by Photo by Hilary Casey
September 30, 2015[caption id="attachment_119" align="alignleft" width="146"] [/caption]
By Jennifer McCracken
The CAIRP Annual Conference in Whistler, B.C., this past August was a truly enjoyable experience for my family and me. Held at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler just a few minutes’ walk from Whistler Village, the setting was picturesque and we were spoiled with gorgeous weather. Most days we had the afternoons free to explore the local area and participate in conference activities.
One afternoon my family walked around Whistler Village, taking in the local sites, music, and attractions. I was unable to attend Whistler during the 2010 Winter Olympics and this was my first time back in the village to see the Olympic Rings and other attractions that were built for the Games.
[caption id="attachment_120" align="alignright" width="500"] Photo by Hilary Casey[/caption]
A fun conference excursion was the PEAK 2 PEAK gondola ride that traversed the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The stunning scenery and majestic vistas made for great photography and wonderful memories.
Before boarding the gondola, we visited the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games display in the Roundhouse lodge and took a family photo on the Olympic rings at the top of the mountain. We considered climbing the life-size Inukshuk but decided to keep our feet on the ground! The PEAK 2 PEAK ride was unforgettable and something that all visitors to Whistler should experience.
The conference provided an excellent opportunity to connect with business professionals and insolvency practitioners alike. I was pleased to see numerous local insolvency lawyers in addition to trustees from across the country in attendance. At the networking breaks and dinners I made new contacts in the industry and reconnected with friends.
The CAIRP Awards Dinner at the Roundhouse made for an adventure. We took the gondola ride up to the Roundhouse Restaurant and were blown away by the 360-degree views of the mountains. The trip down at the end of the night was made comfortable with warm blankets and mug of hot cocoa, and my son enjoyed playing with the Deloitte lantern on the ride down!
The Gala dinner was the highlight of the conference, to be sure. There was a fantastic performance by Lil’Wat Nation hoop dancer Alex Wells. The keynote address by David Chilton was laced with jokes and candid commentary about his writing career and time on the CBC program Dragon’s Den.
[caption id="attachment_121" align="alignright" width="500"] Jennifer's son Everett Chan gets a hoops lesson from Lil’Wat Nation hoop dancer Alex Wells - Photo by The Canadian Press Images/David Buzzard[/caption]
There were many takeaways for my personal insolvency practice and I thoroughly enjoyed the quality of the conference topics and speakers. My hat goes off to CAIRP for organizing a conference that was informative, enjoyable and made many fond memories with my friends and family.
Jennifer McCracken is a Senior Manager at Campbell, Saunders Ltd., practicing in corporate and consumer insolvency. Jennifer lives Vancouver, BC and enjoys yoga and Starbucks coffee.
