See what was revealed in FOI documents about the steam room and pool closure
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2025
It’s Loggers’ Sports time!
See our guide to this beloved festival PAGE B1 Loggers’ our to belo d fest
The Rocky Mountaineer’s Rainforest to Gold Rush route may be at risk following Canadian National Railway’s decision to discontinue parts of its B.C. lines
JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com
The Canadian National Railway Company (CN) has declared its plan to decommission part of its railway line from north of the railyards in Squamish through to 100 Mile
The railway is mandated to release its railway line plans to the government and the public, which it did on July 11
Its three-year plan shows it’ll decommission its “Squamish subdivision” of the railway line heading north of the District of Squamish to Lillooet—from mile marker 43.00 through to 157.60
CN also released its intention to decommission the line from mile marker 157.60 to 257.00, which is on the Lillooet subdivision of the line that stretches past 100 Mile
CN: Continued on 2
PHOTO BY DARRYL SCHWANKE
PICTURE PERFECT SQUAMISH: A sailboat is perfectly framed in James Harry’s ‘Welcome Gate’ at the oceanfront
“CN provided official regulatory notice about a change to CN’s Three-Year Network Plan, initiating the discontinuance process for a portion of its rail network north of Squamish and south of Exeter in British Columbia,” the railway said in an emailed statement to The Squamish Chief.
“As a leading supply chain enabler, CN makes operational decisions in a manner that is beneficial to both our customers and our supply chain partners,” the statement continues.
“We prioritize transparency in our communications and decisions with all levels of government, key stakeholders, and our customers.”
WHAT ABOUT SQUAMISH TERMINALS?
According to CN, the rail line to Squamish Terminals is not included in the discontinuance, meaning it will be business as usual and no customers there will be impacted
In response to a question about next steps, the spokesperson for CN referred The Squamish Chief to the discontinuance process set out by the Canadian Transportation Agency
According to the agency, one year after the railway lists its intention to discontinue a line in its three-year plan, “the railway must publicly advertise the availability of the line or any operating interest the railway company has in it, for sale, lease or other transfer for the continued operations.”
ROCKY MOUNTAINEER?
Asked about the discontinuance, Nicole Ford, vice-president of communications, sustainability and stakeholder relations at Rocky Mountaineer, told The Squamish Chief they are considering next steps.
“We are aware of CN Rail’s notice of discontinuance for a portion of the rail line on which we operate our Rainforest to Gold Rush route,” Ford said in an email.
“CN is responsible for maintaining the rail
infrastructure along this route, including the rail, ties, bridges, and vegetation control. Without CN’s management of the rail line, we will be unable to travel on the route,” she added.
“We are determining what this means for our longer-term operations in the region, but we look forward to operating the 2026 season of the Rainforest to Gold Rush route as scheduled.”
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
A spokesperson for the District of Squamish said the municipality was notified of the rail discontinuation from CN on July 11, 2025, “and have no further information to provide.”
The spokesperson referred The Squamish Chief back to CN
Sea to Sky federal and provincial leaders were more enthusiastic in their response Member of Parliament for West
Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country Patrick Weiler told The Squamish Chief the discontinuance is “an exciting development,” especially combined with the provincial government’s promise of regional transit in the Sea to Sky.
“What really excites me is the potential for this corridor to be used for rail passenger transportation,” he said
“Until about 23 years ago, [the corridor] had passenger rail service, and much has changed since then,” he noted.
“The region’s grown by over 60% … You’ve seen the amount of folks in Metro Vancouver that are recreating in the Sea to Sky region has grown exponentially, and you’ve seen, even with an upgraded Highway 99, that it’s already at capacity, and we’re seeing frequent and oftentimes fatal incidents on it. So ... there’s a major need for alternative transportation options,” he said, adding passenger rail is also another way for people to get out in an emergency.
He noted there are lots of complexities to adding rail, but that there is an opportunity to look at the feasibility of it
“And to engage the public on what the future of this piece of infrastructure might be, and whether that’s for passenger rail or otherwise,” he said
“There would need to be an operator We need to co-ordinate among governments, importantly, freight operators like Squamish Terminals, and freight does have priority and [co-ordinate with] First Nations.”
Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky said in a joint news release with Weiler that the CN discontinuance is “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take over a lease that has nearly 40 years remaining on it, and to restore the rail line for public use and benefit as it was before it was controversially privatized by the B.C. Liberal government in 2004.”
Weiler and Valeriote note in their release that from July 2026, interested parties will be able to take over the rail line segment from CN Rail for
train services
They add that in the event that there are no interested parties for continued operations, the segment will be offered for net salvage value to different levels of government in accordance with the Canada Transportation Act.
“This gives us a one-year window to build a business case, secure support from all levels of government, and make an offer to acquire the lease, via an operating entity,” said Valeriote.
Weiler also noted that the idea has been floated of having the decommissioned rail line converted to active transportation.
This is an idea that retired Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy, who lives in Pemberton, where he was previously mayor, and who served as parliamentary secretary to the minister of transportation and Infrastructure for a time, could get behind too.
He said he could envision accommodations and food and bike services along the route that could become a massive tourist draw, if passenger rail isn’t feasible
“Let’s just pull up the tracks and put in a trail from here to Williams Lake I mean, it could be a year-round trail at grade, globally renowned Can you imagine riding your bike along the rail at grade from Squamish all the way north of Lillooet through the Fraser Canyon,” he said
He said he is skeptical that the ultimate cost of passenger rail would make it feasible, but it is worth looking into
“I was long an advocate of taking the 2002 rail assessment that was done for the Sea to Sky for the 2010 [Olympic] bid book, and reviewing it, modernizing it, and seeing if the conclusions are still valid. I tend to believe that they probably would be, just because we don’t have the density of population that really supports this kind of investment,” he said, adding that even back when that report was done, the cost was in the billions.
He said that the frequency of trains and number of stopping points would be key to making it competitive.
PHOTO BY SL_PHOTOGRAPHY/ ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Passengers sit inside the 360-degree panoramic train carriage with a view of the Fraser River, on the Rocky Mountaineer.
Email your news tip or story idea to: jthuncher@squamishchief.com ilemayconway@squamishchief.com inapace@squamishchief.com
MORE DETAILS ON THE TEMPORARY POOL CLOSURE
Freedom of information documents show what was happening behind the scenes when the Brennan Park Aquatic Centre was closed following a slip in the steam room
facility closure.
JENNIFER THUNCHER
jthuncher@squamishchief.com
When the popular Brennan Park Aquatic Centre was temporarily closed by the regional health authority earlier this year, no matter how much or how little the District of Squamish shared about what was happening behind the scenes, locals wondered if they were getting the whole story.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) documents that The Squamish Chief gained access to through a freedom of information request show that once in motion, the system of checks and balances worked as it should, but also that there was more than one slip and fall that preceded the steam room and pool closure this winter
The steam room was shut by a closure order from VCH on Jan. 17 and reopened on June 23
(According to the District, some minor maintenance issues resulted in a subsequent short closure for repairs. The steam room was repaired and opened again on June 25.)
The pools and hot tub were closed by a VCH order on Feb. 12 and reopened just over seven weeks later, on April 2.
So far, the District says remediation of the facility has cost a total of $36,000.
According to District staff, a budget request for 2026 has been submitted for review, which “is intended to explore and potentially develop and install an upgraded pool deck.”
The freedom of information documents cover the period of mid-January to late March this year.
For its part, the District told The Squamish Chief that it understands the impact of the pool
“The District recognizes what an important asset the pool is to the community and understands the impacts that the closure had on our staff, residents, and its user groups,” District media relations specialist Lilly Marie Peterson said in an email.
“District staff are focused on prioritizing pool-user safety and long-term preventative maintenance for continued use.”
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
On Jan. 15, an email from District staff asks Vancouver Coastal Health about slip resistance protection for the steam room due to a slip and fall incident
Also on Jan. 15, a pool inspection report by environmental health officer Angela Whalen, of VCH, states that there was a site visit to the Squamish Aquatic Centre after the request from District staff for information about anti-slip treatments for the surface of the pool deck
“Pool aprons and walkways, and floors do not have a surface that is slip-resistant when wet,” the inspection report reads.
