Wish

The Bookless Club: Whistler mom moves mountains for her daughter and others

ruth — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:25:20 +0000

Sue Hargrave gave all she had to her daugher to help her overcome severe challenges. She’s also the force behind The Traverse, private housing units for individuals with developmental disabilities.

It’s exciting being 19. The future glimmers before you, a landscape of limitless possibilities.

Whistler resident Eliza Hargrave is looking forward to the things most 19-year-olds look forward to: continuing her education, traveling, living on her own. Her mom, Sue Hargrave, wants all those things for Eliza. However, for Eliza, these things aren’t eventualities … they’re challenges.

But thanks to a mother’s extraordinary perseverance, many of Eliza’s dreams are now within reach.

When Eliza was born, her mother was told her baby girl would never talk, let alone walk. Sue, being a woman of considerable flint, set out to ensure that, despite Eliza’s challenges, she would be given every opportunity to live as full a life as possible.

That last line is so blithe: bad news delivered, plucky fortitude mustered. If only it were that easy. Sue’s heart broke when she learned that her precious baby girl had a lifetime of difficulties ahead of her. But motherhood is the tinder of miracles. Mothers move mountains when they have to. So, Sue moved a mountain. Her mission was to give her little girl the tools to live a fulfilling life.

Sue plunged into every early intervention program offered by B.C.’s Centre For Ability. She was convinced that the earlier the intervention, the greater Eliza’s chance for advancement. Therapy of every description was part of every single day. Eliza was non-verbal until age four, so Sue, along with Eliza, learned sign language. This steady application of exposure and repetition eventually got Eliza over several hurdles. Those efforts have been maintained, and the results have been astonishing.

The very good news is that Eliza has thrived. In fact, her challenges aren’t immediately evident. If you were to meet Eliza today, what you would notice is her heart-shaped face and quick smile. She is a charming conversationalist, and will want to know all about you. As for walking and talking, well, she walks and talks just as well as you or I.

So much for dire prognostications.

There are, however, other hurdles ahead.

Sue worries about Eliza’s future. She has all the worries that any parent has, but Sue’s worries are more complex. Eliza will require assistance all her life — assistance that would preclude her ever living completely on her own. Sue worries about how Eliza will manage when Sue is no longer able to provide that assistance. It’s a worry that keeps her up at night. If you’re a parent, I’m sure you can imagine.

I bet in your lifetime you’ve lived in several different homes. People with developmental disabilities, however, usually make only one move in their lifetime — from home to an assisted-living facility. When parents are unable to provide the necessary assistance their adult child requires, what options exist? Sue tells me that people living with a disability have about $500 per month allocated for rent. But making rent isn’t even half the problem. How do you go from living with people who understand and care for you to managing everything alone?

Realizing this issue was in their future, Sue, along with other parents of developmentally challenged kids, set to work back in 2019 to create the Whistler Independent Supported Housing (WISH) society. Despite being a recreational hub, Whistler is like any other community, with a small cohort requiring special assistance. But it’s different in that it has scant appropriate services available.

In 2023, WISH achieved charitable status, which allowed them to move closer to their objective of creating an assisted-living facility centrally located in the Whistler area. In 2025, WISH achieved something quite astonishing. Whistler Legacy Sports, a byproduct of the Vancouver Olympic Committee, committed 10 self-contained, private housing units for individuals with developmental disabilities at The Traverse, a new Whistler housing facility completing in the summer of 2028. Not having to relocate means the world to people for whom familiarity means so very much.

Currently, Eliza is in her final year at Whistler Secondary. Next year, she ages out of the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s care and into Community Living B.C., the provincial Crown corporation that funds support for people 19 years or older with developmental disabilities.

Starting next year, Eliza will be with Sue, “all day, every day”.

This is hardly ideal on either side of the equation, but Sue can accommodate it — her husband is retired and Sue’s work as a ski instructor with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program is flexible. Other parents, however, aren’t so lucky. But they’re making progress. The hurdles are still there, but now a path forward has appeared.

So, Eliza is excited. And so is Sue. They can look forward to what comes next.

After all, Eliza is 19, and now there’s a future that truly beckons.

