie, for Indigenous youth and children in the foster care system. Skateboarding is nearly a year-round operation for us, we give kids free skateboards and run clinics; it’s a very fast-growing program.

As a non-profit, we raise money through community sponsors and private donors, and we’re working our way towards charitable status, which we hope will enable us to secure more funding for the future.

My grandmother has always told me it’s important for kids to play, she didn’t get a chance to, but kids today can and should. I didn’t have someone doing this for me when I grew up either, but I can be that person for others.

What Do You Do as the Indigenous Relations Specialist at Vail Resorts?

I’m a bridge between the mountain (Whistler Blackcomb / Vail Resorts) and the Nations. I run cultural competency training sessions in group, and one on one settings for the team. Alongside the ambassadors at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, I lead guided tours to give historical context to our employees to help them better connect with Whistler’s Indigenous people.

As Whistler Blackcomb is on the unceded territory of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations, I lead land negotiations and conversations where we need to consult with the Nations. I also develop recreational opportunities for Indigenous youth, adults and elders in hopes of reconnecting them with the mountain.

Before the pandemic hit last year, we brought elders on a tour of Whistler Blackcomb. They did storytelling at the Roundhouse and travelled across the PEAK 2 PEAK, which many of them had never done. We learned that a major issue for them to come to Whistler Blackcomb more often is transportation, so I’ve been in talks with the local government about solutions to remedy that.

Part of my focus is to connect visitors with our Indigenous culture while they’re on the mountain. We have developed employment and training opportunities for Indigenous people who wish to be part of the team; having them represented on the mountain is very important. In a visual sense, we’ve worked with local artists on Indigenous designs that can be seen wrapped around some of the PEAK 2 PEAK gondolas, and in terms of auditory connections, I’ve been teaching our team how to say thank you and welcome in our local First Nations languages. We’re working on additional signage and stories which will be added to the Cloudraker Skybridge and Raven’s Eye, and along some of our hiking trails. The work is ongoing.

Where Can People Go to Find Out More About Indigenous Culture in Whistler?

If I could tell people the one place they should visit on a trip to Whistler, it would be the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. That should be your number one place to meet the people, taste the food, hear the music – it’s a beautiful place full of beautiful people.

I helped to build the Spo7ez Trail, which connects to the Stélmexw i7imesh (Salish Stroll), a few years ago. It features interpretive panels and examples of fauna and flora that have been utilized by the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation. I shared this knowledge with the Indigenous Youth Ambassadors and taught them how to groom the trail in a way that it can keep its natural beauty. This small area holds many stories for our ambassadors to tell about the gifts of the forest and how Indigenous people use them for food, medicinal purposes, clothing, building materials and utensils. It’s a special place.

You Do a Lot of Things, How Do You Manage Burnout?

I manage stress by implementing self-care into my daily routine. I have to put myself first because if I don’t love myself, I can’t love the community at my fullest. I believe everyone should do this, and after a while, self-care should just be life.

One of the best self-care rituals that I do is hydrotherapy at the Scandinave Spa. The whole process rejuvenates my entire body and preps me for the busy workload – it just washes it all away.

What Do the Mountains Do for Your Mental Health?

It’s that humbling feeling; it’s being by something of such grandeur, beauty and strength. In the past, the Indigenous people would send their youth to the mountain to gain strength so that when they came back they’d grow into strong adults. The mountains have always been part of our self-care and self-development.

What’s It Like Working on Reconnection With Youth?

It’s so beautiful bringing the youth back to their land. This is a reconnection point.

It’s an amazing feeling when the youth get to experience something they maybe thought was unattainable for them. When you see them complete their first day on the snow, whether it’s skiing or boarding, you see the biggest smiles on their faces. They’re radiant. It’s self-confidence; it’s a positive energy that they take to school the next day, and when they come back to practice the following week they’re excited to do more.

What Do You Love About Whistler?

I love the community through and through. I love the people who find themselves here. I love the spirit that seems to sing through the mountains and the valleys. I am so blessed to call Whistler home. No matter where you are in Whistler, there’s outstanding nature that can wash away your worries. You can be in something greater than yourself within two steps.

