Local Profiles

Kendall Benbow Whistler Native and Animal Lover

WREC: How long have you lived in Whistler and been with WAG? I grew up in Whistler, my parents moved here in 1991 and I started Kindergarten that year. I volunteered for about a year with WAG before I got a job there. I’ve now worked here with the animals for about two and a half years.

WREC: Why do you think WAG is so important to Whistler? We provide services for animals not just in Whistler, but all up and down the Sea to Sky Corridor and as far as Lilooet and Skatin (SkookumChuck). A lot of our animals are rehomed into the Whistler Valley, so it’s not hard to meet people that have adopted from WAG. In the last few years we’ve taken on a few cases that have made us a home for rehabilitation as well. Our dogs Lola, Marvin, Cal and Sol are a few of our longer term residents. It’s all about finding the right home for these animals and that means not rushing the process.

WREC: What does a typical work day look like at WAG? Every day is different! It depends who we have in house that day and what’s going on. We come in and do all the cleaning and get everyone fed and out for their walks. We also manage all the volunteers coming in as well. Some days we’ll get a call that someone is coming in with a litter of puppies or kittens, or someone is coming by with an injured animal. Things can change around the shelter for sure.

WREC: What do you do when not working or hanging out with the WAG residents?

Whistler has endless possibilities, so I love to ski, bike, hike, paddleboard, enjoy a beer on the patio... I love waking up and being able to do whatever I want to do on those days.

Grace Blok Community Service Worker and Tireless Volunteer

WREC: What’s been your involvement with Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) since you moved to town

permanently? My husband and I just passed our 20th anniversary since moving to Whistler and I’ve been working for WCSS for about four and a half years now. Before that I was on the WCSS board of directors for about three years. I’ve always loved volunteering to support local organizations and events. This was an opportunity to learn how people and businesses work together in a community, it’s a lot more connected than what you would find in a big city.

WREC: What’s the goal of WCSS in the Whistler community? Our mission is that we support and advocate for a healthy community. As much as possible, we want to support people and make sure they are getting their basics; food, shelter, clothing, working meaningful jobs. Sometimes that can be practical assistance like helping low income locals apply for a PLAY credit at Meadow Park Sports Centre or referring new mothers to a support group to help with their babies sleeping better at night.

WREC: What’s your favourite thing about having moved here to Whistler

20 years ago? I’m more of a summer fan than winter! I do a lot more running, biking and hiking than I do snowboarding these days. I’m selective as to which days I’ll go up the mountain during the winter, I like it when it’s sunny. Recreation aside, I think one of my favourite things is living in a community where you connect with other people daily. There are so many ways for the people here to support each other.

Bob Deeks Whistler Builder and Vice Chair of the Canadian Home Builders Association’s Net Zero Housing Council

WREC: You’ve been building homes in Whistler since 1993. What’s the biggest change

you’ve seen in building standards and trends over the years? There’s been a real shift in what’s getting designed in Whistler today. Twenty years ago there were a lot of log homes being built, traditional timber houses with traditional finishes like limestone and marble. Today we really see a focus on more contemporary style; a lot less wood and a lot more white palette design. Technology has come a long way as well, we see a lot more automation with things like lights, blinds, security, integrated audio and smart features.

WREC: RDC has won dozens of awards (including many Georgies) for home building

and renovations. Is it important for you to stay on the cutting edge of the industry? We put a lot of effort into being ahead of the curve on the latest innovations in the building industry. For the last four years I’ve attended construction technology conferences down in the US to better understand where our industry is going. The other thing is that building codes around energy efficiency have changed enormously. Whistler building bylaws are actually a step ahead of the BC provincial standard, so it’s in our interest to build homes that are as energy efficient as possible.

WREC: What’s your favourite thing to do with your free time in Whistler?

I love skiing and biking so I try to make as much time for that as I can. This winter I’m actually returning to coach ski racing on the weekends for the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. I also love competing, so I signed up for Ironman Canada again this year. Blake Jorgensen Veteran Photographer and Visual Creative

WREC: When did you move to Whistler and when did you

start taking photos? I began taking photos as a teenager and moved to Whistler when I was 18. I started shooting full time when I was about 23 years old.

WREC: How has your job as a photographer shifted over the course of

your career in Whistler? When I first got here to Whistler, I just wanted to go skiing every day and take photos of my buddies. The growing pains of turning my passion into a career and a business was a whole other step. Professional photography is a lot more accessible than when I started, which was when the industry was just getting going. Now there’s a bit of history and an established industry that younger people can follow and figure out their path a little quicker. The other part is that the tools of digital photography are accessible to everyone from the professional to the beginners.

WREC: How much time do you spend at home Whistler versus travelling

for work and being off the grid? I’m home a lot more than I used to be. The life of a skiing/outdoor photographer means that you are traveling non-stop and the dream of that job is that your lifestyle is completely infused with your photography and your business. It’s a lot more separated for me now because the jobs are all really big with pre-production and post-production time. Planning and client communication is so much more in-depth to a point where each job can take a month and it might only be a few days of shooting. The office time has grown greatly. When I’m out shooting adventures I’m there more for the experience than the paycheck these days.

Julia Murray Former Professional Ski Racer and Olympian, Plant-Based Nutritionist

WREC: How has growing up and living in Whistler helped you in your career as a professional

athlete? Growing up in Whistler made not-so-normal achievements and goals seem normal; looking up to multiple pro athletes, having my late Dad (Dave Murray) as one of the legendary Crazy Canucks, people I knew going to the Olympics before me, incredible athletes all around me… all of this made dreams seem achievable! Not to mention the epic backyard playground we had to help sharpen our skills just by exploring and having fun.