Jane Macdougall is a freelance writer and former National Post columnist who lives in Vancouver. She writes The Bookless Club every Saturday online and in The Vancouver Sun. For more of what Jane’s up to, check out her website, janemacdougall.com

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WISH Society Spring Newsletter

ruth — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:50:15 +0000

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WISH Society Winter Newsletter

ruth — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 07:07:09 +0000

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WISH Society Fall Newsletter

ruth — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 21:31:45 +0000

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Pique: WISH Secures Units in Cheakamus Crossing

ruth — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:39:11 +0000

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WISH officially has an address

ruth — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:33:24 +0000

Big news for our community WISH officially has an address. We’re thrilled to share that 10 supported housing units have been secured in Whistler’s Cheakamus Crossing. It’s a major step forward in our mission to create long-term, inclusive housing for adults with developmental disabilities. This wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our community — and we’re just getting started. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with move-in by 2028. We’re also launching an endowment fund to ensure this project remains affordable, sustainable, and supported for years to come. Thank you for believing in this vision with us.

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Straight Article: Meet the people fighting for supportive housing in Whistler

ruth — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 05:20:27 +0000

The Gang gathers in Whistler every week. The group is made up of about a dozen people from 18 to 53 years old, all with developmental disabilities. And though their needs vary, they share a common dream: keys to their own homes.

If they lived in Vancouver, they would be eligible to move into one of the half-dozen existing independent supported living complexes which offer long-term, permanent homes. In tourist-drenched Whistler, permanent population 15,000, there are none.

Independent-supported living complexes enable adults with developmental disabilities to live independently from their families while receiving necessary personalized support and supervision. They are private ventures run by nonprofits, often with support from Community Living BC; a government agency which helps subsidize housing and caregiving for adults with developmental disabilities.

Sue Hargrave understands the need for supported living. Her 18-year-old daughter Eliza has cerebral palsy, ADHD, and global developmental delay. Looking after her full-time at home is difficult, but she would struggle to live by herself.

“A lot of people will say, ‘This population doesn’t have the ability to live alone so let’s just group them all together,’” Hargrave says. “Well, that’s what we used to do. And it’s called an institution.”

“I don’t always want to live at home,” Eliza adds over email.

Supported living would be perfect for Eliza—if such a solution existed in Whistler.

“They just want to be as normal as possible,” Hargrave explains.

Concerns like this led Hargrave and a handful of the Gang’s moms to get together five years ago and come up with the idea for Whistler Independent Supported Housing Society (WISH). The society’s goal is to create an apartment complex with live-in caregivers and daily programming: a big ask in what is, according to a recent ranking by global real estate company Engel & Völkers, the most expensive ski town in Canada.

“We’ve had families that have moved out of Whistler in the past because they didn’t have the support for their loved one, and they said to us, ‘If you guys build this, we’ll move back,’” says Hargrave. WISH already has about 10 people, she adds, that would “move in yesterday.”

One of them is a 53-year-old man whose single mother is in her 80s. The senior is considering moving so her son has access to a home, even though the family has lived in Whistler for decades.

“She says, ‘What’s gonna happen when I’m gone?’” Hargrave explains. “She would lose all of her friends, all of her connections.”

Danielle Winkle, a 40-year-old woman in the Gang, also dreads the possibility of leaving Whistler.

“I would not be comfortable with that,” she says.

Living in the ski town is a core part of her identity. With her friend group, she loves to snowshoe in the winter, and spends summers canoeing and hiking multiple times a week.

Living in an apartment paid for by her parents and close to her family has enabled Winkle to live independently with nearby support. However, not every family can afford that, and not every member of the Gang can live fully independently.

For its vision to become a reality, WISH must raise $5 million. Right now, it has raised $30,000 through donations, grants, and fundraisers. WISH also needs land.

Whistler owns property zoned for community housing, but the municipality’s recent housing report stated there is “little data” to assess the demand for supportive housing. That means WISH must first convince the town to conduct research. If the municipality doesn’t offer land, WISH may have to work with a private developer.

Two Vancouver-based independent living projects could offer WISH a roadmap. HYAD Place, a non-profit, received donated land from the city in 2010 and $5.1 million in provincial funding. The other, PASS PALS Adult Services Society, partnered with a developer who built community housing, and fundraised $3 million to invest in a local foundation. The interest generated from the investment subsidizes rent for its 15 residents indefinitely.

