Creating Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive spaces for all humans

Dee McWatters was born in 1974 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. In 1979, she moved with her family to the Okanagan Valley, settling in the small town of Summerland, BC. Growing up in Summerland, Dee attended school, began her career, engaged in community activities, volunteered, and raised her family.

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Dee and her older sister had a unique upbringing, working in their family's small winery, Sumac Ridge, from an early age. As an adult, Dee followed in her father's footsteps, the late Harry McWatters, and worked in various roles within the BC wine industry for 30 years, including production, procurement, logistics, and operational management.

Dee was born as Darren McWatters and assigned male at birth. In 2017, at the age of 43, Dee realized she was a transgender woman. Embracing her true identity, she added an “i” to her name, becoming Darrien, which signifies "identity." Friends and family affectionately call her Dee.

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Community has always been essential to Dee, representing a sense of belonging and inclusion. She has been deeply involved in her community, volunteering as a hockey coach, on-ice official, firefighter, and active member of service clubs.

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Upon coming out and beginning her transition, Dee recognized her place within the marginalized 2SLGTBQIA+ community. She became an advocate, joining the board of directors for South Okanagan Similkameen Pride and Kelowna Pride Society as the Director of Transgender Community Involvement. She now serves as the Vice President of Advocacy Canada, a national 2SLGTBQIA+ advocacy organization based in Kelowna, BC.

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Dee has completed the Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) from UBC, Dee has been appointed to the first-ever EDI workgroup for BC Hockey and serves as an advisor to Hockey Canada on gender diversity and expression.

Combining her education, lived experiences, and passion for supporting and advocating for all humans, Dee has embarked on a career path focused on EDI. She is especially passionate about advocating for the 2SLGTBQIA+ community, with a particular emphasis on youth inclusion and belonging in sports.