Whalen says in the report that “surfaces in the steam room feel slick” and may not meet the required dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF).
The report called on the District to provide documentation from the tile manufacturer to confirm that the surface had the standard of DCOF required or, alternatively, hire someone qualified to test the tiles.
The report required the District to close the steam room until authorization to reopen was granted by a health officer.
On Jan. 16, during a follow-up to the previous day’s site visit, District staff supplied documentation to VCH about the tiles and an invoice for the new blue tiles in the steam room The
environmental health officer determined the new tiles did not meet the required anti-slip resistance for wet surfaces, based on information contained in the product spec sheets
The District was instructed to keep the steam room closed to the public until one of the following:
1) Field testing by an independent third party is conducted to demonstrate that the tiles meet anti-slip requirements, or:
2) Another solution is implemented that mitigates the risk of slipping.
The report notes that over the course of this investigation, the health officer learned the slip that occurred in the steam room took place on the floor, “which is original tile also located throughout the facility.” Therefore, the District was ordered to have an independent third party conduct anti-slip testing on a number of floor tiles throughout the facility, and to forward the results of that testing to the officer.
On Feb. 11, a VCH site visit was conducted to view and collect daily pool records, which the report notes were adequately maintained and available.
According to Feb. 11 correspondence, third-party results about slip testing are forwarded from the District to VCH, saying that “all eight tests failed,” including the steam room bench and floor and six spots on the pool deck.
A Feb. 11 document includes accident reports for the six years going back to 2018. The exact dates were redacted.
All but one were classified as “minor accidents” involving patrons. One accident involved staff
Between March 2018 and January 2025, at least 16 slip-related incidents were reported across various areas of the facility—including showers, changing rooms, pool decks, and ramps
These included:
1) January, 2025
2) November, 2024
3) June, 2024
4) February, 2024
5) October, 2023
6) May, 2023
7) February, 2023
8) February, 2023
9) February, 2023
10) August, 2023
11) May, 2022, involving staff
12) October, 2021
13) January, 2019
14) March, 2018
15) April, 2018
16) March, 2018
According to the documents, all incidents were related to slipping incidents in the following areas:
• Ramp to hot tub
• Women’s shower
• Outside women’s changing room
• Side of deck by pirate ship water feature
• Pool deck
• Women’s changing room
• Bottom of hot tub ramp
• Steam room
• Viewing area
• Guardroom
• Men’s shower
(The District told The Squamish Chief on July 18, that there have not been any incident reports filed since the pool reopened.)
After the accident reports, the documents show there was some back and forth between District staff and VCH, with municipal staff seeking solutions or help with the process
POOL: Continued on 5
COUNCILLORS BELIEVE 16-YEAR-OLDS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO VOTE
The councillors supported a request from Vote16 BC co-directors Jason and Jerry Song to endorse their campaign and send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs
INDIGO LEMAY-CONWAY
ilemayconway@squamishchief.com
Squamish councillors have thrown their support behind lowering the voting age to 16 years old.
While the legal voting age for any government election in Canada is 18 years old, two brothers behind Vote16 BC hope the muni’s support can help change that.
At the July 16 regular council meeting, Jason and Jerry Song gained unanimous support from the councillors to endorse the Vote16 BC campaign and request Mayor Armand Hurford write a letter of support to the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Ravi Kahlon
“In 2017, two young boys trailed behind their immigrant mother as she stepped into a polling station. Her first time voting as a Canadian citizen. That day, they witnessed something sacred Democracy in motion,” Jason said.
the duo are “very passionate” about extending the voting age to allow for the eager population of youth voters to take part in democracy.
“I want to note that this movement far extends beyond the two of us.
From Vernon to Vancouver to Victoria, 13 municipalities and school boards across B.C. have already passed motions supporting the right of 16 and 17-year-olds to vote,”
responsible enough to drive a vehicle, work and pay taxes.
“Sixteen year olds are equal to adults in terms of mental maturity If you can drive, marry, pay taxes, be tried as an adult and even vote in party leadership races you can vote,” Jerry said.
On an intuitive level, it also just makes sense, according to Jason.
“Wouldn’t we all agree that people should have a say in things that affect them? Well, issues like student loans will impact us the most. Climate change will impact us the most.
“One year passed, and then another and another, then six more. No vote, no voice.”
Jason said that as co-directors of Vote16 BC,
“Hundreds of constituents lined up shoulder to shoulder, bound by nothing but a single belief that their voice mattered And so the boys stood there, eyes wide, hearts full, believing that one day they too would step behind the booth and help shape the future
Jason said “Seventeen different countries already trust 16-year-olds with a vote, so why not Canada and why not Squamish?
WHY SHOULD THE VOTING AGE BE LOWERED TO 16?
According to Elections Canada, some of the arguments behind lowering the voting age to 16 are that at that age, youth are considered
Woodfibre LNGProject
The housing epidemic and the evolving job market aren’t just some distant issues for youth; they’re our daily lived realities,” he said “I think it’s only fair that those most affected, at the very least, have a voice in the decisions that disproportionately affect their lives.”
The brothers ended their delegation presentation by urging councillors to support their request and endorse lowering the voting age.
“Although youth may only be 30 % of our current demographic, they are 100 % of our future,” Jerry said.
VOTING: Continued on 9
Woodfibre LNG General Partner Inc. is proposing to change the Woodfibre LNGproject, locatedapproximately 7kms southwest of Squamish, B.C. They seek to add asecondFloatel(a retrofitted cruise ship forworker accommodation) to be mooredsouth of the existing Floatel.
The EAOisholding apublic commentperiod on the proposed changes to the projectand is seeking public feedback to understand potential impactsspecifically relatedtothe changes.
the proposal
and Jerry Song with Mayor Armand Hurford in council chambers.
Continued from 3
around the closure, including an exchange asking about a closure to the pool in Whistler and a request for that facility’s documentation.
In response, the health officer said that officers had closed a number of facilities over slipping hazards, “mostly in Whistler, where the vast majority of our permitted recreational water facilities are located.”
The health officer said 95% of the cases of closures were due to failed heat trace systems, which are designed to keep pool decks clear of ice and snow
On Feb. 12, the Vancouver Coastal Health pool inspection report confirms that at the direction of the health officer, the District contracted a qualified professional to carry out slip resistance testing in accordance with industry-accepted standards for slip testing. The report from that professional was provided to VCH on Feb. 11, the inspection report reads.
“The report indicated none of the areas tested met the required safety standards for slip resistance when wet. Testing took place on the 1x1 mosaic tiles in the steam room and on the 6x6 quarry tile flooring in seven locations throughout the facility.”
VCH issued a closure order for the Squamish pool
In correspondence in March, District staff shared a reluctance to hire more staff as a solution to reduce slips and falls.
“We don’t think additional staffing will translate to reduced slip and falls and we feel a more holistic approach, including all our existing staff in providing enhanced training and implementing operational changes—as per our pool safety plan—will help improve safety regarding slip and falls,” wrote a District staff person in an email on March 21
The health officer responded that it was unclear if more staffing would prevent more falls.
(On July 19, the District confirmed to The Squamish Chief that pool facility staff are now trained on new slippery areas mapping and reporting procedures Supervisors are responsible for submitting any incident reports to VCH monthly.)
On Mar. 24, an inspection of the pool was conducted after a request from the District to reconsider the closure order issued on Feb. 12.
The inspection report notes that the District had slip testing conducted by an independent third party.
“A sealed engineer’s report dated March 12, 2025 detailing and evaluating the test findings was provided to VCH, along with a request for reconsideration of the closure orders,” the report reads.
The inspection report on March 24 says that the DOS’s request for reconsideration proposed the installation of additional signage indicating that the pool deck and walkways may be slippery.
In response, VCH accepted this, with some conditions, such as where the signs need to be, and the like
The inspection notes the District also reported completing a deep cleaning of the pool deck with a degreaser, high-speed scrubbing and power-washing, and updating the facility’s Pool Safety Plan (PSP) with enhanced cleaning protocols.
VCH confirms in the documents that these were done.
VCH accepted these actions, again with some tweaks requested.
