In less than one year, media from 80 different countries are set to flood the Sea to Sky Corridor for the 2010 Winter Games and not everyone will speak English.
Enter the Sea to Sky Multi-Cultural Networking Project, which is designed to break language barriers in 2010. The project involves the launch of a multi-lingual web portal that will feature content in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Italian, Punjabi and Russian.
"I was looking at the website content in the Sea to Sky Corridor and not much content is presented in other languages," said Nicole Guerton, project creator.
Once finished, the web portal will be expansive and include links to content at a variety of sites such as Whistler Blackcomb, Tourism Whistler and Tourism Squamish. Guerton said the project will entail the creation of three different websites for Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton.
As one of the projects most enthusiastic supporters, Mayor Greg Gardner said he is very interested in the project because it ensures the Sea to Sky region is welcoming to people of many different cultures and languages.
"I think it helps Squamish make ourselves a tourist destination and it will be a wonderful benefit to our area," Gardner said.
At the council meeting Tuesday (June 2) council voted to send a letter of support to Community Futures for the Sea to Sky Multi-Cultural Networking Project plus donate office space in the Adventure Centre for a 15-month period if it is available.
Councillors Corinne Lonsdale and Bryan Raiser criticized the decision as shortsighted because the Adventure Centre is lacking an overall plan at this point.
"My question is what we are being asked to donate here," Lonsdale said. "We are committing to give space in the Adventure Centre and I am concerned about doing anything there right now."
The project includes an "Ask Me - I'm a Local" campaign in which residents will be encouraged to register their profile onto the web portal and be open to questions from visitors.
Guerton said the web-portal enables visitors to communicate in their language and demonstrate that the Sea to Sky region is a friendly place. The project is also designed to create jobs in the area by partnering with Howe Sound Community Futures.
The Multi-Cultural Networking project will employ 21 interns to both translate and act as ambassadors. Guerton said skilled workers currently unable to find work and on employment insurance will be headhunted through Community Futures.
"The different interns will each have a specialty such as a language or things like wellness. They will be able to live in the Sea to Sky, work out of their own home and receive once a week training," Guerton said.
The project is designed to mobilize the community through social media. Guerton said she is hoping to get funding for the project through the Community Adjustment Fund, which is part of the federal government stimulus package. The project is expected to cost $1.9 million.
"There is no other model like this in the world that uses the community to write content in 10 different languages," Guerton said.
So far the project has been well received. Jeff Dawson manager of the Howe Sound Community Futures Branch said the project is a great fit. Established in 1986, Community Futures is designed to foster entrepreneurial and community development.
"We have been looking for a region wide project for a long time and this was an easy one to support," Dawson said. "It involves the creation of in the neighbourhood of 25 jobs and all of those folks will be from the Sea to Sky Corridor."
Dawson said the project is intended continue beyond the 2010 Winter Games. He said it will serve as a something that can be emulated by other communities around the country.
"Funding will be the one thing to bring this all together and it will take a sizeable amount to make it happen," Dawson said.
The project, which was recently presented to the Squamish Lillooet Regional (SLRD) board, garnered a lot of enthusiasm from local government officials. The board approved $5,000 for the project.
