January 15, 2026

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‘BAFFLED BY BILL’

District writes to provincial government over legislation

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

S Q U A M I S H C H I E F. C O M

‘TOUGH BUDGET’: COUNCIL PASSES FIRST DECADELONG FINANCIAL PLAN Elected officials acknowledge pain of double digit property tax impact, but feel budget is the best way forward for the community JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

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PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS

REGAL LOCAL: If you feel like there are more eagles around this year, it isn’t your imagination. The annual eagle count on Jan. 4 tallied 1,397 bald eagles over the day, the most counted during the event since 2007.

THE ARTISAN

ike many families in town, the District is starting the new year off by setting its budget. On Jan. 6, Squamish council passed three readings of the 2026-2035 Financial Plan. “This financial plan marks a major milestone for the District as we complete the District’s first ever 10-year financial plan,” Heather Boxrud, general manager of financial, IT and procurement services, told council. “This important and progressive initiative positions the District as one of the few communities in B.C. to have completed this best practice as recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association. This significant body of work is something that council, community, and staff should be very proud of as it will strengthen the District’s ability to address short-term needs and challenges with a view on long-term BUDGET: Continued on 2

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BUDGET: Continued from 1 financial sustainability, predictable taxation, and ensures adequate reserves to fund the District’s capital program.”

10-YEAR-VIEW The decade-long plan includes revenues of $1.45 billion, expenses of $1 billion, reserve contributions of $274 million, reserve and provision uses of $256 million, and debt principal repayments of $54 million. The capital plan for the 10 years equals $347 million, plus $100 million for the Cheekeye Barrier, which the District takes ownership of in 2026. The 10-year capital plan is funded by $232 million in reserves, $26 million in grants, $12.5 million in development cost charges (DCCs) and community amenity contributions (CACs), $75 million in borrowing and $1.5 million from other sources. “Debt service levels [are] anticipated to reach a maximum of 17%, noting that the provincial regulation limits municipalities to 25% and the District’s policy further limits [it] to 20%.”

2026 BUDGET The 2026 plan includes an operating budget of $82.2 million, which includes $65.5 million for general fund operating expenses and $16.6 million for the District’s utilities. For the 2026 budget, the District’s general property tax revenue requirement is $56.1 million, which represents an increase of 12.8% ($6.4 million) over 2025, and equals approximately $382 more to pay for the average residential taxpayer. Tax rates will be set in April following the release of the BC Assessment revised roll. For 2026, waste water utility rates increased 7.2%, water utility rates increased 1.8%, and solid waste collection rates increased by 5.2% for all tote sizes. Landfill tipping fees increased between 1% (the majority of rates) to 33% (tires increase from $15 to $20).

PHOTO BY JULIEALEXK/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

For the 2026 budget, the District’s general property tax revenue requirement is $56.1 million, which represents an increase of 12.8% ($6.4 million) over 2025, and equals approximately $382 more to pay for the average residential taxpayer.

2027 AND BEYOND The District’s Laura Turner, director of financial planning and reporting, told council that, while just a projection at this point given many factors impact future years’ budgets, the decade-long plan currently projects a tax increase of 13% in 2027, followed by an increase of 12.9% in 2028. The average year-over-year increase in taxation of the whole plan is projected to be 8.3%. “The notable increases in 2027 and 2028 are largely due to the increased cost of RCMP member contracts…. Increased debt servicing costs due to the completion of major capital projects funded by borrowing and service level changes—including additional fire services staffing and transit expansion,” Turner said. Now that it has passed three readings, the financial plan was scheduled to be before council for final adoption on Jan. 13, after press deadline.

COUNCIL COMMENTS Councillors noted the work of staff and the 30 hours of council deliberation on this budget, as well as pride in it being the municipality’s first

10-year plan. Several also noted the pain the property tax increases will cause. “The space that we find ourselves in, particularly with our facilities deficit, which is one of the main drivers here, is something that I hope that the community never has to face to the same scale in future,” said Mayor Armand Hurford. “I’m particularly proud of the contributions to our asset management plan, so that in the future, when we have moved on, future councils and the future community won’t be in such a dire state at any point in time because we’ve taken the responsible step … of making these substantial financial contributions to our asset management plan.” Coun. John French said the plan was a challenging bylaw for him to support because of its potential impact on those on the lower end of the income scale. “The property tax increase that’s on the way in the year ahead will cause some folks to make the tough choice to leave Squamish. I’ve been told by a few people that they can’t afford the property tax increase that they expect to see in

this tax year, next year, and in 2028, on top of the increases of the two previous years.” That said, French said he didn’t see any other way forward than the budget before them. “Staff has looked hard, we’ve looked hard, and I think we’ve all exhausted those efforts. All the nooks, all the crannies have been checked. And where we’ve landed, as tough as it will be for some people, I think, is the best scenario,” he said. “The main thing that I want to focus on in putting my support behind the financial plan is the fact that the biggest chunk of this budget is going to pay the wages of the hardworking District [Canadian Union of Public Employees] members, our firefighters, the RCMP members that are here in Squamish, our contractors, and of course, our exempt [non-union] staff as well.” Reiterating some of the mayor and French’s comments, Coun. Chris Pettingill said he also had some hesitancy supporting the plan, though he ultimately did. He noted the labour dispute with municipal workers delayed and then compressed budget discussions, which made the process more challenging. “In retrospect, we had a number of years of below average tax increases and that has meant, comparatively speaking … a sharper contrast,” he said. “We may have been better to be at 9% or 8% [increases] year-after-year for several years instead of 4%, 5% and 12%, which is where we find ourselves,” he added. “When you see that jump, it does hurt. I acknowledge this is a tough budget, but it’s one where we have said there are challenges and we’re going to meet them head on as a community.” He added that some things in the budget that caused him discomfort may be items that can be brought back up for discussion during budget amendments in the spring. Coun. Andrew Hamilton also said he has had difficulties with some aspects of the budget, BUDGET: Continued on 4

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GOT NEWS? Email your news tip or story idea to: jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca ipace@lodestarmedia.ca

DEVELOPMENT SLATED 1001 FINCH DRIVE FAILS THIRD READING A failure to secure child-care facilities, among other concerns, led to the bulk of council rejecting the project in its current form LIZ MCDONALD

emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca

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he rezoning of 1001 Finch Drive failed third reading at the District of Squamish council meeting Jan. 6. The proposal by Rivertown Properties included two buildings. The first phase would have delivered 44 market rental units and potentially a 100-space child-care facility, though no guarantee for child care was included. The second phase previously proposed to include office space and market rental units, but due to financial feasibility concerns, the developer requested on Nov. 18—the last time the project came before council—to replace much of the office space with market rentals. First and second readings passed Nov. 18. Jan. 6, when it failed third reading, staff told council the developer had agreed to several requests from elected officials, including adding a sunset clause, registering a no-gas covenant and ensuring 20% of residential units would be three-bedroom units—an ask made out of concern for family growth. While the developer was open to a sunset clause, staff were not. “There’s an existing land development agreement registered on title, and community amenity contributions, or CACs, were paid when the original rezoning was adopted in 2022,” staff said. “As the CACs have already been paid, this agreement is in force, and adding a sunset clause may render the District liable to repay the CACs we’ve received. And given that a sizable portion of the CACs from

RENDERING VIA DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH REPORT

Artist’s creation of the proposed development.

the original rezoning are physical in-kind amenities—including two on-site parks, a trail and a crosswalk across Logger’s Lane—staff do not recommend sunsetting this land development agreement.” Staff added that moving forward, it would be unlikely the District could legally secure in-kind amenities of similar value due to legislative limits regulating the new amenity cost charge (ACC) bylaw. “But if council still wishes to pursue a sunset clause, the applicant has said they are open to this option,” staff said.

QUESTIONING THE CHANGES Coun. Jenna Stoner noted the applicant had been reluctant to fully commit to child-care spaces, but asked whether council could secure

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a guaranteed amount of square footage in line with the Loggers East Neighbourhood Plan. “The Loggers East neighbourhood plan has a policy that aims to secure a child-care facility of about 36 spaces in a mixed-use development,” Stoner said. “Do we have any sense of what that square footage would be? And could we secure that square footage—not necessarily the full commercial amount in this development, but the amount expected under the Loggers East neighbourhood plan?” Staff said licensing regulations dictate square footage requirements for child care and could be calculated, but securing that space would require returning to the applicant. Coun. Chris Pettingill questioned why there was such a disparity between CACs secured under previous rezonings and those now possible under provincially legislated ACCs. “The amount it would cost the District to construct far outweighs the CAC policy targets,” staff said. “We would not be able to secure that sort of amenity through the new ACC process. The ACC process is very prescriptive, with an exact list of eligible projects. We can’t do on-site, in-kind amenities unless it goes above and beyond what the ACC captures and into our new policy related to large, significant rezonings.”

TOO MANY CHANGES FOR SOME COUNCILLORS During comments, Coun. John French said he supported the project when it previously came before council and continued to do so. Pettingill, however, reiterated he could not support the proposal without a child-care commitment. Coun. Andrew Hamilton said the lack of clarity around child care left him uncertain about a key piece of community infrastructure.

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“When we dedicate child-care space in zoning, that’s when child-care businesses don’t need to compete with other businesses for that space, making child-care spaces inherently more affordable,” Hamilton said. “Dedicating and securing that space through zoning or the land development agreement is the sticking point for me.” Mayor Armand Hurford said he had already weighed covenanting child care earlier in the process and emphasized the need for rental housing. “I do think we know there’s a need for rental in the community,” Hurford said. “I share concern around employment space, but we’ve heard time and again that office space hasn’t seen the demand we expected when we developed plans that signaled this would be an appropriate use. It’s simply not going to get built to sit empty.” Coun. Eric Andersen supported the project and staff’s rationale, pointing to previous correspondence from the developer emphasizing the need for adaptability as the community grows. “I wonder whether there are other parts of community life we’re neglecting, like facilities and programs for youth as these children grow,” Andersen said. “I accept the rationale given and support the proposal as it stands.” Stoner said she could not support the rezoning. “For me, the combination of reduced employment space, the timing, and not being able to secure the child-care component goes too far,” she said. The motion failed, and the site’s current zoning remains in place, with councillors Greenlaw, Stoner, Hamilton and Pettingill opposed, and Hurford, French and Andersen giving their approval.

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‘BAFFLED’ BY BILL M-216, COUNCIL WRITES TO THE PROVINCE Dubbed the Professional Reliance Act, the seemingly innocuous proposal could weaken local oversight and expose local government and taxpayers to financial risks

When he brought the point up earlier in the meeting, Baillie said municipal professionals are not attempting to block development, but to identify errors, risks and local conditions early—before they become costly or dangerous. “We’re not here to obstruct applications,” Baillie said. “We’re here as professionals to review submissions and provide professional comments on what it is that crosses our desk.”