The inspection report further says that it called on the District to hire a qualified third party to conduct a safety audit focused specifically on slip/fall risks and mitigation measures, including historical incidents, high-risk areas, signage, cleaning methods and frequency, record keeping, staff training, and supervision and submit that report to VCH by Sept 1, 2025
The pool reopened on April. 2
The steam room remained closed for 18 weeks, reopening on June 23, following the removal and replacement of its bench tiles.
The District said this week that the new steam room bench tiles meet an “acceptable level of slip resistance for public use,” as defined by Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Association of Canada and the American National Standards Institute standards.
The municipality confirmed that regarding the pool closure, all items requested via the VCH Pool Inspection Report were submitted to VCH within the relevant deadlines. For the steam room, District Staff are awaiting the results of a safety audit, which is under review
WHAT WE DON’T SEE
The freedom of information department of VCH redacted 145 pages under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
The freedom of information documentation was requested on March 25, 2025, and the documents were received on June 13, 2025. CN: Continued from 2
“A train, it is hard to be competitive, and they need to be moving a lot of people to justify it But that said, let’s dig out that old study and revisit it, and so people can see for themselves what the cost is going to be and whether it actually makes sense or not,” he said.
Ultimately, Valeriote and Weiler said they will be working closely with local governments and community leaders to explore every viable path forward.
“These kinds of decisions will shape our region for decades. If senior levels of
government are serious about investing in infrastructure to create jobs and strengthen our economy, this is an opportunity we can’t afford to miss,” said Valeriote.
For its part, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit said in a statement that the CN decision was made in accordance with its 2003 CN Revitalization Agreement, signed under a previous government
“Under the terms of the agreement, CN cannot take any immediate action towards discontinuing service. Questions about CN’s next steps should be directed to CN. The province will review CN’s decision before considering its options.”
MORE RENTAL UNITS COMING TO DOWNTOWN—IF YOU DON’T OWN A CAR
Councillors voted to support a development permit for a six-storey mixed-use downtown building with no parking
INDIGO
LEMAY-CONWAY
ilemayconway@squamishchief.com
More rental units are coming to downtown Squamish, but with one condition—you’re not allowed to park a car there.
At the July 15 regular council meeting, Squamish councillors voted to support a development permit for a six-storey mixed-use building at 38006 Cleveland Ave.
The permit came with a parking variance to get rid of the required 20 residential off-street parking and remove all eight commercial parking spaces—for a cash-in-lieu payment of $240,000
District planner Bryan Daly said the residential unit mix, built by AMC Project Development, would consist of 15 studios, four one-bedroom and one two-bedroom units.
All of the units would be secured as market rentals.
“The unit mix is tailored to and fits the small lot characteristics of the property The proposed development will consist of 218 square metres of ground floor retail, 158 square metres of office space on the second and third stories, and 20 residential units on the third to sixth stories,” Daly said
“Common outdoor amenity space is provided on the fifth and sixth floors with a covered portion of the outdoor amenity space on the sixth floor. Indoor amenity space is not required because only 20 units are proposed, and therefore this requirement is not triggered.”
The building would be built at close to 20 metres
Daly noted that the building did not meet the parking requirements, which is why a variance was requested to remove all required stalls.
“The required parking for this development is 28 stalls, 20 for the residential units and eight for the non residential uses,” he said
“The variances are requested in order to maximize the number of rental units and employment space the project can deliver. Providing off street parking spaces would significantly reduce the area available on the ground floor for employment space.”
According to Daly, the applicant noted that reducing the number of residential units to accommodate parking would not make the project financially viable
He also said District staff were supportive of the variances for a number of reasons, one being that the property is located in “one of the most walkable locations in Squamish.”
“It is 300 metres from the downtown transit exchange, approximately 600 metres from a full-service grocery store, and approximately 100 metres from Stan Clarke Park, and is adjacent to the commercial businesses on Cleveland Avenue,” Daly said
“The developer is also committed to providing a financial contribution to Modo Carsharing Co-op to secure car share membership for each residential unit, reducing the financial burden of
PUBLIC HEARING
Before council voted, a public hearing was held at the meeting for the development permit application, and a spokesperson for the developers, as well as one resident, spoke on the topic.
Bryan Hawkey spoke on behalf of AMC Project Development to explain their approach to the property.
“The property size, location and relative narrowness make providing ground floor parking impractical and would serve to diminish the architecture on this prominent corner.
Therefore, given the limited ability to provide on-site parking, we focused on providing a suite mix that is more conducive to residents using alternative transportation needs,” Hawkey said
“Specifically, we opted for small suites whose residents will be less likely to generate higher parking demands While we know that it is a District priority to create housing for families, this type of housing needs to be supported by parking, which this property cannot efficiently provide.
“Since the project is primarily studios and one bedrooms, we focused on providing extensive outdoor spaces and a co-working office on level three, to give residents additional flexibility in how they work from home, again, aimed at reducing car dependency.”
Hawkey said that to limit the demand on unloading, 15 of the 20 units will be furnished.
Garibaldi Highlands resident Spencer Fitschen said that the removal of parking for residents and commercial tenants was unreasonable, given that “people have cars.”
“The complete elimination of requirements for parking does make me feel that we as citizens in the District of Squamish are being asked effectively to subsidize the proponent on this project,” he said.
Similarly Coun Greenlaw said it seemed unfair to support such a variance when the public has said “they would like to see more from developers, not less.”
“We’ve heard loud and clear that our public does not want to see further reductive parking exemptions in downtown Squamish We already only have one stall per dwelling downtown, which is sparse for a place like Squamish that is woefully underserved by transit,” Greenlaw said “To make this kind of exception, for a development that’s not even below market, is just not a reasonable trade off. Furthermore, this is at least the third development that has been brought forward in the past few months where it has been noted that the development would not be viable without concessions, and that’s not our problem.
“Given that the public has given feedback that they would like to see more from developers, not less, approving proposals such as this is in direct contradiction from public feedback.”
Speaking in support of the application. Coun. John French said the development proposal was “bold and also forward thinking.”
“The tenants and commercial people in this building will have cars, not all of them, maybe, but they will have cars That’s the nature of the thing. Even if we all turn electric, we’re still going to have vehicles And they’re going to have to be put somewhere.”
Fitschen said that generally, a variance request comes with a substitution for something “equal or better,” but he felt like that did not occur here.
“I find that this project, with this reduction in parking, really should be something that council has a very difficult time with,” he said
COUNCIL COMMENT
Despite ultimately supporting the development permit and associated variances, not all councillors voiced support.
Not in support of the development offering zero parking options for residents were councillors Jenna Stoner and Lauren Greenlaw “I will not be supporting the motion on the floor, and would urge my other fellow colleagues to reconsider their positions,” Stoner said
“I feel like it’s asking and trying to put too much on one lot that is really a core component of our downtown streetscape, and without the necessary support to actually ensure that it’s going to be functional over the life of the building.
“I don’t see a fulsome vision for how that’s going to be successful given that we don’t have a functional downtown parking management system at this time.”
Stoner said she would prefer to see employment spaces provided in the location as opposed to residential.
“I’d rather see a two-storey employment and commercial space building in this space, rather than what is proposed here, and let go of some of the housing targets specifically so that we can ensure that we are making a downtown streetscape on our high street that is vibrant and activated,” she said.
“This really works best if three years from now, we have regional transit systems serving from Pemberton to the North Shore and frequent transit between our downtown and the Garibaldi Estates. I’m confident that those key transportation pieces will be in place when this building is ready for residents to move in,” he said.
“So this combined with the car share membership for each unit, the new bike share program that we have in Squamish and improved active transit infrastructure downtown, developments like this one, I believe, are going to work.”
He also said that people who opt to live in the complex would do so knowing that it is a car-free space and that vehicle ownership would be difficult as a resident of the building
Mayor Armand Hurford echoed French’s comments to say that the rental units would be targeted towards a specific demographic of people
“We have an opportunity to have 20 units that are rental only, where it’s clearly articulated that in each tenancy agreement, that there’s no dedicated parking available on site or on street in association with each unit. I can’t think of a better spot for that,” he said
“This place is not for everybody. It’s for 20 folks or couples or households that can live within that [regulation].”
Coun Chris Pettingill said that the way to stop parking issues related to developments is to limit the number of parking options available.