We’ve all come here under different, but similar, pretenses. We all come here for adventure, we all have a certain spice for life. I like to surround myself with these like-minded people and I’m thriving within this community.

I’m proud to call Whistler home because out of all the places I’ve travelled to across Canada, it’s the first place where someone has asked me about my culture in a positive way.

Has Living in Whistler Changed or Influenced You?

Absolutely. Living in Whistler has revolutionized my entire life. I went from a state of mind that was just survival to a state of mind that was thriving. From running a non-profit to being an entrepreneur to helping the mountain (Whistler Blackcomb) work closer with the local Nations, and just having fun myself. It’s given me opportunities, purpose and love – my cup is overflowing with joy and support from this community.

What Do You Mean By Thriving and Not Just Surviving?

I grew up in a place that’s been called the hate crime capital of Canada. Living in fear and judgment was normal, everyday life. Walking around a mall you’d be followed instantly, going to an interview you’d be judged immediately, and that is no place for anyone to grow and have a healthy attitude towards life, and that’s why I love Whistler – it’s the opposite.

What Do You Do For Fun in Whistler?

I love to get on my snowboard. I’m learning about how to go into the backcountry safely.

I also love just floating on the lakes and relaxing. There’s so much to take in and experience in Whistler, from the lake culture to snowboarding to skiing to biking – I try to dabble in all of it.

What Are Some of the Challenges of Living in Whistler?

Most of us are away from our families. We’re a young town, a young community and everyone is writing their own stories here. For most of us, our families are back home. My culture is back home, it’s separate from the culture here, although, in many ways our Indigenous cultures overlap, I still find it a challenge to be away from my own people.

What’s Whistler’s Heart and Soul?

The land that it sits upon. It’s what attracted the initial Indigenous people, people who have lived here for millennia, and then later on, when settlers came, they fell in love with the same vibe that we’ve found.

What Does the Future Hold for You?

The future for myself is bright, but the future for our non-profit, the Indigenous Life Sport Academy, is even brighter. Not only do I see us serving the Sea to Sky Corridor, but also growing and expanding our divisions, offering more activities, keeping the youth active throughout the year and expanding our borders to help more youth, help more communities and enact positive social change.

One of the mottos on our team, which the kids and coaches abide by, is that if you’re not falling, you’re not learning. That’s something we’re trying to instill into all of our youth, all of our instructors, to all of our leaders; because it’s so imperative to just get out and try and experience, and to be humbled by that experience and get up and start again. These life lessons are not only transferable to sports and the outdoors but to career challenges – it’s okay to fall because you’re going to make it.

Locals, like Court, are the beating heart of Whistler, which is made up of passionate entrepreneurs, tireless workers and small business owners, who all love to revel in the mountains. This is #WhistlerNice.

You can hear more from Court in this week’s The Whistler Podcast hosted by Mayor Jack Crompton. If you’re a snowboard fan then you will also hear him at the start of the Natural Selection Tour highlights coverage on March 19, when he represents Indigenous youth from across the country with a land acknowledgment at the highest echelon of competitive snowboarding. For more information on the Indigenous Life Sport Academy visit their website at LifeSportCanada.org and on social look for #ilsacrew.

Follow GoWhistler on social media to get the next installment of Why Whistler?. To meet more Whistler locals, take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

If this video has you dreaming of a trip to Whistler, enter the Winterscape Contest for a chance to win an incredible Whistler travel package (for the future). It’s essential travel only at the moment, but if you’re local and heading up the ski hill, please take a look at Ski Well, Be Well for best practices for low risk recreation.

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Court. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

What is it about these mountains that draw people from all over the country, the world even, and then won’t let some of them go? If they do leave, what brings them back? Is Whistler a good place for entrepreneurs and business owners? What gets under their skin and embeds itself so deep that Whistler becomes part of their soul?

We ask a variety of Whistler locals Why Whistler? In Video 4, we chat with Jay and James Paré, an uncle and nephew team who co-own and manage Caramba and Quattro at Whistler, two of Whistler’s most established and loved restaurants. We talk about the chaotic nature of the food and beverage industry, what it’s like to work with family and taking over a business during a pandemic.

