I suppose you could call me an old-school social justice warrior. For over 30 years, I’ve believed deeply that the voices of vulnerable people deserve not just our attention, but our action.

In 2006, the Sea to Sky Women’s Safety Network was formed—a coalition initiated by Melany Crowston on behalf of PearlSpace (formerly HSWC). Its mission was to address gender-based violence (GBV) in the Sea to Sky region, starting with advocacy for locally available sexual assault response. At the time, survivors had no access to nearby forensic services or comprehensive victim supports without a police file. After Melany’s sudden passing, I joined PearlSpace in 2008 as the Women’s Program Manager and became part of the Safety Network to continue its systemic advocacy.

By 2011, there were verbal commitments to establish forensic services in the region, but by 2015, none had materialized. That year, PearlSpace received a $50,000 grant from the Canadian Women’s Foundation to launch the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention (SARP) program. 

I was hired as Program Coordinator and Advocate in September 2015, allowing me to focus fully on building comprehensive services for survivors of sexualized violence. My responsibilities included facilitating the freshly revived Sea to Sky Sexual Assault Response Committee or SARC, a service coordination committee dedicated to reducing barriers for survivors while also engaging in prevention initiatives.

During the 2015 federal election, a Canadian Press journalist discovered that Whistler and surrounding communities lacked regular access to rape kits. Survivors were forced to travel hours to Vancouver General Hospital—sometimes in the back of a police cruiser—for evidence collection. After interviews with me and District of Squamish Councillor Susan Chapelle, our regional lack of service made national headlines. Within 48 hours, the Province of BC announced that forensic services would be made available in the Sea to Sky.

Since then, SARP has continued to grow, supported by grants and funding from Pearl’s Value and Vintage (PVV). We’ve delivered trauma-informed training with Canadian expert Dr. Lori Haskell, launched the CrossHatch training forum, and provided consent and prevention education in schools and the hospitality sector. In 2017, PearlSpace was selected for a provincial pilot project, enabling us to offer Third-Party Reporting to survivors.

Over the years, SARP expanded into a team of eight. In summer 2023, PearlSpace secured contracts to deliver 24/7 on-demand and mobile sexual assault advocacy and referral services—called Sexual Assault Support—across the region, from Furry Creek to First Nations north of Pemberton. Today, survivors of all genders aged 13 and older can access confidential support, make informed decisions about legal options, and begin their healing journey—without having to leave their community to get help.