“What I hear over and over from people, what they’re really saying is they are concerned about competition for public parking spaces and traffic on the streets,” he said
“As much as people might wish otherwise, we don’t have great tools to stop people from moving to Squamish We have a lot more tools at our
using car share services downtown.”
PHOTO BY ATA ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Rendering of the rental building, at 38006 Cleveland Ave.
KIDDIE CLOUDMONTESSORITAKES STEPSTOEXPANDCHILD CARE SPACES
Thechild care centre locatedat38320
INDIGO LEMAY-CONWAY
ilemayconway@squamishchief.com
Squamish councillorshave praiseda child care centre for“findinga newway”to accommodatemorechildren.
At theJuly15regular business meeting, Kiddie CloudMontessorireceivedits firstthree readings forarezoningapplication to expand theirhome-basedcentrefromthe groundfloor to theentireproperty.
In localgovernment, thereare threereadings andthenadoption. Forall intentsand purposes, once aproposalpasses threereadings, it is a certainty.
TheValleycliffechild care centre is locatedat 38320Westway Avenue andcurrently provides care for16childrenagedbetween twoand ahalf to five yearsold
District plannerAja Philpsaidthe property is currently zonedresidential 1and is seekingto rezone to acomprehensive developmentzone 117to“allowfor theresidential property to become thededicated childcarefacility.”
“The currentfacilityoperatesonthe ground floorofthe residence, andifthe rezoning is successful,the applicantintends to convertthe
second storyofthe residencetochild care so that theentireresidence becomesafullchild care facility.”
Philpsaidnolimit on thenumberofchild care spacesisproposedwithinthe CD 117zoneas
“the numberofspacesisregulated by the provincialchild care licensingregulations,as well as theBCbuildingcode.”
Sevenparking spaces arerequiredtomeetthe zoningbylaw minimum requirement; however, Philpsaid these were unable to be metdue to “propertysizeconstraints.”
“Fourspacescan be accommodated on site. To addressthe three-spaceshortage in theshort term,staff anticipate that overflow parkingwill occuron-street on thenorth side of Westway Avenue,” shesaid.
“Engineering staffhaverecommended that a crosswalkbeinstalled across Westway to supportthe overflow parkingoptiononJuniper Crescent.
“The applicanthas offeredtoinstall the crosswalkacrossWestway,which will include widening andpavingthe northeast shoulder of theJuniper andWestway intersection.”
Therezoningapplicationreceived44public comments,43ofwhich were in supportofthe proposed childcareexpansionand oneagainst Philpsaid District staffwereinsupport of the
rezoning applicationasthe proposed newchild care spaces “contributetothe Squamish child care needsassessment andstrategyvisionthat Squamish families have access to arange of affordable,accessible, high-quality childcare options.”
“These spaces will contribute to improving ourchild care access rate,which is currently belowour action plan reachtarget.”
According to thereporttocouncil in 2024, “the overallchild care access rate in Squamish was26spacesper 100childrenages0to12years (a 26%accessrate) whichisapositiveincrease from the22% access rate in 2023;however,the improved access rate is largelyattributableto consecutivechild population declines in 2023 and2024.”
TheDistrict’sChild Care Action Plan hasa target rate of 30%accessrate, whichwould requirethe creation of an additional 860spaces over thenext10years,based on childpopulation projections.
Kiddie CloudMontessoristatedinthe report that theirwaitlistis currentlyatapproximately 150childrenseeking care
COUNCILCOMMENTS
All councillorsweresupportiveofthe rezoning applicationand theplans to installa
Another Successful Year for Kicks forKids!
TheHoweSound Soccer Society andSquamish Youth Soccer Association proudlybrought our community together once again for the 3rd annual Kicks forKids fundraiser.The event was acelebration of sport and community spirit, with kidsand adults hittingthe pitch andspectatorscheering from the sidelines—all united by ashared goal: removing financial barriers for youthtoplay soccer acrossthe Sea to Sky
Thefundraisercontinues to groweach year—not just in the numberofplayers andsupporters, butin the generosity of local businesses who rally behind thiscause.Thisyear, Kicks for Kids raised an incredible $10,500,which willgodirectly toward helpingfamilies cover costs for registration, equipment, and travel—not only within the Youth Soccer League butalso through expanded efforts to supportlocal school programs and Indigenous communities
crosswalktoimprove user safety
“Thanksverymuchtostaff forfinding away to facilitate .effectively safe transportof children to thechild care facility alongWestway It givesmegreat confidence,” Coun.Andrew Hamilton said
“I thinkthere’s alevel that we need to trust, that theparents dropping offkidsatthe child care aregoing to be doingsoinaresponsible manner,and if they don’t,thatthere will be bylawcomplaintsabout parkingonstreet, and anyissueswillneedto[be dealtwithin] that way.
“But on thebroader scope, Ithink this appears to be an excellentway to bringchild care into ourcommunity,certainly less expensivethan otherchild care in Valleycliffe.”
Coun.LaurenGreenlawsaidshe was“very happy” to supportthe proposal as allcouncillors around thetable know that thecommunity is in “desperate need of childcare.”
“Our lack of availablechild care disproportionatelyimpacts women, andcan be devastatingtowomen whohaveworkedyears to establishcareers,onlytohavetheir work invalidatedbyaforcedmulti-yearabsence due to lack of childcare,”she said
CHILDCARE: Continuedon9
This initiative is atrue passion project, created bythose who grewupplaying with the purpose of giving backtothose whowant to play.
Ahugethank youtoeveryone who played, volunteered, cheered, and supported the event—especially ourgenerous localsponsors:
Thank you for making thisyear’sevent ahuge success—we can’t wait to see what next year brings!
View this ad online:
2026 PermissiveTax ExemptionApplications
PermissiveTax Exemptions areamethodthat the DistrictofSquamish, supported by Council, maysupportvoluntarynon-profit organizations by exempting land or improvements or both, from taxation under Section 224 ofthe CommunityCharter.
TheDistrictofSquamish is nowaccepting applications forPermissive TaxExemptions.Section 224 of the CommunityCharterand the requirements of the DistrictofSquamish PermissiveTax Exemption policyapply.Ifyour organization can demonstrate eligibilityyou arewelcome to apply foranexemption.
Theapplication and policy areavailable online.The deadline to apply is July 31, 2025, forexemptions beginning forthe 2026 taxationyear. Formoreinformation, please contactus at 604-892-5217. squamish.ca/grants
WHAT’S HAPPENINGIN RECREATION AND CULTURE
InfrastructureUpgrades
•Installation work continues on awatermain between Bill’s Placeand Highlands WaySouth.
•Sanitaryforcemain upgrade on PiaRoad continues
•Watermain upgrade on Birken Road continues.
•Annual road painting refresh programisunderway. Crewsare working at nighttolimit traffic impacts. Part of ClevelandAvenue willrepaintedthe evening of July 27, following the repaving. squamish.ca/building-our-future
Road access to the Mamquam RiverDike will be closed July 28–29 to facilitate paving work.
Therewill be no public access or parking on the dike during this period.Barriers and road closed signage will be installed.
Thepublic should be awarethatconstruction activities and preperatoryworkinthis area is underway.
Construction signage andflaggers will be posted. Shortroad closures mayberequired during this time
Check out the pool schedule:
NEW! Youcan nowskipthe clicks and head directly to registration with our new URL. It’s super easy! squamish.ca/booknow
gustSwimLessons: Spaces
Still Available at Brennan Park Recreation Centre
Enroll yourchild in one of our summer swimming lessons. Thereare spaces available in a variety of levels.
Check squamish.ca/booknow forboth one week and two week lesson set options.
SUMMER CAMP:BOOK NOW! ActiveKids Camp (6–9yrs)
at Rose Park
9 am–4 pm, July 28 –August 1
Getyour kids outdoors this summer! Opportunitiesfor your kids to learn newskills,make new friends and have alot of fun! Offering arange of activities and games each day includingyoga, hiking,gymnastics, soccerand much more!
Cost for the camp is $430.
Seniors’Open GymDrop-in
at Westwinds
Tuesdays,11:30 am–1 pm
Ideal forthose wanting access to fitness equipment outside ofjoining a formal gym! Non-instructional.
