The powers that be at Pique have assigned this journalist’s worst nightmare, otherwise known as writing about myself for this week’s Pique’n column. Special thanks to my editor, Braden Dupuis, for assigning this cringe-worthy experience. Here I was, happily thinking about other people’s stories, and now I’m in the recesses of my memories.
My story begins in Thamesford, Ont., a rural, one-stoplight town surrounded by cornfields. Youthful days were spent playing softball, exploring local creeks and swimming at the pool through humid summers. Skin-freezing winters featured ice skating and wishing my birthday wasn’t in the dead of winter. My life also centred around gymnastics and later, springboard and tower diving, giving my mother pride and terror. I was interested in reading and performance, and loved acting in local theatre.
Eventually, I studied broadcast journalism at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., then travelled west for a couple years. In Invermere, I found myself working in the restaurant industry. While journalism and serving have a lot in common, from teamwork to listening to the public, I knew I wanted to return to this business with a heart we call journalism. So, I packed my bags and headed back to Ontario, studying history and political science at Western University, with the express purpose of also tacking on a master’s degree when all was said and done.
I was in my final year of my undergraduate degree during the COVID-19 pandemic, and like many people, I found a new hobby—slacklining and highlining. Little did I know at the time, but the sport would drive me to move back to B.C. When the time came to apply for graduate programs, I came across the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) journalism program, and learned the Sea to Sky has a huge slacklining community.
Slacklining involves walking on a tensioned, one-inch-wide piece of webbing, strung between two anchors. Whether it’s low to the ground in a park, or high atop the Stawamus Chief, the sport has taught me so much about myself. I observe and sometimes conquer my fears, challenge myself to go beyond self-imposed limits, and find balance within instability. I’ll always be grateful it brought me to the Sea to Sky.
At UBC, I volunteered as a reporter with the school paper, The Ubyssey, and for my program I worked on stories about big issues like the ban on single-use plastics, flood recovery from the atmospheric river in 2021, and, most dear to my heart, slacklining. I interned with Crackdown podcast, working on transcribing interviews, and helped produce CBC Radio Vancouver’s noon-hour show, BC Today. When I was approaching graduation and considering my mountainous student debt, I knew I needed to find a paying gig in the challenging industry called the news.
I came across a position for reporting in Sun Peaks, and my love of the outdoors made me a great fit for the job. I learned how to cover business, arts, municipal politics and sports, while getting much better at skiing all in one go.
The only problem was, friends, family and my partner remained on the coast. While commuting five hours each month for a weekend might seem realistic in theory, in practice it left something to be desired.
Then, out of the blue, a journalism school colleague sent me a posting for a reporter position with Pique Newsmagazine in Whistler. The job had similar context to Sun Peaks, located in a ski-resort town driven by tourism and a passionate outdoors culture. There was a print and digital product, and before I knew it, I was offered the opportunity to return to the Sea to Sky, fulfilling my professional and dirt-bag dreams.
Driving from my home in Squamish along winding roads with breathtaking mountainous views, coming to work each day to a place I deeply love, is truly a privilege. Journalism isn’t easy, but when you care about the work and the people whose stories you get to tell, it makes the job worthwhile. While I’m still getting my feet wet reporting on the countless stories of Whisterites, I look forward to connecting with even more community members. Here’s to many stories to tell, backcountry to explore, and the upcoming ski season!