How Did You End up in Whistler?

Jay: I’m originally from Montreal, went to high school in Ottawa and moved to Edmonton with my parents when I was eighteen. I worked at Jasper Park Lodge in the summer and, at that time, the lodge closed in the winter. I’d heard about this place called Whistler and I’d been to Vancouver before and loved it, so I hopped in the car and drove up the highway and found work the next day as a busboy at an Italian restaurant in Whistler Village.

I thought I’d only do that for one season, but it ended up being four years of going back and forth from Jasper to Whistler. Eventually, I had to pick one place and I chose Whistler because I love the west coast and the mountains here. I’ve now been in Whistler for 36 years.

James: I’m originally from Chilliwack, BC. I ended up in Whistler because of my uncle, Jay. When I was six or seven I’d come up and learn to ski, and I was lucky enough to eat at places like Il Caminetto and Trattoria, some of the most iconic Whistler restaurants, because of Jay.

As I got older, I realized there was something about these restaurants, the experience – it’s what I wanted to do. When I graduated in ’99 it was a really easy decision to make my way to Whistler straight away.

I did my apprenticeship in the restaurant that I now own (Quattro) and I have fond memories of the learning curves. You can cook great food anywhere in the world, but for me, cooking in Whistler is comforting. I feel like I know the clientele, I know what people are looking for and it’s exciting to create new things that they can look forward to on their trip up to Whistler.

Why the Food and Beverage Industry?

Jay: It’s always exciting. There’s never a dull moment – you never know what’s around the next half hour. When you’re having a great night with service and food, it’s like a symphony coming together. I’ve been in food and beverage all my life, I just love the restaurant scene; the controlled chaos. The night might be looking crazy to people, but it’s all controlled, fun and never dull. The passion of the business is what drives me.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Quattro, Whistler (@quattrowhistler)

James: It’s the dynamic of it, the pace, the feeling when a guest has an amazing experience enjoying something you’ve done, your craft. There’s a lot of reward there. It’s never been about how much money or what you can get, it’s more about what you can give – I think that’s the most important part about it.

How Did You End up With Two Restaurants?

Jay: We bought Caramba from the owner, Mario, in 2014. He actually gave me my first job in Whistler, as a busboy, 36 years ago. I worked with him for ten years. I eventually told him about our dream of owning a restaurant and over many discussions, and many coffees, we struck up a deal.

James was working as the Executive Chef for the Savoy Hotel in London at the time, and I called him back because this was always the plan – to own our own place in Whistler. We kept Mario’s legacy going, kept the name and the concept the same, we just reinvented the food, the service and the energy in the room.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Quattro, Whistler (@quattrowhistler)

I was the general manager at Quattro at Whistler for ten years before we took over in December last year. I know the room, I know the clientele and I could continue on the owner’s, Antonio’s, legacy. Antonio and Mario are family, they still visit the restaurants daily to check up on us, make sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing and they love what we’re doing with their restaurants.

James: Owning two restaurants in Whistler is surreal. Having two amazing teams at both restaurants means that at a turn of a hat we can make a change or jump on things we need to jump on. We can get a lot done at either place and there are hardly any hiccups because they know what needs to be done. The team has worked with us for a number of years and they’re really part of our family, which is great.

What Was It Like Opening a Restaurant During a Pandemic?

James: Opening our second restaurant, Quattro at Whistler, during a pandemic, some might look at that and think that’s the craziest thing you could possibly do, but for us, it was something we’d been pursuing for four or five years. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect because we could have that easier opening, rather than the usual, full-on, international crowds in December.

We had to adapt and yes, we would love more patrons to come into our establishment, but at the same time, it’s allowing us to perfect what we’re doing so that when the flood gates do open we’re ready for it.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Quattro, Whistler (@quattrowhistler)

It also gave us the opportunity to connect with the local crowd. We’ve had people who know what we do at Caramba come and support us at Quattro, and the feedback’s been good. It’s great to have that local foundation because that’s what Whistler originally was, a small, local ski town that’s now the best ski town in North America.