Pre-payment is required online under “Drop-In -19yrs+ General”,orinperson at The55ActivityCentre.
WestwayAvenue Paving
July 28 –August 1
Milling and repaving of WestwayAvenue between Birch Driveand Plateau Drivewill begin July 28 and will involverepaving multiple extensivesections as needed to addressthe most deteriorated areas
Please be awareoftraffic impacts and expectdelays
Thecontractorwill maintain at least one open lane to facilitate trafficflow and minimizedisruption.
Afull closureofWestwayAvenue mayberequired forshortperiods to completespecific tasks safely andefficiently.Access foremergencyvehicles will be maintained at all times
VOTING: Continued from 4
COUNCILLOR SUPPORT
Councillors were all in favour of lowering the voting age, with a few noting their children would have taken part in casting their ballot at 16 years old
“I’m happy to support this Reducing the voting age to 16 was something that I advocated for in the last federal election,” Coun Lauren Greenlaw said
“It is critical for us to engage more of the youth because, as you say, there is a lot of apathy out there right now because they’re disaffected. They feel like nobody is listening, because frankly, nobody is.”
Coun John French sympathized with the Song brothers and the story of tagging along to polling booths with their mother
“As the parent of two 20-somethings who would absolutely have voted at the age of 16 if they had had the opportunity, I fully support this,” French said.
“Much like your mother, this father dragged those two children to every polling booth, municipal, provincial, federal. They watched the process from the age of being old enough to understand what was going on in those polling stations, right up to the point where they moved
RENTAL: Continued from 6
disposal to minimize the number of cars attached to those new residents.
“So if we want to impact the day-to-day livability, things that people are actually caring about, we have to do things that, as people come, they bring less cars.”
He also said the District has “grossly overserved the vehicle-demanding public” and that there is a small group of people who want the affordability of not having a car that deserves to be accommodated
“We need the public support to make sure that
CHILD CARE: Continued from 7
“And also the mental health impact of parenting without needed support is massive and underreported.”
Greenlaw also noted that as a resident of Valleycliffe, she was very happy to see the crosswalk being put in
“It’s really difficult to cross the street in that location without a crosswalk. And I do hope, given the location, that many parents will walk and bike their children to the childcare instead of driving. And I’m happy to hear the proponent is supportive of this mode shift as well,” she said.
Coun Chris Pettingill said that he believed having fewer parking options would help to create a “utopia” where parents and children can walk to child care locations.
“From the data we have, there are child-dense neighbourhoods basically everywhere in Squamish, it is a community of families and young children, and there are plenty of people … in walking distance to fill this daycare up,” he said.
“I think one of the things that encourages
out of my house and are now independent … voters who passionately engage in the process.”
Coun. Andrew Hamilton said lowering the voting age could help capture voters while they are still in school.
“As much as 18 is an arbitrary line, 16 is too, but it’s a better arbitrary line. My primary motivation for believing it’s a better line is that we’re able to capture voters while they’re still in high school,” he said
“So that component of actually engaging in the political process within a supported educational environment can take place at least for half of the students, because we’ll only catch half of them.”
Hurford noted that he works with the local youth council as part of his role as mayor and believes they would all be ready and capable of voting at 16 years old
“When I think about how engaged, articulate and thoughtful those folks are, it makes me have faith in the future,” he said
“We’re going to be OK—there are some bright minds coming. But also they’re here now and I think it’s important that we find ways to listen, to give them a voice.”
Councillors voted unanimously to endorse the Vote16 BC campaign and for Hurford to write a letter of support to the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
collectively, our culture is not one where you expect that if you have private vehicles, you just put them out on the street If you have a private vehicle, you need to take responsibility for securing your own private parking for that, and that is the cultural shift we need to make,” he said
Councillors voted 5-2 in favour of issuing a development permit for the mixed-use building, with councillors Greenlaw and Stoner opposed. Later in the meeting, a housing agreement bylaw for the development was given its first three readings
All councillors voted in support.
people to drive to the daycare is the lack of daycare in Squamish. And so to get the one that can fit your kid, you’re maybe feeling like you have to drive across town to get there.”
He said the District should help make it easier for new daycares to open in communities where kids already are, to avoid people driving across town to access child care
“I think reducing the parking requirements is a way to have more daycares in communities that people can walk to, and then people will walk to them with their kids,” he said
“This one isn’t going to solve the whole problem, unfortunately, but is it a step towards alleviating parking challenges related to daycare And I hope to see a place where if you’re a family, you can count on there being a walkable daycare in your neighbourhood.
“I hope this is another step towards that eventual utopia.”
Councillors voted unanimously in support of giving the rezoning application its first three readings. It will return to council at a later date for adoption.
For more information on Kiddie Cloud Montessori, visit their website.
NOTICE is herebygiven in accordancewith Section494 of theLocal Government Actthatthe District of Squamish hasreceivedapplicationand will be considering issuance of aTemporaryUse Permit as indicatedherein. The DistrictofSquamishwill receiverepresentationsfrompersons who believe that theirinterestinproperty is affectedbythe proposed temporaryuse(s).
The TemporaryUse Permit approval will be consideredbythe Director of Community Developmentat4:30p.m. on August6,2025atMunicipal Hall, 37955SecondAvenue, Squamish, BritishColumbia
AFFECTED LANDS
41159Garibaldi SpringsWay, Squamish,B.C.
EXISTING ZONING
MixedMultiple Unit Residential(RM-4)
PROPOSED TEMPORARY USE
To allowfor aSales Centre on the easternportionofthe property shown on the Location Map.
Acopyofthe temporaryuse permit applicationand relatedinformation may be inspected at Municipal Hall, 37955SecondAvenue, Squamish, BritishColumbia,fromJuly24to August5,2025between the hoursof 8:00 a.m. and5:00p.m., MondaytoThursdayinclusive,and between thehours of 8:30 a.m. and4:30p.m.onFridays,excludingstatutory holidays. Enquiries regarding theproposed TemporaryUse Permit maybemade to the Planning Departmentat 604-815-5002.A copyofthe temporary use permitapplicationand relatedinformationisavailable online at squamish.ca/showcase.
Public inputwill be considered by theDistrictinreviewofthe application. Persons whobelieve that theirinterestinpropertyisaffected by the proposedtemporary use permit maysubmit written submissionsto planning@squamish.ca or,inperson to theDirectorofCommunityPlanning. Writtensubmissionscan be addressed to theDirectorofCommunity Planning andwill be received up until 4:00 p.m. August 5, 2025
Allsubmissions will form partofthe public record.
This is thefirst of twonotices datedthis24day of July,2025, at Squamish, British Columbia.
NoticeofBylawReadings
Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 6p.m.
Council Chambers at Municipal Hall,37955 Second Avenue,Squamish, B.C. orelectronically at squamish.civicweb.net
Thepurpose of the proposed Bylawistoincrease densitytoallow forone additional mobile home to be added to the existing MobileHomeParksite (additional mobile to be added at the SW rear corner).
BYLAWREADINGS
Consideration of first,second andthird readings of the proposedBylaw willbeat theSpecial Business Meeting on July29, 2025, in Council Chambers at Municipal Hall,37955 Second Avenue,Squamish,B.C.
Attend the
Meeting
In-person at Council Chambers at Municipal Hall,37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, B.C. or online at: squamish.ca/live-meetings
No Public Hearing
In accordancewith the Provincial housing legislation, Section 464(3) of the Local GovernmentAct,local governments arenow prohibited from holding public hearings relatedtozoning applications fordevelopments thatare primarily residential and areconsistentwith the local government’sOfficial Community Plan (OCP). This proposal meets those requirements
Howtoviewthe proposed bylaw
Acopyofthe proposed bylawand relatedinformation thathas been or maybe considered by Council maybeinspectedonline at squamish.ca/showcase or in person at MunicipalHall at 37955 Second Avenue,Squamish, British Columbia, from July 17, 2025, to July 29, 2025, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,Monday through Friday.
Enquiries regarding the proposedamendmentbylawmay be made to the Planning Departmentat 604-815-5002 or by email to planning@squamish.ca. Thisisthe second of twonotices,dated this 24 dayofJuly, 2025, at Squamish, British Columbia.
NoticeofDecision
Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 6p.m.
