Welcome Dinner Fun!

Thank you to all the community partners, sponsors and volunteers who made Whistler Community Services Society annual Welcome Dinner such a success! For 5.00$ attendees had a great meal made by local businesses with local produce! Some were even lucky enough to walk away with some seriously-cool prizes from the Re Use It and Re Build It Centers. New comers had a chance to mingle with long-time locals as well as to meet other new residents that will be spending the season in Whistler. What a fun way to get to know your community and get psyched for the Winter. Bring on the snow!

New to Whistler? This week is for you!

Every year Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) runs a week of events designed to welcome seasonal workers to Whistler. This was the idea of Jill Ackhurst, who felt that newcomers never met locals and needed to find a connection to their new community to understand it is a place that families live and work. She wanted locals to connect with these seasonal workers and introduce them to their own passion about Whistler as a place to live. This year WCSS Welcome Week events run from November 18^th to November 23^rd and offer many opportunities for locals and newcomers to get to know each other.

Pancake Breakfast, presented by the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium on Monday, November 18^th is the first event of Welcome Week.  Everyone is welcome to enjoy pancakes and sausages from 10am to noon at the Whistler Village Fire Hall for only $3. All proceeds support Welcome Week events, so even if you aren't a newcomer please come out for a great breakfast.

Ski Movie Night, presented by the WCSS Re Use It Centre will be screening'Into the Mind' by Sherpas Cinema, winner of the iF3 Award for Best Editing and Film of the Year on Monday, November 18th, 7:30pm. With stunning cinematography and ground-breaking storytelling techniques, the Sherpas blur the lines between dream state and reality, and immerse you into the mind of a common skier as he attempts to climb and ski the ultimate mountain. Doors open at 7:30pm, Maurice Young Millennium Place. Get your tickets in advance at ‘Skiis & Biikes’ in Village Marketplace or Maurice Young Millennium Place for $5 and at the door if they haven’t sold out.

Whistler Volunteer Fair and Business Expo is a chance for local businesses and non-profit organizations to showcase their products, services and volunteer opportunities.  Locals and newcomers are invited to socialize at this event from 3:00pm-5:30pm in the foyer at the Whistler Conference Centre on Thursday, November 21^st. Entry is free of charge and if you visit all of the booths, you’ll have your name entered into a draw for prizes.

                                

Jill Ackhurst Community Welcome Dinner, presented by WCSS starts at 5pm at Whistler Conference Centre Sea to Sky Ballroom on Thursday, November 21st.  This event, featuring local foods cooked by top Whistler chefs from the major hotels and restaurants was the idea of Jill Ackhurst, former WCSS Board Member.  She thought a ‘welcome to the community’ dinner for the new workers would be great because she noticed that many young employees didn't know that there was a real community of local people and all they saw was the village and fellow workers. For only $5, this event gives you an amazing meal and the opportunity to sit at a table with a couple of local residents who can answer all your questions about Whistler. Tickets are being sold in advance at the Visitors Information Centre. If you would like to be a table host, please contact welcomedinner@hotmail.com. In 2003 Jill Ackhurst died of cancer at the age of 57. The world lost a wonderful person and the dinner honours and remembers her spirit.

WCSS partners with other organizations to put on Welcome Week which includes events such as: Complimentary Yoga Classes, Games Night, Stand Up for Mental Health Comedy Night, Film screening of “Ski Bums”, “The Pool Party”, Meadow Park Sports Centre Open House, and Women’s Self-Defense Workshop. For a full schedule of events please check out our website http://www.mywcss.org/pages/whistler-welcome-week.