Gut Feelings

Squamish Canyon Walk and the power of an idea

There’s a theory out there that ideas are contagious. That creativity doesn’t come from inside us, but from some cloud-like collective unconsciousness and we are just the vessels. And if an idea chooses you and you don’t act on it fast enough (this theory posits), the idea will find someone else. On the other hand, exposure to one great idea or burst of creativity will help open your tunnel for the next one.

“We were watching the Sea to Sky Gondola being built and we started thinking about how Squamish was evolving. Ideas started flowing.”

A ski guide and member of Squamish Search and Rescue at the time, Robin began exploring the river canyons and second-growth forest near Mamquam Falls, a 19-metre (62-foot) direct-drop waterfall that had been seeing more and more public access and attention.

"Basically, I wanted to build the coolest tree fort ever in the canyons and forest behind my house.” – Robin Sherry

It could all be malarky, but it certainly seems to fit the origin story of Squamish Canyon, a 1.4-kilometre immersive rainforest boardwalk set to open at the start of August.

“The idea started in 2013 as I was sitting on the Squamish Spit after a good kiteboarding session with some buddies,” says project visionary/founder Robin Sherry.

“The idea wouldn’t leave me alone: something fun, that would let people safely experience and connect to the natural beauty of this landscape,” says Robin. “A sustainable, environmental-focused business that could help alleviate some of the popularity and pressure I could already see Squamish facing. I wanted to inspire people to play, give them space to do it, and also create awareness of how to do it safely and with respect for the incredible lands and waters we have here. Basically, I wanted to build the coolest tree fort ever in the canyons and forest behind my house.”

Robin says the dream of a forest/ canyon boardwalk kept growing: “Every time I wasn’t pushing the idea forward, I’d get anxiety.” But putting an idea—any idea—into action almost always comes with unexpected hurdles. For Robin, the first big one was navigating land rights in a region with multiple stakeholders (the Squamish Nation, provincial and municipal governments, logging tenures, residential zoning, a hydroelectric powerplant) that was also a “hidden gem” favourite local hike.

“There were times when I thought, Maybe I am actually crazy,” Robin admits, “but we worked it out. I had to learn to say no to other people’s nos, because government officials are not incentivized to say yes to something they are not used to.”

Eventually, after years of paperwork and design plans that included seemingly every type of engineer that exists, Robin’s team put the first shovel in the ground in October of 2023. The proposed elevated boardwalk would wind through the forest and along the steep canyon ridge of the Mamquam River before going under the existing vehicle bridge for the power station (putting the walkway directly above the edge of Mamquam Falls) then pushing through some towering secondgrowth forest to a large communal meeting place with vendors, a playground and a stage area for live performances.

“The entire area is topographically aggressive,” Robin admits, “but the first big challenge was creating foundations for a 1.4-km boardwalk. This coastal rainforest root system grows shallow and wide—how do we build 800-plus foundations that meet commercial weight/snow load requirements without removing a single mature tree from the site?”

Working with renowned construction experts Axis Mountain Technical, the solution was spider excavators—specialized machines that can “walk” on four legs through forested terrain and work on angled slopes to drill small, deep holes and lift/transport supplies. Mostly,

Robin says, it took a lot of manual labour.

“For sure it cost us four or five times what regular foundations would,” Robin says. “But—other than the mandatory fire road to our Forest Lounge area—we didn’t remove a single mature tree from the site. That’s pretty amazing.”

So is the engineering behind the canyon walk and waterfall bridge sections. One of the primary span bridges is 39 metres (130 feet) long and is designed to support more than 47,000 kg (104,000 lbs). Another visionary feat was Robin’s insistence the project not degrade the public experience already available in the area.

The public washrooms installed by Squamish Canyon will certainly do that. As will the Forest Lounge/Playground area that can offer cold drinks and entertainment separately from the canyon/forest walk experience.

“I learned a lot of lessons,” Robin says. “Would I do it again? I don’t know, but at the time I felt—in my guts—that I had to. There’s a children’s book I love called What Do You Do With an Idea, and it talks about the power of an idea and finding your inner strength and pushing on no matter what anyone says.

The solution was spider excavators, specialized machines that can “walk” on four legs through forested terrain.

“While designing the boardwalks, I would get guys to stand on the edge of the canyon holding out a reflective vest taped to an extendable pole so I could determine what is and isn’t visible from the current public viewing areas and not disrupt other beautiful sightlines. We wanted to add to the overall value of the area, not detract.”

For me, this was an all-on-the-line idea and it’s unreal to see it so close to completion. It’s a work of art that will allow people to experience the art of nature.” – Feet Banks

Squamish Canyon currently has more than 50 local tradespeople on site, banging this idea out in time for the August 1 opening. squamishcanyon.com