What’s Gratifying About Working in Food and Beverage?

Jay: Having the guests have the best experience of food and service, just having it perfect so that they’re blown away and leaving the place loving us.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Caramba Restaurant Whistler (@carambawhistler)

James: At Caramba we have an open kitchen and you get to see people’s reactions first hand. At Quattro, we offer a different experience, it’s more of a slower dinner where you can take your time, but both are really the same in that it’s about great service and food – nothing else trumps that and that’s what we focus on. We hope to grow the businesses and open up some more in the future.

How Integral Is the Restaurant Scene to the Overall Whistler Experience?

Jay: I think the restaurant’s role in Whistler is huge. We have a world-class restaurant scene, with world-class chefs and I think that’s important for our international clientele who come from places like Europe, where there’s also an amazing food scene. I think we elevate the experience here in Whistler.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Quattro, Whistler (@quattrowhistler)

James: Restaurants are key to the Whistler experience because people come here, whether they’re local or international, to experience all its bounty. Whether that’s skiing during the day or snowshoeing, hiking in the summer or kayaking, or a number of activities, followed by a great late lunch or dinner at some of the most amazing restaurants in Canada, in my opinion.

What’s the Whistler Community Like?

Jay: It’s very supportive. They love to support local and during the pandemic, we’ve done take out and people have come in.

James: I moved back from England in 2014 (James at that time the Executive Chef at the Savoy Hotel in London) and it felt like the community had evolved. It had become more of a community and more aware of what it’s all about here. I think Whistler has done a good job of establishing itself and ensuring that what’s here makes sense for the long term.

Seeing the progression from when I first started skiing here is amazing. From the incredible verticle you can get on Whistler Blackcomb to all the activities you can now do here alongside the food and beverage scene, the community built that, that’s why Whistler’s such a great place to live.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Whistler Blackcomb (@whistlerblackcomb)

What Is It That You Love About Whistler?

Jay: We’ve got the best playground in our backyard. It’s phenomenal. Summer, fall, winter, spring – it’s an awesome resort all year round and it’s an hour and a half from Vancouver if you want the big city feel now and again.

James: Whistler has always been home for me. I started coming here when I was young and it was always a place I wanted to be. It’s brought me a lot of calm. Every time I drive up the highway and I get to Creekside, I know I’m home. There’s just something about it, it might change a little, but it’s home. Whistler is somewhere I never want to leave; I don’t want to be anywhere else.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Whistler Creekside Village (@whistlercreeksidevillage)

What Makes You Proud to Call Whistler Home?

Jay: I love that it has a small town feel, but it can be a big town at certain times of the year.

James: It’s the people, it’s the community, it’s the mountains. There’s nothing like riding your bike by Green Lake and having your lunch at Nick North watching the floatplanes and thinking – I live here, this is just a day off.

What Do You Do in Whistler for Fun?

Jay: In the winter, skiing, one hundred percent. Also playing hockey and skating on the lakes. Summertime, golf is huge and so is biking.

The advantage of having two restaurants that open at night is that you can play during the day. We can go golfing in the summer, up the mountain skiing in the winter and then come to work. James and I get up the mountain quite a bit; I love a bluebird ski day when I can rip on the corduroy.

James: One of the biggest plus points about working in the evening, in a restaurant, is having all day to play. We can do so many different things; you see people out with their kids, on cross-country skis, even on bikes in the snow. You don’t see that variety in a lot of places.

I love to go snowboarding, it’s definitely a passion of mine and I find it relaxing. Jay and I go up the mountains together once or twice a week, we like going up on Christmas Day when it’s quiet, but we’ve always got to be down in time for dinner. I also love to do woodworking at home; I have a little shop and I make a few things and fix things around the house. In the summer, I love to mountain bike. The trails here are endless.

What’s it Like Working With Family?

Jay: It’s a dream come true. James did a small stint at Quattro when I was the general manager. He did an apprenticeship and then worked his way up to being this grand chef in the UK. Having him come back and open Caramba together, just the way we work together, it’s incredible.

