Whistler Photographer during the COVID-19 pandemic

Back in March - Friday the 13th - the day I bought a brand new mountain bike and started to get excited about the summer coming - everything changed for me personally. Although COVID-19 was already having a major impact around the world, it didn’t feel like it was affecting us here in Canada - until that day - Friday 13th March.
When you live in Whistler, it does feel like you're living in a bubble at times - we aren’t affected too much by what is going on around the world.
However as soon as Whistler Blackcomb closed on March 14th - every business followed, Whistler village became a ghost town - something very sad to see, self isolation began and flights were cancelled - including my trip back to the UK to meet a newborn family member. Turning on the TV every morning to hear Justin Trudeau share the latest news on COVID-19 (he appeared everyday from March 13-June 29) was becoming the new normality.

It has been heartbreaking for so many people - especially those who are trying to protect their high risk friends or family members, and those with elderly relatives in care-homes knowing they were extremely vulnerable. My heart goes out to the health care workers around the world, putting themselves on the front line to help save and look after those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the long days without breaks or being able to remove their masks during the shortage of PPE supplies, and then having to stay away from their families to protect them.

A positive side - It has been amazing watching the community come together during these times, and everyone quickly becoming respectful of the new ‘physically distant’ reality. Grocery stores opening an hour earlier for seniors and high risk people, businesses offering home deliveries, and having dinner with friends over ‘Zoom’.
My friend and amazing community organizer Meg, helped put together this video which demonstrates the importance of community during the pandemic - you can watch it here.

The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement has been very important around the world, people are educating themselves, myself included, on how to combat racism in their own community. I’ve been reading more and learning about black and indigenous history - Whistler has an amazing immersive indigenous museum -  the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. I have found myself here a few times this summer - it’s a must if you haven’t been before.

Time alone has meant you have time to think about what is important to you, and for me it was a time for change, to focus on myself, and my business. I spent the whole month of June rebuilding my brand and website, and started to look towards the future. Luckily June was extremely wet which helped me stay indoors.

I am very lucky and grateful to live in a mountain town, and to have the luxury of outdoor freedom, compared to the ‘lockdown’ that was implemented in countries around the world. 
It has been inspiring living here in Whistler surrounded by natural beauty and I appreciate the smaller things in life more than I did before - like spending more time with my dogs and the light pouring through the forest on our morning walks, learning to make sourdough bread, being in the middle of a glacier fed lake with friends on paddle boards, outdoor movie nights, exploring more of Whistler and discovering something new after living here for 12 years, especially bike trails I’ve never ridden before and exploring the lake with the dogs.  Heading up to Pemberton to pick up fresh eggs, berries and potatoes from farm stands on the road, visiting a brewery set on a family farm - the Beer Farmers - I highly recommend a visit if you can, and then the freedom to finally being able to take a trip to the Sunshine Coast to enjoying being by the ocean to watch the waves.

Enjoy the time you have with friends and family, get outside and explore, it sounds so simple but Covid has proved how hard it was when taken away.
Life has thrown us a curveball and it’s shown me how important it is to be kind to everyone - including yourself!

Here are a few photos from my summer - iphone photos included! (Yes there are a few photos of my dogs!)

This last photo of me is by the lovely Janice Power.