Member Milestone: Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

SLCC’s 10th Birthday

November 7, 2018

By: Lauren Perkins

We work with our Member, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, on a regular basis and are proud to have partnered with them on various events over the years. We heard that this year was the centre’s 10th birthday, so we caught up with Manager of Marketing & Communications, Mandy Rousseau, to chat about their relationship with the Chamber and what’s happening in celebration of their 10th year.

Business bio:

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) is proud to be the first centre of its kind in Canada. The Sk̲wxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation, Coast Salish) and Líl̓wat7ul (Lil’wat Nation, Interior Salish) Nations signed a historic Protocol Agreement in 2001, formalizing our mutual relationship. This agreement commits us to continued cooperation in matters of cultural and economic development, and co-management of shared territory, something we strive to achieve daily at the SLCC. Our day-to-day operations celebrate and share our cultures with the world while creating meaningful employment opportunities for members of both nations. Structurally, the SLCC is designed to evoke the form of a Squamish Longhouse and Lil’wat Istken (earthen dwelling), embodying the spirit of partnership between our two unique Nations who wish to preserve, grow, and share our traditional cultures.

What is your business’ PURPOSE?

The SLCC fosters a workplace environment that is safe, and one that builds capacity for all employees.

What is your business’ VISION for the future?

Our brand promise is to share our cultural knowledge with the world and inspire understanding and respect amongst all people.

What are your business’ VALUES?

Passion

Empowerment

Collaboration

Equality

With this year being the SLCC’S 10th Birthday, what is on the schedule to celebrate this milestone?

This fall we’ve launched a coffee card to encourage our local community to join us for a hot beverage. We operate an inspiring space and we want to share that experience with everyone; we happily accommodate a variety of user groups such as those working remotely, hosting business meetings, and those looking for an off-the-beaten-path catch-up space with friendly service and delicious coffee. Insider’s tip: we have an in-house pastry chef who makes delicious jam-filled cookies and chocolate zucchini loaves; these tasty treats are not to distract guests from the beloved First Nations treat, bannock, though! Our bannock is baked fresh daily and served best with peanut butter & jam.

Why did you first join the Whistler Chamber?

To elevate our voice and reach in the community.

Tell us about a favourite moment with the Chamber.

We can’t pick just one! There’s been so many incredible opportunities to connect with other businesses and organizations in the community, provide training for our staff, and share our stories with the community. In particular, over the past couple of years, we have noticed that our membership with the Chamber has enabled us to connect with more businesses and organizations in the community. We continue to receive an increasing amount of invitations to provide traditional welcomes and blessings to our shared territory, and in a sense, our Chamber membership has contributed to cultural regeneration and greater awareness of our nations.

There’s a number of exciting initiatives we’d love to share with folks – these wouldn’t have been possible without a decade of community engagement and support, and we look forward to welcoming guests to join us through these new endeavours.

What advice would you give to someone starting a new business in Whistler?

Invest in a Chamber membership. The team knows how to support businesses of all sizes in our unique community, and their strategy in creating beneficial connections between businesses and organizations is effective and efficient.