How long does it take to become a COASTER? 

It’s a question I ponder the longer I live on this rocky/lush outcropping, severed from the Lower Mainland of British Columbia by a fjord or two, and connected to the world by ferry and if the fog clears, float plane. 

The Sunshine Coast of B.C. is a seasonal destination for tourists and cottagers and rich people.  To some it’s the home of The Beachcombers, one of Canada’s longest running scripted television series, about working class life in coastal Canada. It’s home to the shíshálh and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nations. It’s a place that’s logged and fished, photographed and fetishized. 

It’s a place where people ask how long you’ve lived here, so they can decide whether you’re really a Coaster.

Most importantly, it’s where stories happen. Small stories. 

I moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2017 to work for the community newspaper. I’ve since moved to radio, but I’m still here. I love this place. I believe it’s special. And I want to share it with you.

Of course, this podcast is not only about the Sunshine Coast; not really. It’s a celebration of the small stories that define us, whether we’re Coasters or not.

Thank you for your interest. I hope you’ll listen. 

COASTERS is a non-fiction narrative miniseries about community on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, territory of the shíshálh and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nations.

Subscribe and listen to the trailer on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you access podcasts.

About Sophie Woodrooffe

Sophie Woodrooffe is an associate producer with current affairs radio at CBC Vancouver. Before that, she was a journalist at Coast Reporter on the Sunshine Coast, B.C.

Her work has appeared on CBC Radio, CANADALAND, and in print in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and the Jakarta Post. 

She has won awards for her journalism. She graduated from UBC with a Masters in Journalism in 2017. She also holds a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Alberta.

She’s originally from Carleton Place, ON.

Contact: sophie@coasterspodcast.com