About Big Water Society

Big Water Society is a Registered Charity dedicated to enhancing community wellness and providing healthy youth activities.

Since its founding as a registered BC Society in 1996, and attaining Registered Charity status in 2002, a volunteer Board has been responsible for guiding all ongoing BWS activities. Staff for the various contract activities includes the Society Coordinator, Mental Health and Wellness Counsellor, and Teen Centre Staff.

Volunteer Directors: up to 8	Current Directors	(June 2018)
Quorum = any 4	Susan Thompson	Treasurer
	Cindy Merry	Secretary-Treasurer
	Shannon Hall	Co-Chair
	Vincent Esquiro	Director
	Tammy Fetterly	Director
	Lloyd Brown	Director
	Roger Gallagher	Director
	Vicky Robertson	Executive Coordinator

Funding for the Society was first accessed through several different BC health-and-family-oriented Ministries, gathered and funneled through “Ministry of Children and Families Development” to provide free community-wide counselling.

Counselling was transferred to Ministry of Health, then Mental Health Services and is now funded via Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of Northern Health Authority. The Big Water counsellors, Brook Hill, (MSW, RSW) and Jan Forde, (MSW, RSW) provide free counselling to the community and visitors year round on Tuesdays and Thursdays of every month. Both ladies offer a diverse range of skilled counselling. To contact Brook or Jan call 250-651-2189 to leave a message or email: bwscounsellor@bigwatersociety.org. These free services are available to anyone in Atlin.

The Big Water Society also owns and operates the Atlin Teen Centre. The Society office in the Teen Centre is open year-round, phone-fax 250-651-2460. The Teen Centre hall phone is 651-2235, local calls only. The Teen Activities are usually offered during the school year, with other events over the summer. This program, currently supporting special events and excursions only, is provided free of charge to families in Atlin.

Constructed over the years 1999-2003, with huge community participation and a small BC Spirit grant, the Teen Centre opened for activities in January 2003. In 2005, a Vancouver Foundation grant enabled us to move from volunteer to paid supervisors and to purchase games and equipment. Funding is obtained by applying to a number of sources every year, and is separate from the NHA contract. These funding grants enable us to hold Teen Centre activities and special events for children and families. Over the summer, the hall is in use for lectures, for meetings and other special events. There is a hall-rental fee charged for most non-teen events.

Terry Milos, her appointed local Trustees and BWS collaborate on selecting a local youth and awarding the annual Brett Milos Memorial Award for civic leadership. This award recognizes young Atlinites who have been good examples for their peers and who contribute to the community through volunteerism. The presentation is usually held at the Teen Centre. BWS covers all expenses for this event, which provides an official awards ceremony for presentation of the bursary and display the recipient’s name plaque. The 2015 recipients are Darryl Tait and Caitlin O’Shea.