Council Chambers at Municipal Hall,37955 Second Avenue,Squamish, B.C. orelectronically at squamish.civicweb.net
NoticeofDecision
Consideration of TemporaryUse Permit No.TU000080
WHAT’SPROPOSED
TemporaryUse Permit No.TU000080 seeks authorization to bring the existing temporaryfloating workforceaccommodation (Floatel1)intocompliancewith the District’sland-useregulations and to authorizeanadditional temporary floating workforceaccommodation (Floatel2).
AFFECTED LANDS
DISTRICTLOT 8296, GROUP 1
PROPOSED TEMPORARYUSES
TemporaryWorkforce Housing
TEMPORARYUSE
PERMIT CONSIDERATION
Consideration of TemporaryUse Permit No.TU000080 will be at the Special Business Meeting on July 29, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.in Council Chambers at Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish,B.C.
Attend the Meeting
In-person at Council Chambers at Municipal Hall,37955 Second Avenue, Squamish,B.C.oronline at: squamish.ca/live-meetings
No Public Hearing
Apublic hearing is not required in accordancewith legislativerequirements and direction from Council
Howtoviewthe proposed bylaw
Acopyofthe proposedTemporary UsePermit and relatedinformation thathas been or maybeconsidered by Council maybeinspectedonline at squamish.ca/showcase or in person at Municipal Hall at 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish,British Columbia, from July 17, 2025, to July 29, 2025, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,Mondaythrough Friday.
Enquiries regarding the proposedTemporaryUse Permit maybemade to the PlanningDepartmentat 604-815-5002 or by email to planning@squamish.ca. This is the second of twonotices,dated this 24 dayofJuly,2025, at Squamish, British Columbia.
LOCATION MAP
LOCATION MAP
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Reproduction of anymaterial containedinthispublicationis expresslyforbiddenwithoutthe prior writtenconsent of thepublisher.
EDITORIAL
ZERO PARKING?
MakingSquamishaplace wherepeopleare centredover vehicles is alaudable goal. Canadaand theU.S.havebeenfar too car-dependenttothe detrimentofour pedestrian safety andour senseofcommunity.
We haven’talwaysbeenthisway.
In1908, railways andstreetcarswerethe dominantway people gotaroundinCanada. There were just 3,003registeredcarsin thecountry that year,according to areportby thenot-for-profit organization, Transition Accelerator.
Butbythe 1930s, cars were thebelle of theball.
“Roads, trafficlaws, andpersonalhabitswere beingreshapedaroundthem, whilethe carindustry had become amajor employer,and therailway and streetcar systemswerein adeath spiral,” readsthe Transition Acceleratorreport.
We were happilyaddictedtocars.
And nowweare at aplace wherecongestion, pollution andcrashes caused by vehicles have collidedwitha franticneedtobuild more housing.
Indeed,the acceleratorreportnotes that “current problemswiththe car-basedtransportationsystem could play asimilar role in destabilizingthe system todaythatovercrowding, lateness,and high fares playedindestabilizing therailway system in the earlytwentieth century.”
Withthisbackdrop, Squamish councilapproveda downtownrentalbuildingwith20units and commercial space, whichhas zero parking.
Thisistoo extreme.
Change is happeningas we allfeelthe discomfort caused by ourcar culture, butforcing folkstogiveup theircarsisnotgoing to work here andnow.
Twophenomena councilshould heed come to mind.
Policy misalignment occurs when well-intentioned initiatives—like promotingcar-free living—result in unintendedconsequencessuchas increasedstreetparking pressure.
Even with regional transit—should that ever come topass—andbetterlocal transitand more bike lanes—thereare stillthingsfolks will need cars for.
Wearen’tready forhousing withoutparking
The infrastructure isn’tthere,and in spiteofwhat someonthe councilthink,wewon’t be therebythe timethisbuildingis occupied
We wouldneedamazing transit, acomprehensive medical system that doesn’trequire us to leavetown fortreatment,well-paid jobs forall,amorerobust education system,and more community amenities.
Another phenomenon is cultural lag.
Cultural lagisthe period of adjustment forsociety to catchuptothe speedofchange.
Thinkofthe rampantbootlegging during alcohol prohibition.
Balanceand slow change arebest.
Imposing change toofastwill lead to backlash.
This drasticmoveofzeroparking is aroadpaved tohellfor us all.
TIME TO BUYLOCAL ADVERTISING
oureconomy andour sovereigntyinthe face of threats andmisinformationcomingfromthe U.S. Oneofthe most effectivewaystocounter misinformation andto protectour Canadian cultureand identity is to have commercially viable andfiercelyindependent Canadian journalism
InFebruary2024, afterBellMedia announced4,800 jobcutsacrossCanada, PremierDavid Ebyspoke passionately aboutthe need forpeopletoget “accurate, impartial, reliable informationinanage of disinformation andsocialmedia craziness.”
As alongtimenewspublisher,I know that with 81% of Canadiansturning to newspapercontent each week for that accurate,impartial,and reliable information. So,wedon’t have an audience problem. What we have isan advertisingproblem
Sincethe founding of theHalifax Gazettein1752 governmentadvertising hadalwaysbeenan important source of revenuefor news businesses.It allowedustoinvestinjournalists whoproduce fact-based,fact-checkedreporting than Canadiansrely upon.
In more recent years, we’veseenthose government dollarsdisappear.Byway of example, thefederal governmentreports that during fiscal year 2022 to 2023,itspent more than $86million on advertising. Of that,lessthan$1million went to allprint publications inthe countrycombined.
So,where didthose millions go?The answer is largelytoAmericantechgiantslikeFacebook, Instagramand Google amongstothers. Canadiansare rightlyconcerned aboutprotecting
Thequestionis: howdowedopay forit? Oneofthe most effectivewayswould be forgovernments federal, provincial,and municipal—to setaside a minimumof25% of theiradvertising spendfor trusted Canadian news brands
Thereare twoexamplesthatprove this is working. A year ago, Ontario’sProgressive Conservative premier, Doug Ford,directedthat25% of hisgovernment’s advertisingspending, includingthatofOntario’s crowncorporations, be setaside fornewspublications. Ican tell youfromthe publishers that Ispeak with in Ontario, this made an immediateand meaningful difference to many news titles
Five yearsago,formerNew York City mayorBillde Blasio,aDemocrat, mandated that city agencies allocate at least50% of theirprint anddigital advertising to communityand ethnicmedia.According to TheCenterfor CommunityMedia at CUNY,“The impact of this policy cannot be overstated:Inits first five years, it injected more than $72million into the localcommunity mediasector. This helped critical information reachNew Yorkerswho rely on community mediaastheir primarysourceofnewsand addedan importantsourceofrevenue forthese outlets.”
(We have good feelings that we live, we work and we play on the lands of the Squamish Nation)
COLUMN: Continued from 12
advertising set-asides, done right, have the following benefits:
First, they can provide substantial revenue to local news organizations and help community journalism thrive Second, it is money the government is already spending—not new money—so it does not require enlarging state or local budgets or raising taxes. Third, government messages can reach a full range of residents, including those who may not be using larger media. Fourth, as advertising, it is payment for a service rendered, not a subsidy per se Finally, advertising in community news helps government be more effective by reaching audiences through community and ethnic publications that are more trusted in their communities.
According to a recent study, advertising in trustworthy environments lead to a 25% lift in brand rating. News publishers in aggregate are seen as 35% above the baseline level of trust across information environments. And local news publishers see an additional 16% gain in perceived trustworthiness among local audiences, so newspapers are a highly effective way for
the government to reach British Columbians.
We recommend British Columbia adopt a minimum 25% set-aside for government advertising, as well as for crown corporations like BC Hydro, BC Transit, and British Columbia Lottery Corporation, to help preserve local journalism jobs and keep local and community newspapers open And those journalists keep communities and residents informed, so they can effectively participate in democratic processes
It would also send an important signal to private sector advertisers about keeping ad dollars here in B.C., rather than sending them to Big Tech behemoths in California, whose algorithms amplify misinformation and disinformation
Premier Eby should direct his officials to spend the province’s advertising dollars in towns like Squamish, B.C. instead of Mountain View or Menlo Park, California. It’s time to support the home team by buying locally.
