Folio.YVR Issue #4/5: Squamish Lil' wat Cultural Centre Shares History

The Squamish Lil’ wat Cultural Centre resides on six-acres of forested beauty near the Fitzsimmons Creek in the Upper Village of Whistler, BC. Conveniently located across from the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Four Seasons visitors to this gem of a mountain get-away will enjoy visiting this exciting destination and take a breather from the hustle of the Village.

slcc, blackcomb, lilwat centre, squamish, helen siwak, ecoluxluv, folioyvr, vancouver, vancity, yvr, bc — Interior of home with central wooden ladder | Image by Helen Siwak

whistler, slcc, blackcomb, lilwat centre, squamish, helen siwak, ecoluxluv, folioyvr, vancouver, vancity, yvr, bc — Exterior of the Long House which is available for events | Image by Helen Siwak

The Centre showcases the history, art, and heritage of the Squamish and Lil’ wat First Nations through incredible drumming performances, guided tours of the museum, interactive, contemporary and outdoor exhibits, and craft workshops such as cedar grass bracelet making.

The main feature, The Great Hall, captures the spectacular mountain and forest views through curved glass plank walls. Showcasing hand-carved cedar welcome figures, pictograph-embossed boulders, massive spindle whorls, and a series of cedar canoes, some of which are suspended from the hall’s soaring ceilings.

Unique to Whistler, the Ístken Hall is a stunning circular glass room with a natural cedar wood interior that makes it a breath-taking location for events, especially for those seeking a unique wedding venue. The three-storey facility also features specialized meeting spaces, a museum, multi-media theatre, an expansive patio overlooking Blackcomb Mountain, gift shop with authentic Squamish and Lil’ wat art, and a cafe.

Before the opening of the SLCC, Squamish and Lil’wat culture had been virtually invisible in Whistler, even though artifacts dating from 25,000 years ago have been discovered and dated. The Squamish Nation are the original inhabitants of the tract of land starting in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, across to North and West Vancouver, over to the Gibsons area, and up to Squamish, and Whistler. The Lil’ wat First Nation are the original inhabitants of the Whistler and Pemberton regions. In fact, European contact did not occur in British Columbia until 1791!

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Luxury Lifestyle Observer: Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, and digital women's lifestyle magazine EcoLuxLifestyle.co. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.