The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council (WKRAC) exists to help arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin thrive. To do so, we rely on a dedicated team of board members, plus steering committee members who oversee the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA) arts and culture grants. We also have great employees!

Who are these people? In this series, we’re introducing you to the folks behind the scenes.

Susan Bernhardt, WKRAC Bookkeeper

WKRAC: When did you join WKRAC, and why did working here appeal to you? 

SB: WKRAC was my first bookkeeping job when my family and I moved to the Kootenays in 2014. I love non-profit accounting, and it was a great fit as I started to learn about the Kootenays and call them home. 

What are the main things you do in your position? 

I’m in charge of the WKRAC finances which includes monitoring the day-to-day revenue and expenses, as well as managing the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance grant payments. 

How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home? 

My husband Kevin got a job in Nelson 11 years ago. At that time, I had to Google map Nelson to find it on a map – I had no idea where it was! We took a trip out here and fell in love with the place; we felt we could give our four kids a 1970’s childhood. At the time, I didn’t know what the Columbia Basin would offer my career in non-profit accounting. 

Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice? 

I have read that you need to have three types of hobbies in your life: one for your mind, one for your body, and one for your creativity.  I love to read for my mind. I love to hike and bike (especially here in the West Kootenays!) for my body.  Strangely, my creative outlet has become balance sheets and income statements. It gives me great joy to make them accessible and understandable to support the people I work with – it’s my palette! 

What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage? 

I love how arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin is so accessible and easy to find.  In larger cities where I lived, participating in arts & culture events would require long commutes into the city where arts and culture would happen.  Here in the Kootenays, it is easy to access theatre and art installations close by – and even heritage along hiking and bike trails! 

What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage? 

The Columbia Basin is such a unique place because people have chosen to pursue careers in arts, culture and heritage. Artists and traditional knowledge keepers hold an important role in our region through both their contributions to our economy and to the uniqueness of the culture of this area. 

What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin? 

The Columbia Basin covers a large area filled with diverse communities and people.  This is a unique position to hold. In a world full of polarization and division, I hope the people of the Columbia Basin continue to unite through active engagement in art and storytelling which fosters connection, understanding and shared identity. 

WKRAC is pleased to announce a new initiative aimed at enhancing workplace safety for cultural producers in the Columbia Basin, while supporting cultural sector employers in meeting WorkSafeBC requirements.

Launching in November 2025, WKRAC will host a Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) open to participation from member organizations. This shared committee model is designed to provide both employers and employees with:

• Access to safety skills training
• A formalized structure for meeting WorkSafeBC regulations
• Peer support to address health and safety challenges as they arise

Many arts and culture organizations in our region are small enough that they are not required to establish their own Joint Health & Safety Committee. This new shared model offers these organizations a valuable opportunity to access the benefits of a JHSC without the administrative burden of forming one independently. By participating in WKRAC’s committee, members can still benefit from a proactive, collaborative approach to workplace safety.

A JHSC plays a vital role in promoting a culture of safety. The committee brings together representatives from all levels of an organization to:

• Identify and address potential hazards
• Investigate incidents and recommend improvements
• Advise on safety policies and training programs
• Monitor compliance with occupational health and safety standards

Are you a WKRAC member?
Complete the intake form to request a seat on the Joint Health & Safety Committee.

Not a member yet? Register your organization today!

The Canoe Journey in June 2025 is a powerful assertion of the belief that Indigenous peoples of the region are stewards of the river and the salmon—one of their first foods. This journey highlights the vital connection between their language, culture and the natural environment. Join the Sinixt paddlers as they make their way through Nelson. Public events include a community paddle across Kootenay Lake (June 16), keynote and poetry event (June 16), mural tour (June 16), Indigenous plant workshop (June 17), and a film screening of Dirt Relations (June 17).

Some of these events have limited capacity. Reserve your spot here.

The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council (WKRAC) exists to help arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin thrive. To do so, we rely on a dedicated team of board members, plus steering committee members who oversee the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance (CKCA) arts and culture grants. We also have great employees!

Who are these people? In this series, we’re introducing you to the folks behind the scenes.

Kallee Lins, Executive Director

Based in Nelson, Kallee is celebrating her third anniversary at the helm of WKRAC.

