The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre is due to open in June 2008.

A very unique and innovative conference center has opened in Upper Village of Whistler (near Vancouver) in British Columbia, Canada—the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre—due to open in June 2008. Located in a spectacular alpine ski resort and the showcasing the distinct First Nation cultures of the Squamish and Lil'wat.

A rendering of the Great Hall at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre.

The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre offers highly flexible space, accommodating banquets for up to 280 people and receptions for 500. In an unprecedented cooperative venture, the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations have created The 30,400-square-foot complex , whose tagline is "where rivers, mountains and people meet", is designed to reflect a Squamish Longhouse and Lil’wat Istken (earthen dwelling with fire pit). Meeting planners can incorporate authentic First Nations traditional food, drumming and singing, or create their own entertainment in the permanent theatre, holding 80 people, or the Great Hall, adapted to a 250-seat theatre. As an added option, meeting planners can hold a private board meeting or planning session during the day in the Istken Hall.

A rendering of the Istken Hall at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre

Venue features include a walkway with pictograph-adorned boulders, hand-carved cedar doors, massive spindle whorls, suspended canoes, intricate weavings and a spectacular backdrop of mountains seen through unobstructed glass—provide a truly dramatic setting for any meeting. Future plans include a traditional Squamish Longhouse, the Lil'wat Istken (earthen dwellingwith fire pit), outdoor barbeque facility and ethnobotanical gardens. The venue offers team building training programs that incorporate the First Nation cultural experience.

Programs available at the Conference Center include First Nation cuisine and culture.

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre is in the premier mountain resort of Whistler, British Columbia—a host community for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. For more information on the Cultural Centre, go to www.slcc.ca or, to book, contact Deanna Bell (604) 898-1822.