WREC: What has kept you living here in Whistler for so many years? There’s something special about Whistler. The people, the energy, the access to nature, the entrepreneurial norm, the beauty, the trails, the mountains, the lakes, the buzz of it all. I absolutely love travelling, but after lots of it, nothing ever compares to home.

WREC:What was your favourite memory from the Winter Olympics here in 2010? There are so many! Standing in the start gate listening to the roar of the hometown crowd off in the distance, when I handed the Olympic torch to (Crazy Canuck) Steve Podborski, walking into the opening ceremonies where the energy was insane… I unfortunately had a blown ACL throughout it all, so it was a bit of an emotional and physical rollercoaster but, I’m so happy I decided to pull through to compete.

WREC: What is your biggest passion now that you’ve retired from competitive skiing? Helping people eat more plants! I’m a nutritionist and plant-based chef now, with a blog called Hooked on Plants. I’m a co-founder of the 80/20 Plants Nutrition App which has nutrition coaching plus all you need to make the transition towards a plant-based life. Follow @ hookedonplants and @8020plants for tips + recipes!

WREC: What’s your favourite ski run and where do you love to celebrate for

aprés? Why? Dave Murray Downhill, baby! These days, the best aprés spot is our place with the propane fire, tunes + a view:)

Jay Pare Restaurateur and Co-Owner of Caramba!

WREC: How did you and your nephew James come to own

and operate Caramba together? When James would come up to Whistler as a kid, he said he wanted to open up a restaurant with his uncle one day. I told him he should go learn how to cook and I would manage the front of house, that’s the perfect marriage in the restaurant business. James started his chef career here in Whistler at the Fairmont Chateau and worked in Seattle, Vancouver and was head chef at the Savoy Hotel in London, England before I convinced him to come home to BC to buy this restaurant with me and help me run it.

WREC: What sort of cuisine do you specialize in at Caramba? The previous owner of Caramba was Mario Enero, who actually gave me my first job in Whistler as a busser all those years ago. Being from Spain, Mario had a mediterranean style restaurant with some Spanish influence. When James and I took it over we decided that meditarranean was a bit of an outdated term, so we went for more of a European comfort food style with a local flair. We have lots of Spanish tapas, a wood fired pizza oven, and plenty of Oceanwise seafood.

WREC: What do you think allows Whistler to have such a thriving food

and beverage scene? Whistler attracts world class culinary experiences from all the top restaurants around town. The people who’ve made a career out of it here are the ones who have the passion to be great at what they do. As a world class resort we get a lot of international clientele and we step up with world class food.

WREC: Do you have a favourite drink that you like to enjoy after a long

shift? I love a good negroni or a nice glass of red!

Lucas Cruz World Cup Downhill Mountain Bike Racer and Global Pemberton Ambassador

WREC: You’ve grown up in Pemberton with access to several world class trail networks including the Whistler Bike Park. What part has that played in your development as a downhill

racer? I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the world racing bikes and I still believe that the Sea to Sky is the ultimate place for mountain bikers. I’m very lucky to have grown up here and it has totally shaped my career. Right now I’m sitting in our home gym (a converted horse barn) and we’ve built a pump track, a dirt jump line and a motocross track in the backyard. So I have everything I need to train and hopefully reach my goal of becoming one of the top riders in the world.

WREC: You spend time around a lot of younger racers, where do you see their level of riding

going in the next 10 years? I have two younger brothers that I ride with, so I get quite a bit of insight on that. Tegan (15) already has the goal to race in the World Cup and he’s focused and training really hard for that. Both Tegan and Levi (9) have definitely surpassed how fast I was riding at their age. That has a bit to do with the technology and the bikes they’re making for kids these days, but also that we’ve grown up watching local riders like Finn Iles make it to the world stage. There’s tonnes of amazing talent coming out of the Sea to Sky, the next 10 years are going to be crazy.

WREC: What are your favourite trails in Pemberton and the Whistler Bike Park? In the bike park it has to be the classic Dirt Merchant to A-Line. When I come home from races that’s where I love to spend my time when I’m goofing around and enjoying myself with my buddies. In Pemberton, there’s a trail called Resurrectum in the Owl Creek area that’s set up perfect for shuttling downhill bikes. It’s really fast and perfect for training for downhill races.

Photo: Robin O’Neill

Mike Macneil Transplanted Nova Scotian and General Manager of Big Sky Golf Club

WREC: With so many great golf courses in the Sea to Sky,

what draws people up to Pemberton to play at Big Sky? The backdrop of Mt. Currie is pretty spectacular and not what you would see at a lot of other golf courses. We’ve also tried to create a family atmosphere here where everybody feels welcome from the time they walk through the door until they head out through the gates. We have a 5-hole Academy course which is all Par 3, a great way to introduce small families, couples or beginners to the game. It’s a good place to get your feet wet before hitting our 18-hole championship course.

WREC: What sort of community initiatives do you pursue at Big Sky?

For the last number of years (not this year) we have donated the golf course for the day to the Vancouver Police Department and hosted them for dinner for their fundraisers. We try to do that for anything we can help with in the community as well. Last year, we donated our facilities to the Raven Backcountry Festival, which was a fundraiser for the Lisa Korthals Memorial Bursary for aspiring female guides.

WREC: What’s your favourite club to use on the Big Sky Golf course?

I would say my driver. It’s so appealing visually to see that ball track against Mt.Currie in the background.