Each tiny seed planted becomes a tree that nourishes us all.

A Rockin’ Success!  

Our second community dinner on October 29th went as smoothly as the first, attended by a friendly mix of individuals and families from a wide range of circumstances. Some were getting by in makeshift housing, some were more settled Whistler residents. One seasonal worker who’d arrived that day from the UK not knowing a soul came to meet her new community.

It was a great vibe at the communal tables, guests enjoying an outstanding lentil curry created by Chef Latesh of Whistler Cooks. Made from the Lentil and Oat Soup Mix donated by the federal food bank and passed onto ROCKS by WCSS, Chef Latesh’s curry had even lentil skeptics going back for seconds. Many were inspired to take home the donated yellow soup packets to try out for themselves.

Kudos to Head Chef Glenn who prepared perfect roast potatoes, cauliflower, rice and naan contributed by a combination of The Independent, Rootdown Farm and Helmers Organic Farm.  Everything was ready in time to serve the queue of 20 gathered outside Whistler Mountain Ski Club for our six o’clock opening.

A total of 62 guests attended—fewer than the hundred we prepared for, but up from 38 at our first event.  Many lingered to chat and then gave the sponsors, chefs, and ROCKStar volunteers the long and heartfelt round of applause they deserved.

Well Under Budget

The event would have cost about $1,508, including such operational overheads as insurance and rentals, but with the generous contributions from WMSC, Slope Side Supply, Independent Grocers, Whistler Personnel Services, Purebread, Rootdown and Helmers Organic Farms, Whistler Cooks, and our ROCKStar volunteers, it cost about $485. Guests supporting our cause donated $420 that night, meaning we spent only about $65 of our budget of $1,000 per evening! These are great numbers, indicating that our goal of stretching our initial seed money from 100 Women of Whistler to keep these events going into the future is within reach.

Our Board Has Grown

With operations ramping up, we’ve appointed three new directors, all with great potential to contribute to Whistler ROCKS success.

Welcome Bevin Heath Ansley

Bevin (whom we have to thank for the communal table center pieces) has held a number of senior Human Resources management positions with major corporations; holds a Masters of Arts in Leadership and Training; and has consulted in the areas of HR and education, including work on the Learning and Education Task Force for the RMOW.  As former Chair of the WPL Library Board, management work for Jen Ford’s recent political campaign, and current part-owner of family business Local Canning Ltd, Bevin brings many skills to Whistler ROCKS. Plus loads of energy!

Welcome Rhawnie Vallins

Rhawnie, who has a Masters in Linguistics, has lived a life of passionate volunteerism, teaching English in Brazil’s favelas; helping run a camp for kids impacted by HIV; and serving on the Board of Vancouver Pride Society. With a solid background in fundraising and sponsorship contact, Rhawnie is keen to jump in with those skills and is eager to reach out to spread ROCKS’ vision.

Welcome Naomi Pitt

Naomi (who we have to thank for the cloth napkins loaned by her former employer the Westin) has been a full-time Whistler resident for 15 years. Currently working in HR, she’s interested in working with ROCKS volunteer roster with a focus on volunteer appreciation and retention. Having run her own event planning company, she’s used to pulling off big events and promoting them through social media. Having served on Audain Gala Committee, she’s developed good relationships within the community and will be a huge help in reaching out to potential sponsors.

Outgoing Members – Jack Coombes and Kera Heringa

Two of our founding members, Jack & Kera —who were the first to reach out to Natalie after the initial concept was outlined by the Pique in July 2023—have sadly decided to step down from the board. They’re embarking on exciting travel adventures, and as life gets busier, it can be hard to find time for additional commitments. We’re incredibly grateful for their support, ideas, and enthusiasm in helping bring this project to life.

A Long Term Home

As wonderful as the Whistler Mountain Ski Club is, Whistler ROCKS looks forward to one day finding our own long-term home where we could have the kind of storage that would allow economies of scale and where we could get the type of commercial kitchen food service permit that would allow a full range of menu options.

To that end, we’ve long had our eye on the former Le Gros Restaurant, now up for sale with an asking price of $2.5 million. Located at the Twin Lakes complex of Tamarisk, it’s a large gathering place with a spacious patio, ample storage, and on-site parking.  Imagine this: a new multi-use community space for our Whistlerites, especially those south of Creekside, where hot food options are definitely lacking;  a community project to turn that empty, derelict building into something useful fun; our very talented Whistler people pitching in to leave their own legacy in our community.  Oh the possibilities!

Our hope is that we find community-minded investors to buy it and lease it to us.  Because Whistler ROCKS is a charity duly registered with the CRA, a properly structured agreement can entitle the owner to a tax deduction.  Any angel investors out there?  Or someone to help us form a committee and start the conversations?

Is It Still Poutine If The Potatoes Are Baked?

Hmmm, this could spark up great dinner time debates… so please join us—whether as guest or volunteer, whether for baked or fried potatoes—at our next event on November 17, where we’ll be serving a hearty dinner poutine and pulled pork for a cold winter night.  The pulled pork will be prepared by BBQ Bob, a local favourite of all things BBQ!

Please share this Save The Date with every local you know!  We’ll be publishing a long list of new dates in our next newsletter, as we still have 861 meals to serve for our 100 WOW initiative.  Follow us on instagram to keep up with progress between newsletters.

Thank you for reading and for your support as we progress along this journey.

The Whistler ROCKS team