Sea to Sky ski group aims to grow diversity

What started as a little passion project for Indra Hayre has grown into something more.

Tired of not seeing diversity in skiing, Hayre launched Incluskivity between the fall of 2020 and early 2021. Just a couple of years later, Incluskivity now operates between six to eight winter programs meant to grow representation in the ski community.

“I was very passionate about inclusion within outdoor spaces and, honestly, the lack thereof,” said Hayre about her thoughts before launching Incluskivity. “I love being outside; I hated the way that I was perceived before even getting out there. And I just wanted these spaces to be more inclusive.”

Unable to find what she was looking for, she did the next best thing; she created a program and helped get an initial avalanche safety course off the ground.

After that, more things started to fall into place.

Since that first course, Hayre moved to Squamish from the Lower Mainland and has grown partnerships throughout the Sea to Sky with companies like Arc’teryx and Evo to help run more courses for Incluskivity. And though Incluskivity remains a passion project for Hayre, the community she started continues to grow.

For example, an upcoming course in February had space for about six to eight participants and Hayre said she received about 60 applications for the spots.

“It shows that not only is there a need for these programs but … just them existing has shown people that they can enter these spaces,” she said. “They might have never even considered doing backcountry until they saw that there was a space where they can learn how to do it safely.”

As far as expanding into other outdoor sports, Hayre said there are many other inclusive organizations — such as Colour the Trails and Indigenous Women Outdoors — already taking on those sports and activities.

“There are so many programs that are doing similar things,” she said. “I think all of these programs that fight for inclusion have opened so many thoughts of possibility for people.”

As such, for the time being, Hayre is content with operating between six and eight courses per year.

Still, she is impressed with the growth so far.

“It just grew to be so much bigger than I had ever imagined,” she said. “I would have never thought after that first avalanche safety training that we’d be looking at a world where we did five or six courses a year.”

For more information about Incluskivity, including how to apply for courses and future programs, follow the organization on Instagram or visit Linktr.ee/Incluskivity.