I’ve worked with so many chefs over the years and it can be so tough to get along, them seeing your point of view and vice versa. With him and me, I can look at a dish on the line and I don’t even have to say anything, he’ll take it back and fix it. It’s that non-communication, communication. We’re family, so we have to get along, ha ha!

James: I couldn’t really be any luckier than to be in business with Jay. Jay and I have this synergy; we know what each other is thinking. We can anticipate what’s next and every decision is one we make together. We work together really well. It’s funny, we’re uncle and nephew but we act more like brothers I’d say.

We obviously have our moments, but we can reason it out and think about what’s more important for the business. That’s our common goal; to make sure the businesses stay in the right direction and go where they need to go. Excellent service, great food and enough money to keep doing it the next year.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Caramba Restaurant Whistler (@carambawhistler)

How Has Whistler Changed You?

Jay: Over the 36 years I’ve been here I’ve gone from being a busboy who closed down the nightclubs to raising two children (twins) and running two restaurants, it’s awesome.

What’s It Like Raising a Young Family in Whistler?

Jay: It’s wonderful. We live on a street with a bunch of families. It’s a supportive community, everyone looks out for each other. They’re going to be exposed to skiing, golfing, hockey, biking – I love the idea that they’re going to grow up here. I also hope that they’ll take over our corporation someday, ha ha!

What Are the Challenges of Living in Whistler?

Jay: It’s tough to get settled down here for some people. Getting housing, getting established. It’s a very transient town, you meet some really great people, but some of them don’t stay, that can be hard.

What’s Whistler’s Heart and Soul?

Jay: The passion of everyone who wants to live here to play and have fun, and enjoy the resort.

James: It’s the mountains. Whistler Blackcomb is what this town’s built around. Whoever owns it doesn’t really matter, I think the most important part is that they’re here and they give us the opportunity to get outside, be active and push ourselves every day.

Locals, like Jay and James, are the beating heart of Whistler, which is made up of small business owners, tireless workers and passionate entrepreneurs who all love to revel in the mountains. This is #WhistlerNice.

Follow us on social media to get the next installment of Why Whistler? To meet more Whistler locals take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

If this video has you dreaming of a trip to Whistler, enter the Winterscape Contest for a chance to win an incredible Whistler travel package (for the future). It’s essential travel only at the moment, but if you’re local and heading up the ski hill, please take a look at Ski Well, Be Well for best practices for low risk recreation.

Please note that the image used for the header and feature of this post was taken back in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak. Whistler’s restaurant scene is upholding high safety protocols, which you can view in the Doors Open Directory.

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Jay & James. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.

Where Are You From?

I’m originally from Pemberton (twenty minutes north of Whistler), but when I graduated high school my family ended up moving to Whistler. I came back to Whistler after going to university, and I’ve stayed here ever since.

Why Did You Come Back to Whistler After University?

I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I figured I’d come back home and go from there. I went to the University of Victoria and majored in biology, with a focus on genetics and cellular biology. I’m not using it at all at the moment. I thought I wanted to go into veterinarian medicine, but during university, I realized I didn’t want to do that. It just wasn’t a fit for me.

I grew up working in the tourism industry; I’d guided during high school and university and really liked it. So, when I got home that’s what I did. I renewed my 80-hour, wilderness, first-responder course and talked to some people in the industry, which included my sister (a Canadian Wilderness Adventures guide) and father (a Whistler Heli Skiing guide)

I applied to The Adventure Group (TAG) when I got back and was hired as a zipline guide. I worked my way up from there. From zipline guiding, I went to mechanized guiding, so ATVs and side x sides in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter. I was still looking for something more and applied for the supervisor position at Vallea Lumina, and now I’m the assistant manager. I hadn’t planned this to be a long term thing, but I’m still here and still moving up. I’ve been with TAG for four years now, it’s fun!

What Is It About Guiding That You Really Like?

Being outdoors is number one for me. Being able to spend every day outside, even in terrible weather, it’s still kinda fun. I’m all about the adventure, so sometimes those hard days are just part of the fun. It’s nice to meet people from all over the world, connect with them and share in their experiences. What I like about guiding is twofold, there’s the adventure and there’s the meeting people.

