Resources
Moving Forward for Communities
Although resort towns have many unaddressed problems, there are organizations and individuals who are trying to make improvements within their communities.
For over 30 years, the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) has been providing resources and support for the Whistler, B.C. area. Currently, they offer over 30 programs for local residents.
As executive director Jackie Dickinson explains, WCSS provides “low-barrier” support:
“It means connecting with people where they're at, and what we can do to assist them. And they feel better by the end of the conversation or walking out when they first started,” Dickinson says.
“That doesn't mean we solve every issue, but we've created a sense of belonging in a place or time in their life where maybe they don't feel that right away.”
COVID-19 has increased demand for WCSS services. In addition to their in-house community support, WCSS also has an outreach program. In January 2019, they provided 290 visits of care, according to Dickinson. In January 2021, those numbers more than doubled. As B.C. battles an opioid crisis alongside the pandemic, these outreach services are crucial for keeping people alive.
Despite being established in the Whistler community for so long, Dickinson says that highlighting non-profits and community supports is an ongoing challenge.
“One of the challenges we have within a resort community is that once we've tried to provide that information to a group of people first arriving, we're at risk of them going somewhere else,” she explains.
“There is a responsibility to always be bringing this conversation to the forefront because you don't necessarily always have a permanent group of people that are going to retain and share that information.”
Although community organizations like WCSS are working to help marginalized populations within ski communities, there is also a larger conversation about inclusivity and accessibility occurring as well.
Video provided by: Saige Beaumont
Resources
Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 833-456-4566
Banff Area:
Banff Community Health Centre: +14037622990
Mountain Therapy Psychological Services: +14036090675
Canmore Public Health: +14036785656
Whistler:
Whistler Community Services Society: +16049320113
Whistler Therapeutic Counselling: +16049073935
The Whistler Clinic: +16043323510
Revelstoke:
B C Mental Health: +12508142241
Columbia River Counselling: +12508050400
Mountainside Counselling & Family Wellness: +12508147072
One person advocating for diversity and inclusion in the ski industry is Indra Hayres, founder of Incluskivity. Inspired by the conversations she was having about making skiing a more accessible and inclusive sport, Hayre decided to elevate other’s voices and explore a traditionally untold story.
“I would have a lot of anxiety around skiing because I didn't see a lot of people who looked like me,” Hayre says. “It was this unspoken thing where there's not a lot of other Indian folks or Indian girls on the ski hill.”
Hayres launched the Instagram account for Incluskivity in December 2020, and the page has already garnered 2,000 followers. In addition to posting interviews, Incluskivity worked with Burton and Evo Whistler to sponsor seven women of colour in acquiring their Avalanche Safety Training Level 1 certification.
“It was the most amazing thing ever because it was this psychologically safe event where these seven BIWOC women could show up without any of that burden to represent a group,” Hayre explains.
“The only expectation on them was to arrive. And they were able to do so authentically because the barriers of the dominant population were lifted.”