LIZ MCDONALD

emacdonald@lodestarmedia.ca

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ouncil is urging the province to stop or substantially revise Bill M-216, the Professional Reliance Act, warning the proposed legislation could weaken safety oversight, centralize decision-making in Victoria and expose municipalities—and taxpayers—to new financial risks. Council voted Dec. 16 to authorize staff to send a letter opposing the private member’s bill and to submit formal feedback to the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Bills, which is reviewing the legislation after it passed second reading in the legislature. While Bill M-216 is framed as a way to streamline development approvals and reduce administrative costs, councillors and staff say its wording would fundamentally alter how local governments review development applications— and not in a way that would necessarily speed projects up.

WHAT BILL M-216 WOULD CHANGE Under Bill M-216, local governments would be required to accept technical submissions certified by professionals governed under B.C.’s Professional Governance Act as meeting permit or bylaw requirements, with limited exceptions. Municipalities would also be prohibited from requiring peer reviews of those submissions unless specifically authorized by the province, and disputes between professionals would be referred to a provincial superintendent. Staff warned council the bill’s language is broad and unclear, potentially extending beyond building permits to include rezonings, development permits, temporary use permits and servicing agreements—areas where local governments currently apply multiple layers of technical, environmental and policy review.

WHY PEER REVIEW MATTERS One of council’s biggest concerns is the loss of professional peer review, particularly for complex or high-risk projects. Mayor Armand Hurford pointed to flood and debris-flow mitigation work in Cheekye Fan as an example of infrastructure that benefited from extensive technical review, collaboration and local knowledge. Staff explained that under Bill BUDGET: Continued from 2 such as accommodating capital cost overruns, but ultimately, he too threw his support behind it. “Regarding the taxation increase, absolutely many members of our community will find a 10% to 13% tax increase very challenging. The overwhelming voice or the voice that I think I

LIABILITY AND PUBLIC RISK

PHOTO BY CHRIS ALLEN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

The District of Squamish’s council is urging legislators to reconsider Bill M-216.

M-216, the District would need provincial approval simply to conduct a peer review on projects of that complexity. “The wording of the bill would mean that the District or District staff would have to request approval from the province to allow for a peer review to occur,” director of engineering Sarah Baillie told council. “The province could say no, and then we would not be permitted to do a peer review.” Baillie added that the bill does not establish thresholds for risk or complexity, meaning even major hazard-mitigation projects could be subject to the same restrictions as routine applications.

“This goes contrary to the good work the province has been doing over the past two years to expedite provincial permitting for housing,” Stoner said. Staff echoed that concern, warning that routing technical disagreements through a provincial office could create new bottlenecks rather than faster approvals.

Beyond governance concerns, council highlighted warnings from legal and insurance experts that municipalities could still face liability under the bill, despite language intended to shield local governments from legal action. Those risks could surface years after construction is complete, if certified professionals are underinsured, insolvent or no longer practicing. In those cases, injured parties may seek recovery from municipalities, potentially shifting costs onto taxpayers through higher insurance premiums or future infrastructure repairs.

‘DISHEARTENED’ BY THE PROCESS

Coun. Jenna Stoner raised concerns about the bill shifting decision-making and dispute resolution away from local governments and into a single provincial office. “I have a real issue with centralizing approvals and complaints process through a Victoriabased superintendent,” she said. “I think that this risks further delaying processes, not speeding them up.” She argued the approach runs counter to recent provincial efforts aimed at expediting approvals.

Several councillors questioned whether Bill M-216 is responding to a demonstrated, widespread issue, questioning whether the bill was created out of a perception some local governments were obstructing development, Coun. Chris Pettingill said he was not aware of evidence that municipalities are broadly obstructing development through professional review. “It does feel like this is a solution without a problem. There seems to be an assertion or an implication that there’s some broad obstruction across all municipalities, as opposed to there may be a few really challenging issues in a couple very specific places,” he said. “ And so this just seems like a very heavy handed reaction, broad brush reaction to something that is probably very specific and needs a specific solution.”

In closing remarks, Stoner expressed frustration that the bill advanced to second reading without early consultation with local governments. “I’m just so disheartened to see that this has gotten to second reading,” she said. “It baffles me that given how much work the province has already downloaded to us on housing that they then think that it’s OK to move this private members bill to second reading, and then just say ‘it’s OK, you can have an opportunity to provide feedback.’” She noted 186 local governments, five area associations, and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities have had to spend time and resources responding to the Bill. “It is infuriating that this is how they want us to spend our time, as opposed to actually addressing the issues that are on the ground,” Stoner said. Council’s letter and submission will be sent to the ministers responsible for housing and local government, as well as to the bill’s sponsor, urging the province to reconsider or significantly amend Bill M-216 before it proceeds further. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District also wrote a letter on the same issue.

hear most often from community members is that ‘I don’t mind spending more money on taxes as long as it’s spent efficiently.’ And I think that should be all of our focus—making sure that we spend our tax money efficiently.” Coun. Jenna Stoner reiterated pride in having the first 10-year plan. “The 10-year financial plan is a directional tool. It is not perfect, especially as you get out to

year 10, but it is definitely way better than just not having anything, because you need some sort of guidance as you get out to those further years,” she said. Coun. Lauren Greenlaw noted infrastructure needing expensive upgrades is a “continent-wide problem.” “Obviously, echoing concerns about the increased tax rates, but unfortunately, that’s

where our municipalities are,” she said. “Infrastructure is failing across Canada for municipalities. Calgary again had their water main explode over the Christmas period—and our provincial and federal governments are funding the wrong kinds of pipelines.” Watch the full discussion on the District’s YouTube channel, starting at the 1:03-minute mark.

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HIGHWAY 99 SAFETY CONCERNS GROW AMID IMPAIRED DRIVING UPTICK BC Highway Patrol issued more impaired-driving prohibitions in the South Coast this winter, despite the region recording the fewest tickets provincewide LIZ MCDONALD

emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca

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C Highway Patrol’s winter impaired driving campaign saw an increase in impaired drivers in the South Coast, though it was also the region with the fewest tickets handed out during the campaign. Officers issued 13 prohibitions to drivers in Metro Vancouver, the Sea to Sky and the Fraser Valley—seven more than during the previous year’s campaign. The winter impaired driving campaign runs through December. Cpl. Michael McLaughlin, media relations officer for BC Highway Patrol, said the uptick in the region is troubling. “It’s hard to read too much into one year over one year,” he said. “Having said that, it is a concern to see the numbers go up. That’s not a trend we want to see. Impaired driving is consistently one of the top three things that kills people on BC roads, so we’re working to bring that down.” The statistics released by BC Highway Patrol

PHOTO BY ASCENTXMEDIA/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Patrollers in December 2025 removed 240 drivers from the roads, including eight 24-hour drug prohibitions and 89 90-day alcohol-related driving prohibitions.

are specific to its units and do not include individual RCMP detachments or municipal police agencies. While specific statistics for the Sea to Sky Highway were not available, McLaughlin stressed BC Highway Patrol often pays special attention to the winding stretch of road

between Vancouver and Whistler. “The Sea to Sky is this amazing combination of magical, twisty, wonderful highway that gets you to these amazing destinations in the Sea to Sky Corridor, and it links directly with our big city in Vancouver, but you need to treat it with the respect that is deserved,” he said. “The weather changes a lot, and people, for some reason, feel like they can speed. Those speed limits are there for a reason. And when it comes to impairment that makes any decision, any mistake that you might make much, much worse, and it’s going to compound things,” he said. Highway 99 is the only road in and out of the corridor, and when incidents occur, they impact both those involved in the collision and anyone travelling north or south. On Jan. 7, a collision between a bus and a car sent one person to hospital in critical condition and stalled traffic for hours. “Leave plenty of time to get to where you’re going. Leave more time than you think you need. Take the pressure and stress off and just slow down and enjoy the ride. You’ll make it a much safer experience for yourself and

everybody else on the road, too,” McLaughlin said.

OVERALL IMPAIRMENT NUMBERS DOWN Provincial statistics over the same period in 2024 indicate patrol officers caught fewer impaired drivers, though comparisons are difficult because of changes in patrolling and weather conditions. “We shouldn’t read too much into number changes from 2024, because different weather conditions and staffing from year to year are major factors,” said Insp. Adam Tallboy of BC Highway Patrol in a news release. “We are encouraged by some of the lower impaired numbers in Central B.C., but the increase in northern B.C. is concerning. Overall, B.C. drivers still need to do a better job of driving sober.” Patrollers in December 2025 removed 240 drivers from the roads, including eight 24-hour drug prohibitions and 89 90-day alcohol-related driving prohibitions. The same campaign last year saw 267 prohibitions issued.

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DISTRICT SEEKS FEDERAL FUNDING FOR MARINE ECONOMY STUDY Council backs applying for PacifiCan grant to help pay for an $80,000 marine impact study aimed at guiding future economic planning LIZ MCDONALD

emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca

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s with many long-term planning decisions, Squamish’s vision for its marine economy is coming down to money. District staff are seeking federal funding to cover half the cost of a proposed marine impact study (MIS) aimed at establishing a baseline understanding of Squamish’s marine-based economy and identifying opportunities for future growth. The project was first proposed in 2024 but delayed due to what director of community planning Sarah McJannet described as “capacity constraints,” coming back to council Dec. 16. The total cost of the study is budgeted at $80,000. The district would contribute $40,000 from reserves, with the remaining half expected to come from a federal grant through PacifiCan’s Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) program. If grant funding does not come through, staff say the scope of the study would be reduced. Council is being asked to endorse staff submitting an expression of interest to PacifiCan in early 2026. According to a staff report, the marine impact study aims to “create a comprehensive profile of Squamish’s local marine economy and surface sector-strengthening opportunities for marine economic activities to aid planning, programming, funding, and business attraction efforts.” “The MIS will measure the spending and employment associated with the marine sector to provide a baseline of local marine economic activity,” the report states, adding it will also quantify “the economic, social, and environmental contributions of marine businesses and activities within Squamish and the region.”

SCOPE AND CONSULTATION The study would examine industries that rely on or are directly connected to marine activity, ranging from transportation and natural

PHOTO BY NALIDSA SUKPRASERT / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Council ultimately approved staff’s recommendation to proceed with submitting an expression of interest to PacifiCan, subject to council endorsement of the grant application.

resources to tourism and recreation. Staff note the depth of the analysis would be “commensurate with the project budget,” and would include interviews, surveys and consultations led by a consultant specializing in economic impact assessment. Engagement would begin with outreach to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and Nch’kay̓ Development Corporation to determine interest in participating or partnering on the study. Provincial ministries and federal agencies, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Squamish Harbour Authority, would also be engaged. Local marine-focused businesses and organizations—along with groups beyond the region whose activities relate to Squamish’s waterfront and marine areas—would be consulted to help identify current conditions and future opportunities. Staff say the approach is intended to support strategic planning and the protection of marine-based employment lands, with attention to labour needs and skills development.

