The Whistler Multicultural Society (WMS) is a group of local immigrants who have come together to support immigrants and newcomers to grow social capital, skills, knowledge, and experience to ensure their success and participation in our community while fostering intercultural awareness, understanding, and interactions in the wider community of Whistler. Our programs build cross-cultural interaction and connections, develop awareness and understanding of our local diversity, and seek to grow equity and inclusion.  We aim to build the voice and profile of newcomers and immigrants in our local community, and to develop community inclusion initiatives.

Specifically, Whistler Multicultural Society (WMS) aims to 

• create opportunities for participation for immigrants and newcomers in our local communities

• advocate for immigrants and newcomers in local social, work and civic societies

• build greater understanding and recognition of the skills and values immigrants bring to Whistler, and across the Sea to Sky corridor, and 

• promote equity and diversity through cultural sharing, training, and education. 

Whistler Multicultural Society was incorporated in January 2020 out of a grassroots community group created in April 2012 as part of the Welcome Sea to Sky project, funded by the SMART Fund, Vancouver Coastal Health. With their incorporation, the WMS was able to take over delivery of this project and is now also delivering federally-funded migrant worker services, and working as a local spoke in the provincial Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network.  Other programs, delivered with federal, provincial, and local government support, include the Whistler Multicultural Festival, the Multicultural Community Kitchens program and our Cultural Ambassador program.

WMS programs focus on supporting newcomers and immigrants to get established, building intercultural understanding and learning by providing opportunities for cultural sharing, dialogue, and learning, and on growing a voice for local immigrants and newcomers.