Cathy Cena & Geneviève Kyle-Lefebvre Today on Faces: Tri-Cities co-authored stories, Geneviève Kyle-Lefebvre and Cathy Cena had the pleasure of sitting down with Robbin Whachell, a seasoned communications professional and community builder whose civic contributions ripple through local waterways, neighbourhood parks, and intergenerational connections. As one of fifty local women featured in the Faces co-authored book, a civic storytelling project launched on International Women’s Day that reached #1 on Amazon, Whachell’s profile stands as a tribute to the everyday leaders shaping life in the Tri-Cities. “Women are the firekeepers of a community,” she shared. “This book puts our stories on the shelf every day, not just one holiday.” From her ten-year dedication to the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society to founding the Lower Mainland’s first Broom Busters chapter, Whachell’s environmental stewardship is hands-on and urgent.

“If the salmon don’t come home, it’s on us,” she said. As past president and current secretary of the hatchery in central Coquitlam, she coordinates educational tours, stream cleans, and citizen science activities that help local residents take action. “Pollution, vandalism, invasive plants. These are human issues. But so is the solution.” One of her proudest accomplishments is establishing Broom Busters Coquitlam after witnessing Scotch broom plants exploding seeds during a summer walk. That initiative now removes hundreds of invasive plants annually with support from the City of Coquitlam. “One plant can produce eighteen thousand seeds that last thirty years. We’re just trying to give native species and people a chance to breathe.” Her love for water flows into another civic role: president of the Nothing Dragon Paddling Society in Port Moody, where she leads over 65 members and helps train youth paddlers from Riverside and Gleneagle Secondary.

“Dragon boating is a metaphor for civic life. We move forward only if we’re paddling together.” Whachell also spoke about her Métis ancestry, discovered while living abroad. “Connecting with my roots changed everything. It gave deeper meaning to my advocacy for land, history, and inclusion.” That awareness inspired her to share not only her environmental work but also her caregiving experience through her blog Parenting Our Parents, which chronicled her journey with her aging mother during the pandemic. From hatchery logs to community paddles, Robbin Whachell is not only keeping creeks alive. She’s helping the Tri-Cities remember what community care looks like in action. As she puts it simply: I believe in a better world.