Some people move to the Cariboo because of work.

Others arrive because they are looking for something a little harder to describe.

For Ksenya Dorwart, it started with a summer job and a long drive from the Prairies. What she found here was mountains instead of flat horizons, forests instead of open fields, and a creative community that quietly changed the direction of her life.

As a student, Ksenya first came to Wells to work at Island Mountain Arts, the legendary arts organization tucked into one of the most unexpected little creative communities in the province.

And for someone interested in people, events, creativity, and connection, it was kind of the perfect place to land.

Island Mountain Arts is much more than an arts organization. Over the years, it has become a gathering place for musicians, painters, writers, performers, students, and artists from all over Canada and beyond. Through workshops, artist residencies, concerts, mentorship programs, and events, it has helped turn Wells into a place where creativity feels woven into everyday life.

Ksenya loved being part of that energy.

One day she might be helping organize a workshop for harp students. Another day she could be working with musicians, setting up performances, coordinating volunteers, or connecting with visiting artists. The work was never just one thing, and neither was she. She loved that the job allowed her to wear many hats and build skills she still uses today — organizing events, managing people, solving problems, building relationships, and helping create spaces where people feel welcome.

She also loved the people she met along the way.

The friendships she built with other summer students and artists during those years have lasted far beyond Wells, stretching across the province and country. But even as those friends scattered, the Cariboo kept pulling her back.

So she returned.

Again and again.

Eventually, she decided to try staying through a winter in Wells — and that was when the region truly got its hooks into her.

Because winter in Wells is not just snowbanks and cold weather. It is potluck dinners, house concerts, neighbours checking in on each other, community events packed into old halls, and people creating reasons to gather even in the darkest months of the year. It is a place where artists, tradespeople, outdoor enthusiasts, musicians, and quirky creative souls all somehow coexist together.

And Ksenya fit right in.

Over the years, she became deeply involved in the arts community and eventually stepped into the role of Festival Coordinator for the beloved ArtsWells Festival, helping organize one of the Cariboo’s most iconic arts and music festivals. Known for its intimate atmosphere, eclectic performances, and deeply loyal following, ArtsWells became another place where Ksenya’s gift for connecting people really shone.

Because at the centre of almost everything she does is community.

After many years with Island Mountain Arts, and a short stint working at Barkerville Historic Town & Park, Ksenya eventually moved to Quesnel, where she found another community that felt like home.

Today, she is the General Manager at Barkerville Brewing Co. where she has helped shape the brewery into far more than just a place to grab a pint. Under her leadership, the brewery regularly hosts concerts, workshops, rotating art shows, community events, and gatherings that bring people together in creative ways.

Because for Ksenya, arts and culture are never just “extras.”

They are part of what makes people feel connected to where they live.

She also runs her own business, Make It Happen Events, while working as an event coordinator for the City of Quesnel and the Cariboo Regional District. It is a lot of moving pieces, but the skills she developed over years in Wells — building trust, organizing events, creating volunteer networks, working with artists and musicians, managing logistics, and genuinely connecting with people — continue to shape everything she does.

And in smaller communities, that trust matters.

Ksenya often says one of the reasons she can successfully juggle so many roles is because of the lifestyle the Cariboo allows. Here, she was able to buy her first home, which she recently sold before moving in with her boyfriend. She has a four-minute commute to the brewery, can walk to City Hall, and is surrounded by a strong support system of friends, coworkers, volunteers, and neighbours who genuinely show up for one another.

That breathing room creates space for creativity.

It creates space for community.

It creates space for people to try things.

Outside of work, Ksenya spends her time attending local concerts and gallery events, supporting the farmers’ market, joining community activities, running with the local running club, and exploring backroads, waterfalls, and lakes with her partner. A piece of her heart still belongs to Wells too, which works out well because in the Cariboo, some of your favourite places are only an hour away.

These days, she is also noticing something encouraging: people are hungry for events and connection again. Concerts are filling up. Workshops are selling tickets. Communities are gathering.

But she also knows arts and culture organizations are under increasing pressure, with funding becoming harder to secure and event planning becoming riskier every year.

So if Ksenya could ask one thing of people, it would probably be this:

If you love local music, festivals, workshops, theatre, art shows, or community events — buy your tickets early. Show up. Support the people creating these experiences.

Because arts and culture are not just things to do.

They are part of the heartbeat of a community.

And people like Ksenya help keep that heartbeat going.

Cariboo. It’s true.