COUNCIL DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS SCOPE, FRAMEWORK During council discussion, Coun. Eric Andersen raised concerns about language in the

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report stating that “activities that are situated geographically beyond and have no links to Squamish marine areas will be excluded.” He said some industries may not currently operate in Squamish’s harbour but could have future shipping interests and warned that peripheral businesses can be overlooked in studies of this nature. Andersen suggested staff consider using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes to ensure broader inclusion. McJannet said future-interest stakeholders would be captured within the scope, noting staff are drawing from comparable studies. “We are also looking at some really excellent examples within Canada and the Pacific Northwest that will allow for some good guidance for us to make sure that we are capturing everything we need to capture,” she said. On Nation involvement, Andersen also asked whether the First Nation would be merely informed or more actively involved in the work. McJannet said the District would begin by informing the Nation about the study and then inviting them to determine how they would like to participate. “A greater degree of participation and involvement beyond simply consulting on it

would be ideal,” she said, adding the federal grant application could include a request for a letter of support or endorsement, as well as opportunities for capacity funding to support more meaningful participation. Coun. Jenna Stoner harkened back to the first version of the proposal, noting it had taken a higher-level approach rooted in doughnut economics—a model that recognizes both social foundations and ecological limits. “I didn’t really see that reflected in this proposal, so I’m curious how it might trickle down into something like this,” she said. McJannet said there is an opportunity to incorporate that framework into the request for proposals. Economic development officer Patricia Ing added the model is considered when screening consultants to ensure alignment with council priorities. Andersen also pointed to the potential value of regional economic trusts, noting similar coastal trust models elsewhere in B.C. that fund projects like this. “It would be nice to have that type of pot of money to dip into for precisely this kind of project,” he said. He also highlighted changes in rail operations north of Squamish and said any future interest in those assets could intersect with harbour planning. Andersen stressed the importance of maintaining a level playing field among companies operating in the harbour, including multiple First Nations–owned businesses, and urged the District to keep the province informed. “We don’t want to be forgotten by them as a key coastal harbour,” he said. Coun. Chris Pettingill said it was his assumption that council would give special consideration to Nch’kay̓ Development Corporation. “Maybe that’s something we need to discuss, but that is sort of my assumption,” he said. Mayor Armand Hurford agreed it could be a topic for future discussion. Council ultimately approved staff’s recommendation to proceed with submitting an expression of interest to PacifiCan, subject to council endorsement of the grant application.

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NORTHYARDS RENTAL APARTMENT PROPOSAL MOVES FORWARD A proposed six-storey building featuring market rentals, live-work spaces, and commercial areas—including one designed for child care—has passed third reading at Squamish council JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

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ore rental housing and child care spaces could be on the way to the Northyards. Council voted 4-3 in favour at its meeting on Jan. 6 to give first, second and third readings to a zoning bylaw amendment that paves the way for a six-storey, mixed-use development. While the proposal still has to be adopted at a future council meeting, projects that pass third readings almost always proceed through adoption. The development, slated for the corner of Aspen Road and Pioneer Way, is to include 153 apartments, 10 live-work spaces, and ground-floor commercial space. All of the rental units will be market rentals. Jonathan Silcock is listed as the applicant, and Denciti Developments is shown as the developer. According to the staff report to council, the first storey of the development will be elevated above a storey of bike and car parking. The next storey is set to include commercial space,

RENDERING VIA DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH REPORT

Rendering of the proposed development.

the 10 live/work units, an indoor amenity room, and some residential-only units. Upper levels will be a mix of residential unit types. The rezoning changes the lot from Neighbourhood Node Commercial (C13) to a

Comprehensive Development Zone 120. The new zone differs by increasing allowable building size, allowing additional building height, reducing building setbacks, reducing required off-street parking, and

reducing the overall requirement for commercial uses. “The applicant has identified a number of issues with developing employment space given the subject site’s location—at the end of Pioneer Way until it is connected—no complementary commercial and low foot traffic,” the staff report reads. The site currently has no road access as it is located on the future Pioneer Way extension and an unconstructed section of Aspen Road. The staff report states that to make the project possible, the applicant will be required to complete Pioneer Way to their site and build out the Aspen Road frontage. “The applicant has proposed one larger commercial space which is suitable for child care use and smaller live/work units which are suitable for start-up businesses or personal services—therapists, notaries, photographers, personal trainers, etc. The child care use, if feasible, would provide a service that is lacking in the Northyards neighbourhood.” The commercial space, designed for child care, includes the required outdoor space. The proposal includes 180 parking spaces, 163 residential spaces, and 17 spaces shared NORTHYARDS: Continued on 9

Your future starts here Global energy. Local opportunity. Join a first-of-its-kind LNG project rooted in partnership with Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). At Woodfibre LNG, long-term, skilled careers are being built right here in the Sea-to-Sky — helping deliver lower-carbon energy to the world while creating opportunity at home. woodfibrelng.ca/careers

8 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

squamishchief.com

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Seeking Applications for Board of Variance Members

and COUNCILLOR ANDERSEN

January 21,

11:30 am–12:30 pm at Municipal Hall (Council Chambers)

Business Opportunities Request for Proposals

• Labour Force Development Plan squamish.ca/doing-business-with-the-district

Field Allocation Meeting

A Field Allocation Meeting will be held on January 28, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Brennan Park Recreation Centre. The final calendar will be posted online no later than February 16, 2026.

Pickleball!

at Brennan Park Recreation Centre Tuesdays, 6–8 pm, January 20–March 10 Starting January 20, Tuesday night Pickleball All Levels drop-in commences! Our drop-in sessions book to a maximum of 22 people to encourage rest periods and rotational play. Expect to play against varying experience levels; no instruction provided. Pre-registration opens Only $8 72-hours in advance. a sessio n!

Sign up for eNews squamish.ca/enews

Infrastructure Upgrades

• X̱wún̓eḵw Park Sea Dike upgrades continue.

• Loggers East Storm Sewer project continues on Finch Drive. squamish.ca/building-our-future

The District of Squamish is looking for two new members to fill three-year terms ending December 31, 2028 on the Board of Variance and encourages interested members of the public to submit an application form and resume. Boards of Variance in B.C. sit to consider applications from property owners requesting variances to zoning and land use bylaws. The Squamish Board of Variance meets quarterly on the third Wednesday of March, June, September, and December at 6:30 p.m., if an application is received. Additional meetings may be scheduled with approval of a sufficient number of board members. Application forms are available at Municipal Hall and on the District of Squamish website: squamish.ca/board-and-panel-meetings. Please submit an application form and resume no later than Friday, February 6 at 4:30 pm. Please direct applications to the Corporate Officer at corporateofficer@squamish.ca or deliver to Municipal Hall: 37955 Second Avenue, PO Box 310, Squamish, BC, V8B 0A3

Development Review

• 38927 Production Way – Development Permit squamish.ca/review

Dance Sampler (5–7YRS and 8–12YRS)

at Brennan Park Recreation Centre Get ready to move, groove, and explore! The class introduces young dancers to a variety of styles (ballet, jazz, and creative movement) in a fun, playful environment. Perfect for all levels!

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN

RECREATION AND CULTURE

Silver Swans Ballet (55YRS+)

at The 55 Activity Centre Designed specifically for adults 55 and over, Silver Swans offers a gentle and accessible approach to ballet, helping participants improve balance, strength, posture, and overall wellbeing. Classes are accessible to different fitness levels and mobility. No prior ballet experience is required, just a willingness to move and enjoy music. Program starts February 4. Drop-ins available, space permitting.

Check out the arena and pool schedules!

squamish.ca/rec

squamishchief.com

NORTHYARDS: Continued from 7 between visitor and commercial use. Commercial parking will be available during the day, and visitor parking will be available for day and night use, to be secured at the development permit stage. The development would be required to supply 287 parking spaces without a variance to the current zoning bylaw. “Staff support the proposed parking reduction due to the project being apartment rental form and the subject site’s bike-ability and walk-ability due to its proximity to transit, employment and amenities,” the staff report reads. The District’s Phil Gibbons, a planner with community development, told council that this parking plan is in line with other Metro Vancouver parking requirements for market rentals. “The provided parking space, additionally, would not be in individual garages. So it could not be used for storing sporting equipment or other items. They must be used for parking,” he said, of this project’s proposed parking. Gibbons also acknowledged that the employment space ratio proposed is lower than the District’s Official Community Plan policy of 40%. “However, staff support the proposal as it maximizes rental units and provision of as much neighbourhood commercial that can be supported by the demand in this location,” he said. As part of the discussion, Jonas Velaniskis,

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 | 9

senior director of community development, noted to council members that the District is not keeping up with new build housing targets and that information has to be reported to both the provincial government and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “What we do know is for the last two years, we have been well below our housing targets… in terms of new construction starts, “ he said, adding that a report will be coming back before council in the spring regarding this issue.

AMENDMENT Council passed an amended motion to secure the following additional items in the project’s land development agreement: • a requirement in the housing agreement to notify tenants of available parking. According to District staff, this means that when a tenant is renting a unit in this building, the tenancy agreement they sign will have a notice on it which specifies how many parking spaces are assigned to their unit. • a functional amount of the proposed commercial space for child care use only.

NEXT STEPS Before being brought before council for final adoption, District staff will forward the application to the Ministry of Transportation and Transit for approval. The land development agreement with the proponent must also be completed. It will include:

- A minimum of 20% of units as three-bedroom or two-bedroom plus den. - 50% of ground floor gross floor area must be used for indoor amenity area and commercial uses. - Enter into a no-gas covenant for the entire development before the development permit is issued - Enter into a housing agreement to secure all units as market rental in perpetuity. - Supply of a $280,000 pocket park for public use on adjacent District land that includes a fenced dog area and associated infrastructure

SAMPLE OF COUNCIL COMMENTS Ultimately, councillors John French, Eric Andersen, Andrew Hamilton and Mayor Armand Hurford voted in support, while councillors Lauren Greenaw, Jenna Stoner and Chris Pettingill opposed. Coun. Andrew Hamilton noted the Northyards is a part of town that has a lack of commercial child care available. He said the rezoning makes sense. “On the whole, I think this is an appropriate place for a higher-density market rental residential development, provided it’s got as much of the employment space, residential amenity space and child-care space,” he said. Coun. John French agreed and spoke to the parking reduction. “Vehicle parking is not a right,” he said. “We need to pay for the real estate for our vehicle or vehicles as the case might be. Vehicle owners are responsible for figuring out where

they park their vehicles. It isn’t up to the District planning staff to figure that out. It’s not up to the members of this council to figure that out,” he added. “The developers are proposing a parking spot for each unit. And I think that’s appropriate and an appropriate reality in this location in the time frame we’re dealing with.” Coun. Jenna Stoner did not support the proposal, saying she wanted to see a sunset clause that would ensure the developer built the project within a restricted timeframe. “We need housing and so it actually really does pain me to say that I can’t support three readings at this time, because we know that we need this housing, but we know that we need the housing to be built,” she said. “We are enabling additional density on this site, a lower parking standard in order to make this development work. And if those benefits are going to be passed on to the developer to make that project work, then I want that project to be delivered within a reasonable time frame so that we can meet our targets and so that the province doesn’t come back to us and say, ‘You didn’t do your job.’” Coun. Lauren Greenlaw also did not support the three readings. “The parking reduction is a non-starter for me. We’ve heard time and time and time and time and time and time and time again from the public that they do not support this level of parking reduction, especially in neighbourhoods like this,” she said.