What’s an Average Day Like at Vallea Lumina?

I actually make the team dinner. I like to do that first so that it’s ready for when they get there. Then I walk the Vallea Lumina course and see if there’s any maintenance that needs doing. Then I’ll relay that to the tech team or the operations crew – it all needs to get done before the show starts.

There’s a bit of admin, I’ll brief the team over their dinner and then it’s setup time. We make sure the base is clean, that the fires are on, the ticket machines are working, the parking signage is up and once the tech team tells us the show is ready, we’re just waiting for the first set of guests to arrive.

Then it’s just a case of monitoring things and making sure that guests are happy. After the last show, we shut it all down and prep for the next day. That’s my night!

What’s It Like When That First Group Goes Through?

It depends on how the preparation has gone as to whether I feel ready, nervous, or stressed before the show. We’re usually ready way before the first show, but sometimes I spend a lot of time running around. There will be days when we have a tech issue, the course is slippery or we have staff running late, which is stressful, but for the most part, we’re ready to go.

What’s It Like Seeing People Experience the Show?

It’s fun to see people’s perceptions change. Some people are like, it’s just a light show in the forest, and then they come out saying how amazing it is, that’s super cool.

The level of excitement you see from kids is pretty amazing. Being part of these people’s experiences and adventures – that’s what I love about being in the tourism industry.

We got an email recently from a family who’d been to the show, thanking us. Thanks to COVID-19, they said it had been a while since they’d seen their kids being kids. It made me really happy to think that the experience they’d had with us had meant that they could forget what was going on in the world and just enjoy themselves – be kids.

What Do You Love About Your Job?

I love making people smile. I think that’s really cool. Having someone come up to you after their tour to thank you, say it was awesome, with a big smile on their face.

Working in the tourism industry has helped me grow as a person. It’s given me the confidence to deal with a lot of different situations and a wide variety of people. It’s also given me some skills like first aid, how to manage conflict and guest expectations. I’m not sure what the future holds just yet, I’m going to see how it goes!

What’s Unique About Whistler?

Whistler’s amazing because you can walk out your front door and do so many activities, and meet so many people from all over the world. You can have a different experience every day. It’s accessible. Things are so close. I can go for a ski before I go to work – there are not many places in the world where you can do that.

It’s easy to throw your skis in the car, go for a couple of hours and then come back, before your shift. That’s the thing about Whistler, it’s easy to get outside and have fun.

What Do You Do With Your Time Off?

I like to get outside for at least a few hours every day. In the winter, I go skiing, whether that’s downhill, touring or cross-country at Whistler Olympic Park. I’ve been snowmobiling a bit recently too. In the summertime, I like to go hiking or hang out at the lake.

There’s something about being outside in the clear air – it just makes me feel better. It lifts any stress I have, clears my head and makes me appreciate life.

How Has Living in Whistler Shaped You?

I think it’s made me a little more radical and a bit more aware of social issues. Whistler is one of the most expensive places to live in Canada, a lot of people are struggling to be here. You need to make sure people are safe and happy. If you can be kind and go out of your way to help someone, make their life a little easier, it makes it a better place for all of us.

What’s the Heart and Soul of Whistler?

The locals, the people who commit to being here, create the culture of Whistler. Everybody’s here to enjoy the lifestyle, be outside, be ambassadors for the outdoors, and share that with people from all over the world.

Locals, like Kylie Wilkins, are the beating heart of Whistler, which is made up of tireless workers, small business owners, and passionate entrepreneurs who all love to revel in the mountains. This is #WhistlerNice.

Follow us on social media to get the next installment of Why Whistler? To meet more Whistler locals take a look at the rest of the video series, we’re adding more as we go!

If this video has you dreaming of a trip to Whistler, enter the Drop In to Contest for a chance to win an incredible Whistler travel package. 

Ross Reid is our talented videographer on this project. To see more of his work visit his website.

The post Video Series: Why Whistler? Kylie. appeared first on The Whistler Insider.