Peter Kvarnstrom is a director with the BC and Yukon Community Newsmedia Association and is publisher of the Coast Reporter, in Sechelt.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
GOV NOT KEEPING UP
As a long-time resident I’ve watched the once slow, but now rapid, and seemingly unstoppable growth of tourism in our community. The corresponding change in Squamish from sleepy, tight-knit logging town to a busy, quasi-urban, famous (amongst outdoor recreationists) tourist town has been hard for some residents but welcomed by others
In my view, both the private sector and volunteer organizations in the community have responded well to the demands of the growing tourism and outdoor recreation economies. On the other hand, I feel that the government, both provincial and municipal, have not kept up. Civic infrastructure hasn’t grown to meet the demand. Some glaring examples of this, starting in the north:
As all the early morning swimmers know, the Brohm Lake parking lot has
LETTERS POLICY
Will you
Do you support a second floatel for Woodfibre LNG to house its construction workers? (Top 3 answers)
been too small for years. The tight entry also serves as the U-turn route for the many users of the Cat Lake area, that is, when those same users are not doing the illegal and dangerous left turn out of that busy forest service road
The need for a traffic light or at least a designated and protected left turn lane out of Alice Lake Park is another long-standing problem area
The pedestrians and bikers crossing the highway at this junction also cry out for some sort of solution
Closer to home, the Smoke Bluffs parking lot is now a gong show, even mid-week.
The lack of pavement and designated parking stalls makes for inefficient use of the area and plenty of frustration.
Despite upgrades, parking at the Stawamus Chief soon fills up on the weekends. Similarly, despite the large lot and numerous parking attendants, the gondola parking also overflows on weekends. The soon-to-open Squamish
Canyon walk will also add to our town’s overall congestion despite that business’s considerable investment in access and parking facilities
The small parking lot at Shannon Falls is typically at capacity early in the day. A long line of frustrated drivers slowly wind their way through the already full lot only to finally exit and park across the highway at Darrell Bay. Appropriate signage could address this
All climbers know that if you want a parking spot at Murrin Park on the weekend, one has to show up before 8 a.m. The left turn north to exit the lot is also difficult and dangerous.
The examples above are all longstanding issues, and all are getting worse. Whether or not the powers at be recognize the above and are actively seeking solutions would be welcome news.
Jim Harvey Squamish
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
Monday to be considered for Thursday’s edition. Full names and neighbourhood will be published with the letter The publisher reserves
and edit letters for length and clarity or to address legal concerns Email letters to: editor@squamishchief.com
PHOTO BY MICHAEL GALLIMORE
‘YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME’: Turtles in the little Stawamus River.
PHOTO BY AAFREEN ARORA
PEACEFUL NIGHTS: When the sun goes down in Squamish, Mother Nature gets a rest
BIG WINS FOR SQUAMISH-RAISED VFRS MECHANIC AT THE WORLD POLICE AND FIRE GAMES
At 50, Vancouver Fire department mechanic Patrick Reed isn’t slowing down—in fact, he’s speeding up. Fresh off his second appearance at the World Police and Fire Games, he returned home with an impressive haul of 10 medals
INA PACE
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Shooting for the stars at 50 years old. Patrick Reed intends to do so well into his 80s, and quite literally so.
Reed returned home this month from the World Police and Fire Games, his second time competing in the Olympic-style sports competition for first responders and retirees, which were held June 27 to July 6.
The competition is hosted every other year all around the world.
He collected 10 medals—three gold, four silver, and three bronze—in sport shotgun shooting, among fellow competitors who he said had an average age of 50, including some “well into their 80s.”
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) lead mechanic, who is an avid sports shooter in his free time, competed in a range of trap, skeet, and sporting clay shooting contests over 10 days in Birmingham, Alabama—the host city of the 2025 event.
“I’ll continue to shoot until I can’t,” Reed said Reed, who has worked with Vancouver’s Fire Department as a mechanic since he was 34,
explained he began taking part in the department’s fundraiser, the ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) “Shoot for a cure,” which happens every spring in Richmond “I started going down to that shoot 17 years
ago, and I started to gain a passion for sport shootings. So yeah, that’s how it all started. It was kind of through my work,” he said The Vancouver Firefighter Charities’ website reads that the fundraiser is “a sporting clay
shooting challenge with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the ALS Society of B.C. with the hope that a cure for ALS will one day be found.”
A couple of years ago, Reed discovered that the World Police and Fire Games’ teams practised sports shooting, so he signed up and headed to compete in the games, which were hosted in Winnipeg in 2023 He also spent 10 days there, coming away with four silver medals He said that he started shooting competitively around B.C. about six months before his time in Winnipeg. Although largely self-taught, he said he has recently taken formal shooting lessons up in Kamloops, “which really seemed to help,” in his preparation for this year’s games in Alabama. Reed travelled to Montgomery for three days, and Talladega for two, as there were no on-site shooting facilities on the central games site in Birmingham. Accompanying him, and shooting beside him as his teammates, were four agents from the Canadian Border Services Agency, two from Vancouver, and two from Christina Lake. “All five of us shot [well]; everybody kind of lifts the shooting scores when everyone is doing
GAMES: Continued on 15
VIA BRIT/WORLD POLICE AND FIRE GAMES Patrick Reed skeet shooting at the World Police and Fire Games.
GAMES: Continued from 14
good,” Reed said.
In Montgomery, Reed and his team competed in trap shooting, firing a total of 300 shots in 3 rounds; 100 at 106 metres (116 yards), 100 at 112 metres (122 yards), and 100 doubles at 15 metres (16 yards), in which two ‘birds’ appear as targets simultaneously
In Talladega, Reed competed in skeet shooting, firing 100 single shots in one round, then 100 doubles in the other.
His final day in Talladega was spent firing 100 shots of sporting clay
Reed said he spent some time that week with two hockey teams from Vancouver, and a weight lifter, also from Squamish, and working with the Vancouver Fire Department.
Reed cites outdoor recreation enthusiast and past Squamish resident Dale Rockwell among his big influences.
“[Rockwell has been] super helpful over the years with little tips and tricks,” he said Reed said he continues to partake in shooting at The Squamish Valley Rod and Gun Club (SVRGC), and also thanked Dave Banbury (a close friend of the late SVRGC member Art Brendle) for making his shooting experiences so enjoyable.
“Your passion and camaraderie have made all the difference, and without you, none of this would be possible,” he said.
Reed elaborated on his fondness for his like-minded communities.
“Within the fire service, there are a lot of fishermen and hunters and so on. And that’s why
Meet Clove!
the ALS fundraiser shoot [has] such a huge following. There was an amazing team from Florida that I met [at the games]; they’re old, retired firefighters who like to talk about hunting and fishing, and they’re great people It’s the same with the people that I shoot with in Squamish. Everybody is very kind and welcoming shooting [is] not just a hobby, but something I genuinely look forward to every weekend.”
Reed gave further honourable mentions and thanks to firefighter Adam Bordignon, “who goes above and beyond organizing everything,” and Alta Lake Electric for providing him with “proper” shooting glasses, which have “made a world of difference.”
Reed is mindful that shooting can be a contentious activity, but encourages safety and the strength of community foremost.
“I know it’s a touchy subject and there’s a lot of negativity around it, but if people were to go [to a local gun club] and see how much fun there is to be had, people’s opinions would change I shoot for fun, but I also like the addictiveness of it,” he said
“It’d be nice to get more youth involved, to learn about gun safety, and experience time with great people I’ve learned a lot.”
Reed confirmed that he and his team from this year’s games will be competing in the next World Police and Fire Games in Perth, in March 2027 Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief’s Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter. This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.
Her piercing eyes will captivate you
This charming felineloves to sprawl outonthe floor,proudly flauntingher stunning coat andbold, tiger-likestripes. Herpiercingeyeswill captivateyou in seconds.Truetoher wildcatspirit, Clove prefers to rule herdomainalone—she’s a queen with adramaticflair,and we adore herfor it.Words can’tcapture hermagic come meet Cloveinperson, andyou just mightfallinlove.
Sponsored by:
PleaseContact the SPCA formore details!