Britannia Mine Museum gratefully acknowledges their community sponsors:

A Membership pays for itself in

2 VISITS! Britannia Mine Museum offers on-going events and activities throughout the year that are informative and fun for the entire family!

PHOTO COURTESY OF VALERIE NAGY

CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN: Pearl’s Value and Vintige display window has gone to the circus. Check out this magical busy window on Cleveland Avenue while it lasts—through January.

10 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

squamishchief.com

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NOTICE OF ELECTOR ALTERNATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS District of Squamish Council is considering the adoption of the following Loan Authorization Bylaws. If you object to one or more of these bylaws, please complete and submit an Elector Response Form for each bylaw you are not in favour of. Council will consider each bylaw separately. Pursuant to Section 86 of the Community Charter, any of the Loan Authorization Bylaws may be adopted by Council if, after the deadline, less than 10% of qualified electors in the District of Squamish have signed and submitted Elector Response Forms. If, after the deadline on Monday February 16, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. at least 2,190 electors (10% of 21,897) have submitted signed Elector Response Forms, the District of Squamish Council may not adopt the Bylaw unless it receives assent of the electors by voting. This alternative approval process applies to all residents of the District of Squamish who qualify to vote, and responses must be given in the form established by Council (Elector Response Form). Authorized Elector Response Forms are available to the public at Municipal Hall (37955 Second Avenue, Squamish) or online at squamish.ca/aap. District of Squamish residents signing an Elector Response Form must meet all the requirements of a qualified elector on the day of signing. If you are not opposed to any of the proposed bylaws no action is required.

Bylaw 3160 Project: Flood Protection Total Project Cost: $2,000,000 The District of Squamish proposes to borrow a sum not exceeding $2,020,202 under authority of District of Squamish Flood Protection Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3160, 2025. This project will improve flood protection for Squamish. The loan will cover flood protection construction costs in addition to acquiring any property, easements, rights-of-way, licenses, rights or authorities that may be needed. Repayment of borrowing and related interest expense will be funded by revenue generated from property taxation no later than thirty (30) years from the date of issue. Based on 2025 taxation rates, the annual debt service costs represent approximately $0.83 for residential owners and $2.25 for business owners per $100,000 of assessed property value. Required Financing

Estimated Debt Reserve Fund

$2,000,000

$20,202

DEADLINE Signed Elector Response Forms must be received by the Corporate Officer at Squamish Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, BC, before 4:30 p.m. on February 16, 2026, in order to be counted. Forms may be submitted in person to the Corporate Administration Department at Municipal Hall during regular business hours, mailed to the attention of the Corporate Officer, or emailed to corporateofficer@squamish.ca.

FURTHER INFORMATION The proposed bylaws and related materials are available on the District’s website at squamish.ca/aap and at Municipal Hall between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding weekends and statutory holidays. This is the second of two publications of this notice dated January 15, 2026.

Learn more about AAPs and the proposed projects: squamish.ca/aap

Total Authorization Request $2,020,202

Taxpayer Impact (cost per $100,000 of assessed residential property value) $0.83

Bylaw 3162 Project: Whittaker Slough Pump Station Total Project Cost: $4,986,630 The District of Squamish proposes to borrow a sum not exceeding $568,060 under authority of District of Squamish Whittaker Slough Pump Station Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3162, 2025 for the purposes outlined in the paragraphs below. The Whittaker Slough has historically experienced flooding during high rainfall events. This project will involve the construction of a new pumping station, including a new discharge pipe through the Squamish River Dike to convey pumped water. Repayment of borrowing and related interest expense will be funded by revenue generated from property taxation no later than thirty (30) years from the date of issue. Based on 2025 taxation rates, the annual debt service costs represent approximately $0.24 for residential owners and $0.64 for business owners per $100,000 of assessed property value. Required Financing

Estimated Debt Reserve Fund

Total Authorization Request

Taxpayer Impact (cost per $100,000 of assessed residential property value)

$562,379

$5,681

$568,060

$0.24

squamishchief.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 | 11

REGULATORS FLAG WOODFIBRE LNG OVER JUVENILE SALMON OVERSIGHT

Despite using sonar technology, officials say Woodfibre LNG failed to provide required visual records of juvenile salmon presence during a critical period last summer

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NOTICE OF ELECTOR ALTERNATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS Bylaw 3166 Project: Fire Truck Purchase Total Project Cost: $1,800,000 The District of Squamish proposes to borrow a sum not exceeding $1,818,182 under authority of District of Squamish Fire Truck Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3166, 2025. The District of Squamish has determined a need for the purchase of a fire truck, which will increase the firefighting capabilities of Squamish Fire Rescue. Repayment of borrowing and related interest expense will be funded by revenue generated from property taxation no later than thirty (30) years from the date of issue. Based on 2025 taxation rates, the annual debt service costs represent approximately $0.76 for residential owners and $2.26 for business owners per $100,000 of assessed property value.

FILE PHOTO VIA WOODFIBRE LNG

The under construction Woodfibre LNG.

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

P

rovincial regulators recently called out Woodfibre LNG for non-compliance over junior salmonid monitoring following an August inspection. The company, however, says the visual method of monitoring required was not effective in the turbid Squamish River. The inspection record was publicly posted on the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) website on Dec. 30. It says that on Aug. 27, the EAO’s compliance and enforcement branch (CEB), along with representatives from the Sḵwx̱w ú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the company, conducted a field inspection at the Woodfibre LNG site to verify compliance with five of its environmental assessment certificate conditions. The inspection found that the company was in compliance with silt control measures, relocating fish from the construction area, and marine mammal monitoring. The company was not in compliance at the time with the condition regarding daily monitoring of junior salmonids. According to the EAO conditions, “during in-water works when juvenile salmonids may be present—approximately Feb. 1 to Aug. 15—the environmental monitor will record

daily observations of juvenile salmon. Since juvenile salmon may not always be visible from the surface—for example, due to rainfall or windy conditions—an underwater camera, or drop camera, will be utilized to look for juvenile salmon in addition to observations from above the water surface.” The inspection report notes that while there was monitoring, it wasn’t done according to the letter of the condition. The report says that on Aug. 6, 2025, the CEB requested Woodfibre provide records of daily juvenile salmon observations and evidence of underwater camera use for the period of July 15 to July 31. On Aug. 13, Woodfibre LNG submitted three weekly marine mammal observation and hydroacoustic monitoring reports for between July 27 and Aug. 2, as well as a note stating that its consultant’s report includes records of daily pre-work fish scans using sonar to identify the high-density presence of fish, including juvenile salmonids. “Sea-surface turbidity within Howe Sound, which is naturally influenced by turbid Squamish River discharge, was prohibitive for visual detection—underwater camera use—of juvenile salmonids over the period requested.” The inspection report says the EAO found the sonar scan for fish presence was done, WLNG: Continued on 15

Required Financing

Estimated Debt Reserve Fund

Total Authorization Request

Taxpayer Impact (cost per $100,000 of assessed residential property value)

$1,800,000

$18,182

$1,818,182

$0.76

Learn more about AAPs and the proposed projects: squamish.ca/aap

12 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

squamishchief.com THE SQUAMISH CHIEF NEWSPAPER, PRINTED EVERY THURSDAY BY LODESTAR MEDIA 38113 Second Avenue Box 3500, Squamish BC, V8B 0B6

CONTACT US PRINTED EVERY THURSDAY BY LODESTAR MEDIA T: 604-892-9161 news@squamishchief.com ads@ squamishchief.com classifieds@squamishchief.com subs@squamishchief.com production@squamishchief.com obituaries: ads@squamishchief.com EDITOR JENNIFERTHUNCHER jthuncher@ lodestarmedia.ca follow @thuncher REPORTER LIZ MCDONALD emcdonald@ lodestarmedia.ca REPORTER INA PACE ipace@ lodestarmedia.ca SALES MANAGER CATHIE GREENLEES cgreenlees@ squamishchief.com MULTI- MEDIA SALES REPRESENTATIVE KIM BOATMAN kboatman@ squamishchief.com CIRCULATION MANAGER DENISE CONWAY dconway@ squamishchief.com

PUBLISHER SARAH STROTHER sstrother@lodestarmedia.ca

The Squamish Chief is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Editor Jennifer Thuncher at jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. Reproduction of any material contained in this publication is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publisher.

EDITORIAL

CALM DOWN

W

hether the situation is medical, moral, or governmental policy, panic never helps; in fact, it often makes it worse. Think of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and early 1990s that led to parents banning heavy metal music and Dungeons & Dragons, while others falsely accused daycare workers of horrific crimes. While not as extreme, the concern over Indigenous land back initiatives in the wake of the Cowichan Tribes court decision in August is whipping up panic-like emotions for some in Squamish, as seen online. Such panic could lead society to reverse decades of hard-won reconciliation work. At the same time, to atone for our collective sins against First Nations—the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) here—we also want to be wary of over-correcting for those horrors by “giving away the farm,” so to speak. Calm minds and informed and deliberate decision-making are our best way forward. The District’s non-binding memorandum of understanding does talk about a land back committee that will look at agreements that could be reached for some local public, mostly Crown, land. While this is worth scrutiny and debate, it should not be conflated with Nation access to private land. No one is talking about the giving or taking of privately-owned land in Squamish. Information is power. Residents can learn more about the MOU, such as the Q&A the municipality has posted on its website at squamish.ca. The Nation does have ambitious plans for the Squamish Valley—which it considers to extend south to Porteau Cove and across Howe Sound to Ḵw’émḵw’em (Defence Islands)—that have been laid out in their Ta Skwekwiy̓ íntsuts ta Sx̱ wéx̱ wel (The Valley’s Plan). The plan includes a set of 18 actions the Nation will undertake over the next 10 years in the region. The plan is widely available for folks to read on the Nation’s website. It talks about such things as educational supports, member wellness and health initiatives, hundreds of new homes for members on Nation reserve lands, an eventual Sḵwx̱wú7meshowned and operated hotel and business park, as well as recreation facilities on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh land. It also includes a map showing Squamish Nation Additions to Reserve (ATR) lands, about 300 hectares of parcels of land that are in the process of being formally converted to reserve status by the federal government for the use and benefit of the Nation, and other areas of importance, which are identified by the Nation for future co-management negotiations with the provincial government. On closer inspection many First Nation and non-First Nation locals may be excited by these plans, or not, but either way, calm understanding followed by rational discourse first will get us all a lot further than panic.