WKRAC: When did you join WKRAC, and why did working here appeal to you?

KL: I started at WKRAC in June 2022. I was an avid dancer while growing up in the Kootenays, so as my experience in the cultural sector across Canada grew, I knew I wanted to play a role in strengthening the arts in my hometown and region. At the same time, my husband (born and raised in downtown Toronto) felt the pull of the mountains. When this job became available, it felt like the right moment to make the move (back) from Ontario to BC.

What are the main things you do in your position?

I love this post by E. Andrew Taylor that describes arts management as “the practice of aggregating and animating people, stuff, and money toward expressive ends.” As ED, I’m the person responsible for ensuring this happens in alignment with WKRAC’s strategic plan.

In practice, I spend a lot of time in dialogue with WKRAC’s funders, partners, and our board of directors. I write most of our grant applications, and oversee program design and delivery across both our flagship programs (CKCA, Articulate, Culture Tour), and strategic initiatives that vary from year to year. In a small organization like ours, I have to quickly toggle between high-level planning and business development, and more immediate tasks like website updates, managing mailing lists, building registration forms and more!

I’m also deeply passionate about arts advocacy and I do what I can to support communities across the Columbia Basin in making the case for greater investment in arts and culture.

How did you come to call the Columbia Basin home?

I’m a proud Castlegarian. It was wonderful to grow up in Castlegar. I’m glad I took the opportunity to study and work in other provinces, specifically Quebec and Ontario, but it’s great to be back in beautiful British Columbia. I truly love big cities, but I do not miss Toronto’s humidity!

Are you involved in arts, culture and heritage outside of your work with WKRAC/CKCA? If so, what is your discipline or practice?

I’ve always been a dancer. Until 2019, I was active on and off in contemporary dance collectives that gave me the chance to train, perform and choreograph. I dipped my toe into tango when I moved to Nelson, which I unexpectedly loved. I’m looking forward to getting back to contemporary dance this summer.

I also love serving other arts organizations through board work. I’m the board president for the Dance West Network and an inaugural board member for the Black & Rural Arts and Culture Society, supporting the fantastic work of Shayna Jones. I also try to stay connected to cultural conversations across the country; that was a big impetus for starting my weekly Substack Culturally Radical.

What do you think people in the region should be proud of in terms of arts, culture and heritage?

It’s rare to find such a wide range of aesthetics in one place. For art-goers, there is something for everyone, and there are so many opportunities to try out and practice a new art form in a welcoming environment.   

I encourage everyone who loves the arts to speak constantly about the benefits the arts bring to communities. From an economic perspective alone, our sector is a major employer. One in every 27 workers in the Columbia Basin has a cultural job. Nationally, the contribution of culture to GDP ($73 billion) is on par with the oil and gas sector ($71 billion) and far outstrips the combined GDP of agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting ($41 billion) according to comparisons by Hill Strategies based on 2022 Statistics Canada data. Let’s own our power!

What advice do you have for people in the region pursuing a career in arts, culture and heritage?

There is always room for your unique thing. Don’t wait for public funding or validation from other “official” bodies to start testing your ideas and sharing them. I love to see works-in-progress and experimental pieces. Don’t get bogged down by what seems like the “right” way to create.

If you’re interested in management stuff, join a board! You’ll meet great people and learn so much about the ins and outs of nonprofits. I know how to do the work of an ED because I joined boards early in my career where I had the pleasure to learn from some of the best cultural managers and programmers in the country. (And if you already sit on a board, please invite youth to the table.)

Don’t be afraid to ask someone if they’d like to grab a coffee and talk about their work. Professionals in this space love what they do. Ask us about it. 😊

What vision do you see for the future of arts, culture and heritage in the Columbia Basin?

I see broad recognition of the value the arts bring to communities. I see the cultural sector being recognized as the economic and social development driver that it is, and I see consideration of the sector being woven through every municipal planning process across the region.

Anything else you’d like to add? 

When I look at who is leading conversations about climate change, inequality, discrimination and more, artists are always at the table. We need creativity and the arts more than ever, yet there has also never been a harder time to be an artist. We have the data about how financially challenging it is to work in the arts in this region. If the arts are important to you, speak up. Tell your local, provincial and federal representatives, and anyone who will listen, that investments in the arts benefit all of us.