Sorting through her mom’s papers after her passing last month, Teresa Klassen found something she hadn’t seen before: a list of her mother’s life goals that perfectly encapsulated the woman Sonya McCarthy was.
She strove to “experience life to the fullest, love deeply and make the biggest, most positive impact on the planet and people worldwide,” lofty principles the longtime Whistlerite and former Citizen of the Year put into direct action.
“Whatever she could do to make the world a better place, that’s what she would work towards,” Klassen said of her mother, who died Oct. 21 due to complications from surgery.
From the time she first landed in the resort from her native Nova Scotia nearly half a century ago, McCarthy exemplified what it meant to be a Whistlerite. She was an avid adventurer and traveller. She worked a multitude of jobs to make ends meet, all the more essential as a single mom of three. She had an abiding love for the community, manifesting in the countless hours she spent volunteering and her time on council. She also cared deeply about where Whistler came from and where it was going, always striving to make it—and the people who call it home—even better.
“She was always encouraging people to push themselves,” remembered Klassen. “She believed in people when they didn’t believe in themselves. She encouraged them to be brave and try new things.”
McCarthy certainly wasn’t afraid to try new things. Her career path hit many different stops along the way, from deli clerk to housecleaner, educator to life coach; at the local chamber of commerce, the Re-Use-It Centre, and for the Rocky Mountaineer—anything that afforded her the chance to show off her community.
“She loved doing jobs where she could introduce people to Whistler and show them how amazing it was,” Klassen said.
Named 1991’s Citizen of the Year, McCarthy was a tireless volunteer; a 2003 letter to the editor from Pique’s archives called her one of “Whistler’s all-time great volunteers.” Donating her time to a multitude of organizations and causes, she served as director of the local Lions Club and was the first woman to be named Lion of the Year. She was honoured through her role as representative for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. She gave her time to KidSport, an organization providing children with financial assistance for sports registration and equipment costs. She was an early Whistler Arts Council (now Arts Whistler) member.
“She was very, very community focused, more so than just about anybody I knew,” said friend and former Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden.
McCarthy also spent two years on council, from 1986 to ’88. Then Mayor Drew Meredith remembered a woman who had “a huge heart and time for absolutely everybody,” he said. “She was always there and always helping out—and generally doing it for nothing in return.”
McCarthy’s love for Whistler was rivalled only by her love of children, her own and others included. She was involved from the earliest days of the Whistler Children’s Festival, the resort’s longest-running event, and housed numerous international exchange students over the years.
“She had tons of kids around the world who called her momma and she still checked in with,” Klassen said. “Everything that makes a childhood special, she loved to be involved with, not just for us, but all the kids of Whistler.”
McCarthy had strong ties to Whistler’s past, too, counting late, great resort luminaries Florence Petersen and Myrtle Philip, who was Klassen’s godmother, as close friends.
“Myrtle and Florence used to hang out with us all the time growing up, so she really valued the heritage of Whistler as well,” said Klassen.
Leaving Whistler seven years ago to return to her East Coast roots, McCarthy left an indelible mark on a community that was undeniably better for having had her in it.
"Her love for the community and her love for people was just outstanding. For everybody,” Meredith said.
A celebration of life is tentatively set for Nov. 30 in Whistler. Those wishing to attend can email Klassen at [email protected] for more details once they are confirmed.