NO ONE LIKES BEING TOLD WHAT TO THINK GUEST COLUMN CALVIN WHITE

O

ne might reasonably conclude from self-reflection that it’s human nature to resent being told what to do, but especially so when being told what to think. This is more so the case in Canada, where we’ve long had the freedom to be our own person in all regards without overriding fear of consequences and largely devoid of any significant myth of being God’s chosen. So now, in British Columbia, there is a disturbing rise of opposition to the notion of Indigenous rights and both the prevailing description of Indigenous history and the consequent conclusions stemming from that understanding. We see that with the introduction of contentious bills by the former OneBC MLAs, with municipal government alarm over a court ruling suggesting that Indigenous land claims may overrule fee simple property rights, with articles in independent print media headlined with “From land acknowledgements to land seizures,” and with a sharp and unfiltered rise in social media declarations decrying the existence of unmarked graves as implication of other falsities. In a form of circular logic, recent opinion polls have naturally followed those utterances to both

show a public disquiet with Indigenous land rights and then add further conviction to the alarm. And, thus, we increasingly become a divided populace. Yet, if we stand back a bit from the growing fray, it isn’t hard to recognize that the seeds for the division were sown by the unquestioned embrace of what has been termed “political correctness.” In the past two decades, what was acceptable thinking and expression has had to fit the orthodoxy of what was considered progressive. This particularly centred on issues of gender, race, class, immigration and otherness. Governments trotted out the accompanying language and education, and business followed along. Other points of view, questions, amendments, nuances, or contextualizing were usually attacked or discounted. Of course, that insistence on orthodoxy and enforced adoption of a common lens guaranteed resentment and opposition as well as ensured some mind-closing. What also occurred were shallow and easily denigrated initiatives emplaced to actualize the “enlightened” or woke understanding of reality and progress. In B.C., we are inundated with constant land acknowledgements that, by their sheer repetition alone, would irritate all but the most committed acolytes. Schools can no longer graduate a student unless COLUMN: Continued on 13

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 | 13

Ha7lh skwálwen cht kwis emút cht iy sts’its’áp’ cht iy kw’shétsut cht na7tkwa temíxw tl’a Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw

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(We have good feelings that we live, we work and we play on the lands of the Squamish Nation) COLUMN: Continued from 12 they have succeeded in at least one course stipulated as Indigenous-based. Posters and assertions everywhere reference knowledge keepers, Indigenous knowledge, and Indigenous values such as the medicine wheel. Somehow we have conflated the saying of words and parachuting in a compulsory course as genuine education or any process leading to growth and transformation. Racism in our province, as in every jurisdiction elsewhere, has been an evolutionary reality. It has been a way of thinking and feeling that originated in our tribal defences. Ignorance of Indigenous reality has also been within us in Canada for centuries and, with our flood of new immigrants, has increased greatly. Preached words and dictation of orthodoxy will not change that, but it will rejuvenate it. For example, at a Remembrance Day service for high school students five years ago, I stood with them as the keynote veteran urged everyone to reject

being taught inclusion. How’s that for mind-twisting. The facts have always been that, according to Canadian law, most of our province is indeed owned by First Nations. That’s why treaties were signed everywhere else in Canada. It is also absolutely true that Indigenous people throughout colonial history, and still today, have suffered horrendously from oppression, racism, illegality, and cultural assault. There should be no divide amongst us about these facts. But in order to arrive at the emotional and lived transformation needed to bring about societal cohesion, we need to stop the superficiality and bleating. Case in point is that one Indigenous course requirement to graduate. When and how did all the teachers delivering those courses get their transformation? What reserves have they spent time on? When did they get their in-depth learning about the complexity of Indigenous past and current realities? What prepared the students to have a pre-awareness and pre-learning to make the course more

than a four-month blip of inconvenience? The same questions apply to legislators and local governments. As well, the focus on specific aspects of Indigenous traditions and spirituality as a way to positively promote reconciliation and respect, is in ways a carry-over of mythologizing the noble Native image, and belies the varied and shifting ethos throughout First Nations in B.C. The First Nations consortiums owning pipeline interests or running fish farms are no less Indigenous than those being aggressive in defending nature. When schools or governments insist on one version of Indigeneity, the cognitive dissonance evoked by events of the day only adds to public cynicism and reinforces division. Genuine address to the complexity of resolution needed will only occur when leadership is deeply grounded in that complexity, and both acts and communicates accordingly. Calvin White is a B.C. resident with a master’s degree in counselling psychology and a bachelor’s degree in history.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK Would you rather see the council invest in infrastructure and amenities or reach a lower property tax rate? Have your say at squamishchief.com

LAST WEEK’S QUESTION

Are you planning to change your relationship with alcohol in 2026? YES, DRINK LESS NO, I DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL NO, WILL DRINK THE SAME

29% 26% 24%

MOST READ STORY

Britannia Beach Copper Beach Bar sold to Autostrada owners

LETTER TO THE EDITOR CLEAR EYED ON LNG I appreciate the Jan. 1 editorial “Squamish united?” call for unity and shared environmental concern. I’m in wholehearted agreement on your calls for more humane treatment of people experiencing homelessness, supporting local businesses, respecting Squamish Nation as a legitimate government, and increased unity between “old” and “new” Squamish. I believe that in 2026, we can choose a form of pride that isn’t fragile or selective—one that makes room on Canada Day for gratitude, grief, and responsibility at the same time, because a country confident in itself doesn’t need to look away from the harm it continues to reckon with. However, I think it is important to be clear about what you are observing around the environmental divide over Woodfibre LNG. Much of what is being described as “hostility” is, in fact,

principled opposition. Hostility targets people through anger or intimidation, while principled opposition targets decisions and impacts through evidence, values, and sustained democratic accountability. Many residents of Squamish and Squamish Nation are openly opposed to the LNG project. They do not want it, they did not consent to it, and they remain concerned about its long-term impacts on our communities, the local environment, public health, and climate obligations. Expressing that opposition at council, to the Nation, in the media, and in public forums—is not a failure of civic maturity. It is a normal and necessary part of democratic accountability. Environmental governance does not end when a facility is fully built, or half-built. Over a decades-long operating life, strong and sometimes uncomfortable public pressure is one of the few tools communities have to ensure compliance,

transparency, and continual improvement. Reducing that pressure does not protect the environment, it weakens oversight. History shows that sustained public pressure has meaningfully altered, delayed, or halted major oil and gas projects even after construction has begun, including Keystone XL. Civility matters, but so does honesty. Squamish can engage respectfully while still being clear-eyed about the fact that many residents fundamentally oppose this project and will continue to say so. Communities do not owe the LNG industry or its regulators comfort when a project causes sustained concern about public health, human rights impacts, environmental risk, and climate responsibility. Kate McInnes Director of health & economic campaigns My Sea to Sky

LETTERS POLICY The Squamish Chief welcomes letters to the editor of up to 400 words. Letters should be exclusive to this publication and are meant to respond to a local story in The Squamish Chief or raise an issue happening in town. Please include your name, neighbourhood and daytime phone number. The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for Thursday’s edition. Full names and neighbourhood will be published with the letter. The publisher reserves the right to refuse and edit letters for length and clarity or to address legal concerns. Email letters to: editor@squamishchief.com.

PHOTO BY KIM BOATMAN

THE EAGLES HAVE LANDED: It is bald eagle season in Squamish. Spot one? We would love to see your photos. Send them to news@ squamishchief.com.

14 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

squamishchief.com

PARADISE VALLEY HEALING CENTER ENDS INPATIENT CARE

Private residential treatment centre says it is no longer financially viable; hopes First Nation or organization can take it over to continue healing work were let go. Raniga said that, in addition to financial challenges, it is increasingly difficult to find and replace staff, given the cost of living in Squamish. “Our numbers, with the beds taken away, have been fewer guests at the centre. It’s a huge cost to run a facility like this. And, you know, for me, my biggest thing is that I don’t want to compromise or cut corners or shortchange people,” she said, adding that she has recently lost three key senior people due to retirement, relocation and the like. “If [clients] have come in here, we want to make sure we have staffing,” she added.

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

T

he Paradise Valley Healing Center is transitioning from an inpatient residential facility treating addiction, to a strictly outpatient treatment centre. Its founder, Nirmala Raniga, told The Squamish Chief that it is no longer financially viable to operate it as an inpatient facility due to current licensing requirements. Its residential program ended at the end of December. Founded in 2009, its programs have helped approximately 1,400 patients, or guests, as Raniga calls them, hailing from 17 countries. Even up to mid-December, Raniga also employed 23 staff and about 15 contractors. Situated in a home-like setting on a 10-acre property near the Cheakamus River, the treatment program included wellness aspects as well as addiction treatment. Raniga, who has spent more than three decades focused on the treatment of addictions, believes strongly in a holistic approach to healing, which emphasizes the integration and balance of the body, mind and spirit.

STAFF PERSPECTIVE

FILE PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Nirmala Raniga on the steps of the Paradise Valley Healing Center.

BC SPCA Sea to Sky in Squamish

Please Contact the SPCA for more details! Visit our website: spca.bc.ca

Whether you are looking to adopt a new furry friend into your family or would like to know more about how you can make difference for animals in our community, we are here to help. The BC SPCA is a not-forprofit organization which relies primarily on community donations to help animals in need. Please join us in the fight against animal cruelty!

To view more of our adorable pets up for adoption, please visit

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It is a non-smoking facility, serving vegetarian food, where yoga, massage and other holistic treatments are part of the programs. “When I first came to this site, I just fell in love with it, and I thought it was such an ideal and appropriate space for people to heal their emotions,” she recalled. “And at that time, I had no idea that it would be so much work in terms of getting it rezoned to do what we do.” The centre offered two-, four- and six-week residential programs, all followed by aftercare when clients returned to their regular lives. The centre has also always offered a no-charge bed available for those who couldn’t come otherwise. Raniga said that about three years ago Vancouver Coastal Health licensing regulations that don’t allow shared bedrooms reduced the centre’s capacity from 16 to 9 clients. “We are moving forward with deep reflection, intention, and care as we transition fully into outpatient therapy services, where we will continue supporting individuals on their healing journeys,” said Raniga in the centre’s December newsletter. “ We remain committed to providing compassionate, accessible care, and to being a steady, reliable source of support for those seeking guidance and healing. We are profoundly grateful for the community that has grown here, for every guest who arrived with courage and vulnerability, and for the collective strength that shaped this space.” While therapists will continue to provide outpatient services, the rest of the full-time staff

Aleeta Grant has worked at the centre since the beginning. She began as a certified Chopra yoga instructor and later became a certified expressive arts therapist, using creativity to heal. “We saw so many people come through … from all over the world. And we watched lives change,” she said. “The opposite of addiction is connection. And that was really core there. The guests really connected with each other. The staff really connected with each other. And we connected with the guests. They were treated with dignity and respect. It wasn’t about us telling them what to do. It was about us being with them when they need to listen to themselves” Grant wasn’t employed full-time and is eligible for retirement, so she isn’t impacted by the termination, but hopes the centre can be taken over and run with the same well-being focus as before, with a return to inpatient care. “This work is so needed and this centre is different than others,” she said, adding that she would be happy to continue her work there.