Casey Cochran, a 45-year-old resident of PASS, says in the three years he has lived there, the housing has given him independence and community.

“We go out as a big group of people and we see a movie or go to a pool; we do a lot of different activities,” he says. “It’s a great community.”

WISH is exploring both options, but needs the project done as soon as possible.

“Neighbours will pull me over on the street,” Hargrave says, “and they’ll say, ‘Of course we should be donating money to WISH. Your individuals can’t live [here], and what they have now is not sustainable.’”

There is still work to be done to show people that living independently is as important to the Gang and others like them as it is to any adult. Until then, WISH will remain a wish.

Source: https://www.straight.com/city-culture/meet-people-fighting-for-supportive-housing-in-whistler

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Join Us for Fall Fun and Fundraising: WISH’s Upcoming Events!

ruth — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 06:03:58 +0000

As the crisp fall air settles into Whistler, we’re excited to share some fantastic events that WISH has planned for the season. These events are not just a great way to enjoy the spirit of autumn but also a chance to support our mission of building independent supported housing for individuals with developmental disabilities in our community. Here’s what we have coming up:

Online 50/50 Draw – November 1st
Get ready for a chance to win big while making a meaningful impact! Our online 50/50 draw will be live on November 1st, with half the proceeds going directly to WISH and the other half to the lucky winner. It’s an easy way to support our cause and potentially treat yourself to something special. Join the raffle here: https://wishsociety.rafflenexus.com/a/x3dmfusdgc

Pumpkin Sale – October 26th & 27th at Whistler Creekside Market
Nothing says fall like pumpkins! On October 26th and 27th, we’ll be at the Whistler Creekside Market selling pumpkins just in time for Halloween. Whether you’re carving a spooky jack-o’-lantern or baking up some pumpkin pie, your purchase helps raise funds for WISH and contributes to our mission. Bring the family, grab a pumpkin, and support a good cause!

Fundraising Dinner at Hunter Gather – October 30th
Join us for an evening of great food and community spirit at Hunter Gather on October 30th. A portion of the proceeds from the dinner will go directly to WISH, helping us continue our work in providing housing support. It’s a perfect way to enjoy a delicious meal while making a positive difference.

Event details:

HUNTER GATHER RESTAURANT

Whistler, 4368 Main St #101, Whistler, BC V8E 1B6, Canada.
Wednesday, October 30th.
4 pm till 8 pm.
Take your costume out for a test drive… Let’s see if you can scare us.

These events are all about coming together as a community, having fun, and supporting those who need it most. We hope to see you there and are grateful for your continued support in making Whistler a more inclusive and supportive place for everyone. Stay tuned to our social media for more details, and thank you for being part of the WISH family!

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WISH Society: Journeying Towards a Dream Home since 2019

ruth — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 06:13:48 +0000

As time passed, the Whistler Independent Supported Housing Society (WISH) grew from a simple idea into a powerful mission. Back in 2019, a group of families in Whistler shared a dream – to build a cozy home for their loved ones with developmental disabilities. That’s how WISH started, with a straightforward goal: to provide safe, independent housing for young adults who deserve a place to call home.

Facing Challenges:

Building this dream home comes with its fair share of challenges. WISH is working hard to overcome affordability issues and the complexities of working with local and federal organisations. Despite the hurdles, the families behind WISH are determined to push through, fueled by their unwavering passion and focus on the ultimate goal.

Community Involvement:

WISH isn’t just a dream – it’s a community effort. From fun pizza parties to lively silent auctions, the Whistler community is standing strong behind WISH. A major boost came on November 22, 2023, when WISH received a seed capital donation from 100 Women Whistler. This funding is a game-changer, helping WISH move forward with a solid plan to turn their dream into reality.

What Comes Next:

WISH welcomes everyone to be part of this heartwarming journey. Whether you want to volunteer, fundraise, or simply spread the word, every bit helps bring us closer to creating a haven where everyone can thrive.

Join the Journey:

Get involved with WISH as we work together to make Whistler a welcoming home for all. Stay tuned for updates, as WISH continues to turn dreams into reality.

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