Squamish ReBuild Society’s SOS call has been answered, and now the focus will shift to building upon its foundation.
In November 2022, Inis LeBlanc, founder and board member at Squamish ReBuild, asked the community for help as several issues were affecting the organization’s ability to stay afloat. Just a couple of months later, her ask has been answered.
“I’m very humbled that all these people believe in what we’ve created and want to keep it going and that it’s important,” she said.
One of the people who answered that call is Graham Blake, who is now the incoming chair of the board of directors for the organization. Blake said part of the reason he answered LeBlanc’s call was her willingness to ask for help in a time of need.
“It just really resonated to see something that … would have to have had so much effort and thought put into it over such a long period, then for Inis to have the humility and pragmatism to actually say, ‘Hey, I need help,’” he said.
Blake, who also owns and operates a construction company based in Vancouver, added that he was also drawn to the mission and intent of the non-profit and how it is relevant today.
“It just struck me that there was just an authenticity and just such an opportunity from that to have a foundation,” he said.
Part of the overarching mission of Squamish ReBuild, said LeBlanc, is to change how people view waste. They do this by helping people recirculate and reuse construction supplies.
And, the organization has been successful with that vision over its 11-year tenure, as it has helped divert over 1,000,000 pounds worth of material from the landfill.
“But that’s one way,” LeBlanc said. “There’s so many other ways that we can do that to change the way people think about waste.”
Regarding what’s next for the Squamish ReBuild, LeBlanc and Blake said the following year would be one of reinvigoration and transformation.
“There’s an input of new energy,” said LeBlanc. “We’ve got the foundation. We’ve got a lot of things that are working, some things aren’t, and we just need some new energy.”
“We’re an organization that will be in transformation for this year,” said Blake.
Yet, Blake explained that this would take time and that it wouldn’t be an “instant makeover.”
Nonetheless, there has been newfound interest and ideas, and it will be part of Blake’s new role to organize that going forward. Regardless, Blake seemed confident that Squamish ReBuild would continue to have a bright future.
“We’re going to bring that all together, and we’re going to set up another 10 years,” he said.
To learn more about Squamish ReBuild, go to SquamishReBuild.ca.