OPEN TO OTHERS TAKING OVER Asked what she would like to see the government and other authorities do to help prevent closures like this, Raniga said the powers-that-be should listen and learn from providers like hers. “They need to see how people heal.” She said the decision to move away from residential care was painful after decades of dedicated work in this field. “It was a very difficult decision, I’ve been doing this for so many years—this is my heart. This is my work. And so what I felt was the way at this time we can continue helping is through outpatient work, outpatient services, and support people who need help through therapists who are interested in continuing to work with us,” she said. “And who knows? New opportunities could come.” Raniga said she hopes an organization or group may be interested in taking it over, with inpatient options. REHAB: Continued on 15

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WLNG: Continued from 11 however, no records of visual observations— either above or below the water surface—were provided. Additionally, Woodfibre LNG did not provide documentation “demonstrating that adaptive management measures were implemented or approved to account for the change in monitoring methodology.” “Based on the information provided, the EAO CEB determined that there is evidence of non-compliance with respect to the requirement for maintaining daily visual observation records of juvenile salmon.” Thus, Woodfibre LNG was issued an EAO notice of non-compliance.

ALTERNATE METHODS ALLOWED Asked about this, company spokesperson Sean Beardow sent a statement saying that Woodfibre LNG understands the special responsibility it has operating in Howe Sound and is committed to protecting all marine wildlife that lives there. “During the date range in question, visual detection was ineffective as the sub-surface water was too cloudy, which happens frequently due to the natural influence of turbid Squamish River discharge. We therefore used sonar technology to monitor for fish presence,” he reiterated. “The contractors doing this work are recognized as qualified environmental professionals and the Fisheries Act authorization allows them to determine alternate methods to meet monitoring objectives that

REHAB: Continued from 14 “This is a perfect site, place, for somebody who wants to come and work. I was hoping that from the First Nations Indigenous community… It would be a perfect spot for the community itself. So I’m putting it out there. If somebody wants to come and take this place over and provide treatment, it would be such a fabulous idea.” Get in touch or find out more about services currently available at the Paradise Valley Healing Center on its website.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH Asked specifically about the impact of losing the residential beds in Squamish for those struggling with addictions, the Ministry of Health said in an emailed statement to The Squamish Chief that the government “is working urgently to build a seamless system of mental health and substance use care that works for everyone. “Since 2017, we have added more than 760 new publicly funded adult and youth substance use treatment and recovery beds, including withdrawal management (detox), sobering and assessment, transition, treatment and supportive recovery beds across B.C.,” the spokesperson said. “As of September 2025, there are 3,748 publicly funded adult and youth substance use beds across the province, including 1,750

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 | 15

As current in-water work is considered low risk to juvenile salmon, we’re working with the B.C. EAO to determine how best to monitor fish activity effectively moving forward. SEAN BEARDOW

suit conditions,” he added. “As current in-water work is considered low risk to juvenile salmon, we’re working with the B.C. EAO to determine how best to monitor fish activity effectively moving forward.” According to the province, when a regulated party is out of compliance, inspectors base their response on: • The level of environmental, human health or safety impacts (actual or potential) • The regulated party’s willingness and capacity to comply • The regulated party’s compliance history The notice of non-compliance to Woodfibre LNG is the enforcement action listed on the inspection report for this infraction.

in the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region. Although the spokesperson didn’t provide the number of rehabilitation beds currently in Squamish, as requested, they noted that there are 59 publicly funded substance use beds in the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi Health Service Delivery Area. That area includes communities along the Sea to Sky Highway, the Sunshine Coast, Powell River, Bella Bella, and Bella Coola. “Substance use beds are regional services, meaning people throughout VCH can access publicly funded substance use beds anywhere in the VCH region,” the spokesperson said. “It’s important to note that bed-based treatment only represents a small part of a much broader continuum of care when it comes to treatment options for people living with addictions. Not everyone needs or wants to access a bed, for example, many people may benefit from outpatient services that allow them to sustain their work, home and family commitments,” the spokesperson continued. “That’s why we’re building up the full continuum of care from early intervention and prevention, treatment and recovery, complex care housing, aftercare services and more. We know there is more to do and we won’t stop working until everyone can get the care they need, where and when they need it.”

NEWS BRIEFS POLICE REJECT BIRTHDAY PLEA FROM EXCESSIVE SPEEDER

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nce again BC Highway Patrol is calling out speeders on the Sea to Sky Highway. This time, a Porsche, a rented Volkswagen, and a Subaru all ended up in the impound lot to start their new year, due to their drivers getting caught excessive speeding by an officer all on the same day. Late in the morning on Dec. 30, drivers of the Volkswagen and Subaru were spotted going much faster than other traffic on Highway #99 near Porteau Cove, according to a BC Highway Patrol news release. When stopped, the Subaru driver reportedly told the officer that they sped up because the Volkswagen “was tailgating me.” The tourist driving the rental Volkswagen told the officer they “wanted to get ahead” at the end of two merge lanes because he was on his way to the airport. The Volkswagen was recorded doing 154 km/h, and the Subaru 149 km/h, in an 80 zone.

“Merge lanes are not the time to get competitive,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “At best your dangerous driving will gain you a few seconds. At worst you’ll crash horribly or lose hours of your time getting your vehicle impounded by police. If you want to save time, leave earlier and drive the speed limit.” Later that afternoon, the yellow Porsche was stopped in the same area doing 88 km/h over the limit. The driver reportedly asked the officer to be “considerate” because she was celebrating her birthday. All three drivers received a $483 ticket for excessive speed, which involves driving more than 60 km/h over the limit and a seven-day vehicle impound. Each of the B.C. drivers will face at least three years of high-risk driver premiums and escalating insurance costs totalling about $2,500, according to the release. “It’s our job to keep the roads safe,” McLaughlin added. “If you drive inconsiderately, you will face the consequences no matter the occasion.”

A WARM THANK YOU Westwinds Senior Living extends a season of thanks to: Julie Hill & the London Drugs Team for hosting the Stocking Stuffers for Seniors To all the community members that fulfilled our seniors stocking wishes Zoe from Yellowbird Greetings for your generous donation of beautifully made holiday cards Mrs. Brown & Mme. Hardjono’s class at Garibaldi Highlands Elementary School, Ms. Manke’s class at Brackendale Elementary School & the students of Mamquam Elementary School for all of the handmade cards & jokes Our helper elves from Brackendale Elementary School that delivered the gifts Sharon Slater with the Line Dancing Troupe and Uke Troupe for their holiday performance Music performance by Ian Brown and the Sunshine Choir Jess Kovach and the Apex Music Academy students for the piano performance WLNG for the Christmas lunch with entertainment by the Overcomers Mme. Paquette's 5/6 class from Squamish Elementary for the songs Your generosity brightened homes, lifted spirits, and reminded our seniors that they are valued, remembered, and cared for by this incredible community.

16 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

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SFU LEADS INNOVATIVE DEMENTIA CARE RESEARCH AT THE VILLAGE LANGLEY

As Canada braces for a dramatic rise in dementia cases by 2050, researchers at Simon Fraser University are turning to an unconventional solution rooted in nature and community JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

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nyone who has a relative with a form of dementia knows how challenging it can be, not only for the person living with it, but for their entire family and community. If you don’t know someone with it, you likely soon will. A recent study by Alzheimer Society of Canada, predicts the number of people living with dementia in Canada will increase by 187% by 2050, due to the aging of the population. Almost one million Canadians will live with dementia by 2030, and more than 1.7 million by 2050, the society says. It is timely then, that researchers at Simon Fraser University are looking at new and innovative ways to care for those living with dementia. Traditionally, and despite the efforts of well-meaning staff and administrators, long-term care for those with dementia has been in a setting that is more sterile and institutional, with lots of patients in one facility and not a ton

STILL FROM SFU YOUTUBE VIDEO

A resident strolls through the Village Langley.

of access to the outdoors. The Green Care Farm (GCF) model, which is more common in the Netherlands, melds long-term care with farm-related activities in a therapeutic setting. The aim is to foster autonomy, cognitive

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stimulation, and emotional well-being for people living with dementia. “When older adults, especially people living with dementia, move into long-term care homes, quite often they have limited or restricted access to outdoor spaces because of safety concerns and lack of appropriate onsite outdoor area,” says Habib Chaudhury, professor in the Department of Gerontology and SFU research lead, in a news release about the project. “From an ethical perspective, such a situation challenges their human rights to have access to outdoors. On a functional level, this represents compromised mobility independence, which in turn, erodes their sense of autonomy and well-being. We want to understand how exploring that natural environment and taking part in activities, such as, horticulture—working with the soil, engaging with animals—can enhance their quality of life.”

NEW MODEL FOR CANADA The GCF project at The Village Langley is part of a research collaboration between Chaudhury at SFU and Sharon Kaasalainen at McMaster University School of Nursing and is paid for in part by funding from the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund, the release states. On its five acres, the private care—meaning residents pay out of pocket—village includes: • six cottage-style homes (with 13 residents each) • landscaped gardens • tree-lined walkways • bistro • general store • salon and spa • woodworking shop • community centre • abundant green space

ROOTS IN THE NETHERLANDS Chaudhury said there are more than 1,000 green care farms in the Netherlands. They can be a family run farm that then pairs with an organization to operate the care home aspect. “It started off with … adult day programs. And over the years, it became so popular and successful in supporting people living with dementia, they created a structure for people to live there,” he said, adding that he and others went to the Netherlands earlier this year to see how they could implement the green care farm lessons, ideas and principles in the Canadian context. The Village Langley opened in 2019, one of only two such villages in Canada, and already had many of the elements of the model the researchers were hoping to create. “We, meaning the research team, approached the Langley administration saying, ‘Would you be interested in embracing this and

implementing something like Green Care Farm,’ which is happening in the Netherlands, with quite a lot of success,” Chaudhury recalled. “They were very excited about this and they embraced this idea wholeheartedly.” They didn’t have a day program, so that was something the research team brought in.

A VILLAGE OF ONE’S OWN Chaudhury said two models are at play in the Langley example—the farm aspect, but also the village model. “The idea of a village setting as a long-term care community is to create a more home-like community,” he told The Squamish Chief. In the village model, the residences have far fewer people in each and it is like a typical home, not an institution, he said. And there is the ability for residents to “go outside without any barrier and be outside and in outdoor spaces and have the independent mobility of being outdoors, with fresh air and walking—a connection with nature and so on.” There are also other amenities residents would find in a regular or larger community. “You go to a ‘grocery store,’ you go to a ‘pharmacy,’ you go to a ‘theatre,’ so on and so forth,” he said. The type of care is also different. “Looking at the cultural background, life history, celebrating that, preferences, choices, autonomy, dignity. It’s really taking a holistic perspective,” Chaudhury said.

