ICYMI: Opinion: Squamish, meet Bhagyashree: Your new journalist on the block

Namaste (NAH-muh-stay) Squamish—yet another person has fallen in love with this community.

As a journalist who relocated from Delhi to Vancouver in 2022, I never expected to discover a piece of paradise in Squamish. My first visit to Squamish was in the winter of 2022, with partially snow-covered roads. The warm coffee from Fox & Oak that I clutched in my hands was the ideal remedy for the cold weather.

Since then, I found myself driving up to Squamish almost every weekend. I tell my friends that I have manifested Squamish in my life because the minute I saw an opening for a job at The Squamish Chief I knew it was fate. Coming from the bustling streets of Delhi, discovering a sense of belonging in a place like Squamish is the most ironic twist life has presented me with.

Equipped with an Indigenous knowledge certificate, I have covered everything from major international events like the International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) conference to community gatherings such as Vancouver's Women's Memorial March.

I have experience working with various organizations such as CBC, Al Jazeera, The Wire, Xtra Magazine, and the Global Reporting Program at UBC. And now, I am at your service.

In this role I will be able to tell stories from Squamish, the Squamish Valley and Paradise Valley. If you have a story you think I should tell, let me know.

You can reach me at [email protected].

And, if you ever see me out walking my dog—Barfi—come and say hey!

Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The Squamish Chief’s Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.