TIMELINE OF RESEARCH Beginning in the spring of 2026, the researchers will conduct regular semi-structured interviews or informal conversations with the residents, their families and caregivers, as well as staff and management. Social engagement and interaction farm-like aspects will be documented through direct observation methods and validated assessment tools developed in the Netherlands. The research team will also collect data on residents’ mental health using standardized depression scales and assess sleep quality through structured questionnaires, the release states. There are two main goals of the research, Chaudhury summarized. “One is to understand the process of implementation of a green care farm model at Langley Village by the management and staff. So how much do they know about this? How are they implementing this? How are they educating the staff?... What kind of program are they doing? How are they bringing in the residents, the villagers, and the people from outside to participate in the whole process aspect of this?” he said. “And the second part of the research project is really to understand the impact of this on SFU: Continued on 18

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 | 17

INVESTIGATIVE GENETIC GENEALOGY EXPERT TO SPEAK AT SQUAMISH PUBLIC LIBRARY

Marie Palmer has helped bring closure to families by identifying unknown individuals through genetic genealogy—and now she’s sharing her process with the public at a special local event JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

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f researching your family’s tree or true crime is your thing, mark this Squamish Public Library talk on your calendar. Marie Palmer, an accredited investigative genetic genealogist, will present “Solving Cold Cases Using Investigative Genetic Genealogy,” on Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Squamish Chief interviewed Palmer about her work and what attendees can expect from the upcoming event. What follows is a version of that phone conversation edited for length and clarity. Q: Let’s start with just the basics. What does an investigative genetic genealogist (IGG) do? A: I always love that question, because it’s actually hard to answer. IGG is a relatively new way to help generate leads in cases of unidentified human remains or unknown DNA samples from a crime scene. So, it’s another tool in the toolbox for law enforcement, basically. Q: How does it work? A: How it works, in a really small nutshell, is—and I’m not involved with this as part of the IGG—the forensic lab will extract a DNA sample from the unknown person or the unknown DNA sample at the scene. They work their magic to create some kind of representative digital file that can be uploaded to the eligible genealogy databases. I want to be really clear here as well when I talk about eligible genealogy databases, because sometimes in the news we do see errors where they say, well, Ancestry and 23andMe. That is wrong. We are not allowed to use those particular databases, even though they are the biggest ones out there. Their terms of service prohibit us from using their services. Instead, we’re relying on the smaller DNA testing databases, and those are GEDmatch, FamilyTreeDNA, and DNAjustice. And so what I do is, once that file is uploaded to one of those databases, I can go in and look at that unknown person’s results. And the results I’m most interested in is their list of genetic relatives. I’m trying to build trees for them, family trees for them, and trying to see how they all connect together and where our unknown person fits into those trees. It’s kind of like a giant puzzle. Q: So fascinating! How did you get into it? Like, when you were a little girl, were you reading Nancy Drew? A: It’s funny, I did read all of the Nancy Drew books. But, I actually stumbled into

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Marie Palmer.

genealogy maybe a dozen years ago with a family mystery in my own tree, which is the way a lot of us get into it. My grandfather, who I was very close to, it turns out that he assumed somebody else’s identity, which I had no idea about. It was shocking and emotional. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but using genealogy and research, I was able to figure all of that out and solve that mystery. My background actually was engineering and then teaching, and so I ended up using those skills, which came in really handy. So, I caught the bug, I loved it so much, and right away I just took every single course that I could, getting into DNA testing, which had that sort of scientific side, which I liked, and then started working, taking on clients maybe six or seven years ago. Around 2022, BCIT, the forensics lab there, reached out to a colleague of mine to see if she and I would be interested in doing this new thing called IGG. I jumped onto it. We’ve been working since then. Q: You said you love it, what about it do you love? A: Pretty much everything. From the genealogy side, I just love learning the stories of our ancestors. I think prior to learning about genealogy, I just thought, “Oh, you just add names to a family tree and that’s not super exciting.” But when you find the stories of your ancestors, there are so many fascinating stories and scandals in everybody’s family, that’s where it becomes really interesting— understanding what they lived through and

having an appreciation for that. I love the research side of it, I love the history side of it, and then I love the DNA side of it because it’s a little bit more technical. Just solving those mysteries is fascinating. On the IGG side, that’s a whole other world because it uses the same skills, the same strategies, which is really fun for me, but the cases are always really sad. There’s no happy ending with any of these cases. When you solve one of those cases, it’s not a moment of “Yay, I solved it.” It is a moment of realizing, OK, this is tragic, and now I know the family is going to be contacted and informed. Knowing that they’re going to experience something incredibly emotional and heartbreaking is always very sad. But it feels very meaningful to return names, especially to unidentified people who have passed away, and hopefully give closure to the families. Q: We don’t want to give away too much that you will say at your talk, but can you tell us anything about cases you have solved? A: We’ve solved a number of cases through BCIT, and none of them have been

publicized. We don’t have permission to release names and identities, which is understandable, but we can give vague specifics about a couple of the cases. At the talk at the library, I’ll be sharing about the first case that we solved, which was pretty meaningful. This was a homeless person in Vancouver. We had another case, which I wasn’t going to get into at the library, and that was a woman who had committed suicide a couple of decades ago in Vancouver. That was in a very public place, and her photograph was put in the newspapers several times over the years. A lot of people were very interested in that case. That was the first case that I had where I had a photo of that person to begin with. I usually don’t have a lot of information about the people. To have a photo was really also heartbreaking and meaningful to look at as I was researching. It just gave me that extra motivation to hopefully solve her case, which we did. DNA: Continued on 19

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WALMART TO BECOME SUPERCENTRE WITH FRESH GROCERIES The long-anticipated arrival of fresh food at the Squamish Walmart is finally happening, as construction begins this week on its transition into a Supercentre JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

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quamish’s Walmart is finally set to become a Supercentre, selling fresh produce. Starting this week, the store at 39210 Discovery Way will begin renovations. The store, which turns 20 this year, will begin offering fresh groceries in addition to its usual merchandise. Opened in 2006, the local store’s original zoning placed restrictions on the sale of perishable and non-perishable food items to limit food retail within the business park to reduce competition for grocery stores downtown at the time. In April of 2025, Squamish council voted to support a rezoning application that paves the way for the expansion. Canada’s Food Price Report 2026 predicted Canadian families will spend up to $994 more on food this year—with groceries overall up 4% to 6%. One-quarter of Canadian households are considered food insecure. Locals often note

RENDERING COURTESY OF WALMART CANADA

An artist’s depiction of the renovated Squamish Walmart.

that groceries are even more in the Sea to Sky than outside of it. Thus, there has been an increasing call for the Walmart to be able to offer affordable produce and meat. About two weeks ago, The Squamish Chief

contacted Walmart Canada regarding a start date for renovations; while no direct response was provided, a public press release was issued on Jan. 12. The renovated store will offer a “fresh assortment of groceries,” including produce, SFU: Continued from 16

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residents’ quality of life and staff care practices.” Asked about how such a model can be staffed effectively, Chaudhury said part of the solution is that volunteers come in and are trained to help. “That’s what they have done in the Netherlands. Most of these projects are volunteers from the community. These volunteers are older adults who are coming in from the community and they are taking part in these activities and they’re taking an important role in doing small group one-on-one interactions,” he said. “So that is to be seen, but that’s the plan.” Chaudhury and his team are also taking part in a research project at the only other dementia village in Canada—Providence Living at The Views, a publicly funded facility, as part of Providence Health Care, in Comox on Vancouver

chicken, pork, beef, seafood, baked goods and dairy products, the release states. “This transformation is incredibly exciting for our associates and customers, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate 20 years of serving Squamish,” said Donna Ricci, Squamish store manager. “Our community has been asking for our store to become a Supercentre with everything they need in one place, from groceries to general merchandise, and we’re thrilled to be bringing one to them!” Shawn Fujiki, senior director of real estate for Walmart Canada, thanked the District in the release. “Thank you to the District of Squamish for their collaboration throughout the rezoning process, which allowed us to move forward with our plans to bring a Walmart Supercentre to the community.” A grand reopening celebration is expected this summer. The Squamish renovation is part of a $6.5-billion investment by Walmart Canada over the next five years to expand its offerings. Walmart Canada operates 47 stores and a distribution centre in B.C., with more than 12,000 employees. Island. Ideally, the farm and village model is expanded throughout B.C. There is already some movement and interest in other provinces, such as Ontario and Saskatchewan. He also had praise for other models that are at play by health authorities in other regions, including Vancouver Coastal Health. “We can talk about green care farms as an important innovation, but there are other models as well,” he said. “We have to do it in different ways. For example, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, they are doing what we have been doing for a long time in many other settings, but they’re doing it in more and more formal ways, creating what we call small care homes. Vancouver Coastal has engaged in that activity now, which is highly encouraging.”

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Got something nice to say or some constructive criticism? Send your Darts & Daffodils: Email: news@squamishchief.com or drop off at The Chief office (38117 Second Ave.) during business hours. Deadline for submissions is Monday at 4 p.m. for Thursday’s paper. All submissions must be signed and include a phone number for verification. Maximum length is 75 words. Darts are intended to be an anonymous critique between private parties. Darts must not directly or indirectly identify an individual or business.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 | 19

‘I CAN THINK IN A WAY THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULDN’T’ Biathlete and Olympic hopeful Jasper Fleming discusses how he overcame dyslexia DAVID SONG

dsong@lodestarmedia.ca

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asper Fleming has already pushed himself to the highest level of biathlon. After half a dozen World Cup outings last season, Fleming kicked off his 2025-26 campaign on the senior circuit. He was the youngest athlete at Nationals in 2018, a Canmore Nor-Am bronze medallist one year later, and tops in his age group for the 2020 Western Canadian Championships sprint event. In 2024, Fleming also earned an overall National title. When the Squamolian isn’t skiing or shooting, he can be found mountain biking, playing guitar, taking photos or being an interdisciplinary studies major at Capilano University’s branch in his hometown. Severe dyslexia does not hold him back. “I’ve always been pretty articulate and I’ve always been reasonably creative, [but] when it came to school, it wasn’t lining up,” Fleming said. “A lot of elementary school is just learning the foundations of being a person. In that I seemed to get by fine, but when it came to reading and writing, that was where I really fell behind. After getting diagnosed with dyslexia in DNA: Continued from 17

Q: Doing the genealogy work, has it changed how you see your life or life in general? A: Oh, absolutely. I didn’t really know my own ancestors’ stories very well. As I learned about them, most of the time they lived through some unbelievably challenging times. My great-grandmother, she had 14 children and seven of them died young from malnutrition or starvation because they were that poor. I didn’t know that until I started doing genealogy. That, for me, helps me understand my grandfather’s upbringing. And it just gives me so much more appreciation for our lives today. As hard and challenging as our times are, it’s probably nothing compared with what a lot of our ancestors went through. Q: Anything else you would like people to know? A: We also want people to know that they can help to solve cases because anybody who takes a DNA test with those ancestry companies out there can upload their results for free to GEDmatch, FamilyTreeDNA, and DNAjustice. Every single person that does that helps to solve these cases, because right now I’ve got a couple of cases where the genetic relatives are just so distant that it’s impossible to solve those cases at this time. We keep an eye out every week and I’m just hoping that magic person will do a DNA test and upload to GEDmatch, and they might be a third cousin, and we can work with that. We can try to solve the case then, but in the

PHOTO BY DOUG STEPHEN

Squamish-based biathlete Jasper Fleming in action.

Grade 3, it became evident that I needed proper support.” Young Fleming told his mom Lise one day that he hated his brain. Lise and father Aric signed meantime, we can’t really do that work. The more people that are in there, the better our odds are, but this is particularly true when it comes to underrepresented populations. Right now, most of the people who’ve taken a DNA test are of European descent, which means the chances of finding close relatives in cases of non-European individuals is much lower. So in thinking about the Indigenous population, for example, those cases can be more difficult because there are fewer genetic relatives to work with. The other thing that I think I really want to make sure that people know about is that this whole process relies on public trust, and so I really want to help inform people as much as I can about the process, and people can feel free to call me, email me anytime with any kind of questions. The more people who upload their results, the better our odds are of solving cases, but at the same time, I do want to caution people to read Terms of Service and understand what they are signing up for if they do take a DNA test. And, if anybody considers taking a DNA test, there might be some unexpected and maybe some unwanted surprises in those results. That’s something to consider before you take a DNA test. That happens a little bit more often than we think. So, not everybody is going to take that DNA test, which is fine. Find out more about the presentation on the Squamish Public Library website. Find out more or reach out to Marie Palmer on her website, www.familyhistoryjourneys.com.

him up for Right To Learn, a free tutoring program that granted him specialized instruction twice a week after school. Over the course of four and a half years, Fleming learned to rewire the brain he once despised and get back to business academically. He can’t explain his method to others because it’s all he’s ever known, but now he sees the world in a way that makes sense—and that form of understanding has also moulded him into an elite athlete. “I can think in a way that most people wouldn’t, and that doesn’t necessarily mean I have an edge on everyone, but I have an introspective and a different way of learning technique,” remarked Fleming. “Also, having to go to tutoring twice a week every single week as a super young kid teaches you that: ‘this might not be something I want to do right now, but if it’s for something that I aspire to do—which was being able to read and write at a high level—it gives you discipline to really put the work in.’”

‘HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?’ Fleming tried out biathlon at nine years of age and immediately discovered his ambition to qualify for the Olympic Games. In early 2024 he racked up multiple top-10 finishes at the Youth World Championships, then spent the latter half of that year as an IBU Cup participant. A number of solid performances there moved him

up one more level to the World Cup. Blessed with very good skiing ability, Fleming has been improving his command of the .22 calibre rifle to the point where it is no longer an obvious flaw in his game. It’s safe to say he enjoys the process. “I think that a lot of people with learning disabilities cling to sport because it’s something that’s not necessarily based on pure smarts,” opined the 20-year-old. “It has a lot more to do with the determination you’re willing to put into it. Although I was able to get myself to a level in academics that I’m very proud of now, I think where my heart really shines is in sport because it’s just how bad do you want it. “Training for biathlon can maybe get a little redundant and a little monotonous sometimes … but when it comes to racing, you can be the most successful person on the day and not have the best ski time. It’s a sport that allows you to have good results when you’re not even having a good day, and vice versa.” Canada will send four male biathletes to Milano Cortina 2026, and Fleming might just be one of them. He’s already raced at the Olympic venue in Anholtz, Italy that also hosts World Cup events. Not one to look too far ahead, his goal is to focus on each competition at a time—understanding that pressuring oneself to perform well rarely, if ever, yields the desired outcome.

A comprehensive guide to health, wellness and medical services in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

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Maureen Gilmourr

beloved mother, grandmother, great granndmother, aunt, and friend, passed away on December mber 25, 25 2025, at Hilltop House in Squamish, BC in the presence of her family. She was 93 years old. Maureen was known for her kind heart, long memory, love of cats, and her many years of service in the Squamish United Church, UCW, Howe Sound Drama Club, and her columns in the local newspapers, most recently “About Town” in the Squamish Chief. One of her proud possessions was her Silver Quill Award, presented to her for 40 years of service to the Squamish newspapers. She is lovingly remembered and will be dearly missed by her sons, Ross (Wendy), Randy, and Kevin (Deanne), grandchildren, Jennifer, Janette (Matt), Laurel (Dalton), Jared (Lindsay), Kayla, Daniel (Anna), and 6 great-grandchildren, Landon, Jack, Kobe, Brynlee, Max, and Violet. A Celebration of Life will be held for Maureen on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 3 pm at the Squamish United Church, 38014 Fourth Ave., Squamish, BC. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to: SSquamis i h Hospital Foundation squamishhospitalfoundation@gmail.ccom or Sea to Skky Hospice Society treasurer@seatoskyhospicesociety.ca 38140 Beehrner Drive, Squamish, B.C. V8B 0J3

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Dennis Gerald Hackett Dec 1, 1931 - Dec 26, 2025

We are saddened to announce the passing of Dennis Hackett on December 26, 2025 in Squamish. Denny was born in Singapore on December 1, 1931 and served 22 years in the RCAF. Denny married Sunny White in 1953. Denny is survived by three sons: David, Douglas (Muff), and Troy (April) as well as five grandchildren and many great grandchildren. Denny was predeceased by Sunny in 2001 and his second wife Pat Dalgliesh in 2022. Many will remember Denny face-painting at Alice Lake and Porteau Cover Campgrounds.He will be dearly missed by his family and friends. We are grateful to have enjoyed so many years of his gentle compassion.

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Full-Time Account Manager Location: North Shore, BC Company: North Shore News We have a rare opportunity to work at one of Canada’s best-read online news media companies, Lodestar Media. You will be working at North Shore News, a division of Lodestar Media. In this role, you’ll partner with local businesses to offer cutting-edge marketing solutions: programmatic advertising, social media advertising, SEO, sponsored content, and community display on our website – and yes, we still reach customers through our trusted newspaper as well. HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO: • Make outbound calls and proactively set up meetings with new and existing clients. • Use a consultative selling approach to plan and execute both digital and print advertising campaigns. • Build and maintain strong client relationships with exceptional customer service. • Achieve monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue targets. • Stay organized and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. WHAT YOU BRING: • Previous experience in sales, account management, or media/marketing is an asset. • Comfort with cold calling and in-person client meetings. • A goal-oriented mindset, positive attitude, and willingness to learn. • Strong communication, presentation, and organizational skills. • Ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines. • A valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle for client visits is required. HERE’S WHAT WE OFFER: Competitive salary + uncapped commission package. Comprehensive, competitive group health and welfare benefits. Extensive onboarding, training, and ongoing support. INTERESTED? Please submit your cover letter and resume in confidence to Kaija Knox at kknox@lodestarmedia.ca

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TAKE A BREAK

HOROSCOPE WEEK OF JAN 15, 2026 - JAN 21, 2026

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Make ale, e.g. 5. Legume 8. Depressions 12. Camp helper 13. Heidi’s mountain 14. Mayberry youth 15. Misstep 16. Most transparent 18. ____ of fish 20. Trait carriers 21. Kind of brick 24. In front 28. Guest 33. Housetop 34. Tabby 35. Skirt type 36. Cigarette choice 38. Haste 39. Develop 41. Personal interest

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45. Kitchen tool 50. Washes 53. Yellowfin, e.g. 54. Teen skin problem 55. Brief farewell 56. Scoundrels 57. Handbag 58. Track action 59. Quiet down DOWN 1. Revel 2. Agitate 3. Emend text 4. Cried 5. Went back and forth 6. Wing of a building 7. Copy 8. Fables 9. Straightforward 10. Sharp-witted

11. Puts 17. Epochs 19. Tyke 22. Egg shapes 23. Nipped 24. Certain limb 25. Gardening device 26. Long, long time 27. Rearward, on a boat 29. Elf 30. Gift for Dad 31. Keats work 32. Do away with 34. Against 37. Attention 38. Look 40.Mad 41. Narrow piece of wood 42. Tex-Mex fare 43. Uncle’s spouse 44.____-jerk reaction 46. Write with acid 47. Hawaiian cookout 48. Partners for odds 49. Hives 51. ____ and flow 52. Bread grain Crossword puzzle answers use American spelling

ARIES March 21-April 19

You can’t shirk your responsibilities or neglect your commitments this week. Your presence is essential. Do you want to give your social life a boost? Organize activities that will bring people together and get everyone on board.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

You’ll have to take on major responsibilities this week. Many people will be counting on you. Carve out some time alone to ensure you meet your obligations, especially since you may feel more easily distracted this week.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Achieving your dreams requires careful organization and unwavering determination. If you want to reach your personal and professional goals, you must be flexible and make some adjustments.

CANCER June 21-July 22

You may find yourself in a difficult situation this week. However, don’t lose sight of your priorities. If your artistic side is unleashed, you’ll be inspired to create a striking work of art that will attract a lot of attention and set you apart.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

You’ll oscillate between flexibility and rigidity. This may make it hard for others to understand you. However, it won’t damage your credibility. You may have to carefully weigh the pros and cons in a certain situation before making a final decision.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

You’ll do a major clean-up, both at home and at work. This will help clear your mind and restore order in your life. However, give yourself enough time for rest to keep your immune system strong throughout the winter.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

You’ll perform a heroic act, a real feat in your eyes or in the eyes of others. You’ll provide support, whether through practical help or lending a listening ear, to someone who will remain forever grateful to you. Your kindness will deeply impact them.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

You’ll spend more time at home this week, as your child or a parent needs your comforting presence. You may be attracted to the idea of working from

home. You’ll find real pleasure spending your days in the comfort of your own living space.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Are you in an unusual situation? Share with your loved ones what’s going on. Their advice could help you see things more clearly. Your friends will also want to confide in you, and you’ll gladly offer a sympathetic ear.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

You’ll feel compelled to renovate or reorganize your space to reestablish harmony. If your home feels too small, you may soon consider buying a new house and moving.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

The universe is pushing you to act! You’ll move fast and make decisive choices in uncertain situations. On social media, one of your comments will attract attention and provoke strong reactions.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

You need to slow down this week. Your health depends on it! You may also invest a lot of energy into helping someone close to you. You’ll share enriching and hopeful moments together.

SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3 x 3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3 x 3 box.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

The Parish of

YOUR PLACE OF

St. John , the Divine Squamish Holy Communion and Morning Worship Sundays at 10:00 AM Rev. Cameron Gutjahr 1930 Diamond Road 604-898-5100 www.squamishanglicanchurch.ca info@squamishanglicanchurch.ca

Exalting Jesus, Equipping His Followers, Engaging the World

Worship Service Sundays 10am on our website and Facebook Live

See Website for Service times and location

2262ReadCres. 604-898-3737 www.squamishbaptistchurch.org

coastalchurch.org/squamish

Share your PLACE OF WORSHIP with Squamish for $10.25/week - Call today to book your spot 604.892.9161

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 | 23

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