Visitour website: spca.bc.ca
NoticeofGrant of Assistance
Squamish Search and Rescue Society
PursuanttoSection 24 of theCommunity Charter,the District of Squamish hereby gives notice of itsintentiontogrant assistance to SquamishSearchand Rescue Societyby allowing useoflandat45991 Government Road forone year forone dollarper annum forthe purposesofrelocating, constructing and operatinga baseofoperations forsearch and rescue services.
To view more of our adorablepetsupfor adoption,please visit petfinder.com |Squamish SPCA 604.898.9890
PHOTO BY STEVE JACOBS SUMMER VIBES: Sun and clouds are in the Environment Canada forecast for this weekend.
Joan Treen passed away peacefullyThursday July 17th at theSea-to-Sky Hospice in Squamish. Joan waspredeceased by her husband Harold Treen, and is survived by her threechildrenMeg Sears, Peter Treen, Cindy Rochetta,alongwith many loving grand- and great-grandchildren. Joan was bornand raised in Peterborough ON, but Squamish had become asecond home followingnumerousextended visits with Cindy, her husband Steveand family.Joan finally moved to Squamishin February of thisyear,and since then has enjoyed excellent community careand support
The family wish to thankDr. Stelzland staffatthe Kindree Clinic, Dr.Narayanan and staffatHearingLife, SquamishHandyDART,For The Ones YouLove, Red Cross, Vancouver Coastal Health Services and Squamish Hospital, St. John Anglican Church,SquamishBaptist Church, generous friends and neighbours, and the remarkable staffat theSea-to-SkyHospice for exceptionalcareinJoan’sfinal days
Barbara Diane Mansell
1934-2025
Barbara DianeMansell passed away peacefully at 91 on June 12,2025inSquamishHospice.She livedfor 16 yearsatthe ShannonFalls Assisted Living witha greatsupport system,all thestafftreated her so well, andshe lovedthem so much.
Barbara graduated Nursingin1955,and went to Alta Lake onholidaywithfriends. Whilestayingatthe Hillcrest Lodge shemet theloveofher life,Doug Mansell. Theyweremarried in 1956and livedin Kerrisdale untilDoug’spassing in 2008.
Preceded by her husband Doug Mansell, survived by her daughter BevHamilton(Ron.) Granddaughter Stephanie Stewart(Graham)and her twotreasured great grandchildrenVictoriaand Richard. Sheenjoyed every momentwithall of us.Mom also so enjoyed her extended family whowereso important to theend
Bevand Stephaniewould like to thank Dr.Law, Dr.Piper and Dr.Millerand allofthe wonderful nurses wholovinglycared forher and us as well. Wordscan’t express theappreciationand support thatwas given. Youare allremarkable!!!For all youhavedonewewillbedonating in Mum and our names as well as buyinga bricktoput in thehospice garden and invite otherstodonate as well.
You aresomissedMum, Grandma and Granny
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Whether alone orwith your other half,business associates orfamily, you’ll laythe groundworkfor amajor project this week.While on vacation, you could receiveanurgent call fromyourboss. They’ll need yourhelp to resolvethe issue.
This week,you’ll be focusedon feelingcomfortable in yourown skin. Buyingnew clothes that flatter yourframe will be essential for yournew professional duties Your presence and charmwill captivateyourclients.
HOWTOPLAY:
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x 3box contains the numbers1through 9only once. Each 3x3box is outlined with adarker line. Youalready have afew numbers to getyou started. Remember: youmust not repeat the numbers1through 9in the same line, column or 3x 3box
WorshipService Sundays 10am on ourwebsite and Facebook Live 2262ReadCres. 604-898-3737 www.squamishbaptistchurch.org
for Service times and location
coastalchurch.org/squamish
SUDOKU
Thisprivate healthcareclinic in NorthVancouver is leading theshifttowardproactive, continuous care
LifespanMedical empowers patients to take controloftheir health —without thelongwaittimes
AtLifespanMedical,early detectionis not aluxury— it’s thefoundationofcare. From theveryfirstvisit,patientsundergoa comprehensiveassessment designed to uncoverpotential health issues before symptomsarise,setting thestage fortimelyand effective intervention
“We’ve been able to identify keyhealth risksand guidepatientstowardthe support they need —concernsthat might have gone unnoticedfor yearsif we hadn’t takena proactiveapproach,” says Dr.Sue Stock. “The feedback we receivehas been overwhelmingly positive. Formany, it’s themostthorough andresponsivehealthcareexperience they’veeverhad.”
Stockisthe co-founder andmedical director of Lifespan Medical, aprivate healthcare clinic in NorthVancouver that offers acomprehensiveapproach to both preventative andprimary care forpatientsofall ages.AtLifespan, proactivemedicineisn’t just aboutearly detection— it’s aboutlong-term health partnerships that help patients feel supported throughout theyear.
Unliketraditional models wherethe care canfeel fragmented or reactive,LifespanMedical’s approach is personalized andproactive.Patientsbenefitfrom access to advanced in-clinic diagnostics,expertmedical interpretation,and a coordinatedcareteamthatincludesan endocrinologist, generalpractitioners, registered nurses,registereddietitian, kinesiologistand more.After theinitial assessment, patients remain underthe clinic’s care,receiving follow-up,lifestyle support andtimelyaccesstotheir care team as health needsevolve.
“Patientsare oftenlookingfor longer appointments,clarity andeasieraccess to theirhealthcare,”saysStock.“At Lifespan,weprovide asetting where people canexplore theirhealthconcerns in depth, setmeaningfulgoals andfeel supported throughout theirjourney.”
and seriousdiseasescould have been prevented— or treatedmoreeffectively —withearlier intervention.
“I gottired of always managing disease after it hadalready progressed,” she says. “Somanyofthese conditions are preventableifwesimplycatch them earlier.”
Lifespan Medicalcombinesthisvision with cutting-edgetechnology, offering diagnosticssuchasDEXAbodycomposition scans, ultrasound,molemapping/ skin cancer screening, VO₂max testing, balanceand fall-risk assessment, comprehensive blood testing, andECG.
Theprocess starts with an in-depth, one-hour intake focusedona patient’s history, goals, andconcerns. Over afourhour comprehensiveassessment, more than 200biomarkersare reviewed and apersonalized health plan is created— onethatspans thefullyear, with checkinsand continuous monitoring
“Weprovide ourpatientswithone of themostthoroughpreventativeassessmentsinthe LowerMainlandinjustfour
hours,”Stock explains.“Trying to piece thesametogetheracrossdifferent locationscould take youuptoa year,assumingyou couldevenget in.”
ButwhatsetsLifespanapart isn’tjust thetechnologyorspeed —it’sthe ongoingcarethatcomes after. Patients aren’t left to navigate theirresults alone. They’resupported with expert interpretation, follow-up plansandongoing access to adedicated team focusedon
optimizing theirlong-term health
“Ana,” apseudonym used to protecther identity,isa client of Lifespan Medical whogreatly benefited from theclinic’s approach to patientcare. “Myvisit to Lifespan wasa pretty incredible experience,and Iwisheverybody couldhave this same experience,” Anasays. “When it comestohealthand wellness, knowledge is power. Iwould highly recommend checking outLifespan.”
At Lifespan Medical, earlydetection is thestandard— butit’sjustthe beginning.Through aprivate,comprehensive care model, patients canfinally experience thekindofhealthcarethatisproactive,personalizedand built to last.
Dr.Sue Stock, co-founder andmedical director of Lifespan Medical. Lifespan
July 31st to August 3rd, 2025
PHOTOS BY DAVID BUZZARD/ FORTHESQUAMISHCHIEF
AN UNINTERRUPTED 68-YEAR LUMBERJACK LEGACY
The Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival runs from July 31 to Aug.3
WILL JOHNSON For The Squamish Chief
They haven’t missed a single year yet. When the organizers of the Squamish Days Loggers' Sports Festival realized that the pandemic was going to throwa wrench into their annual plans a few years ago, they pulled a COVIDcompliant posse together to ensure that at leasta few axes were being thrown to honour the event. The thought of interrupting their nearly seven-decade legacy was just too much to bear.
“There wasn’t the normal 5,000-person crowd, but there were about nine of us, and we made sureto capture it with a photo in front of the axe target Unfortunately, that year the festival didn’t happen the same way as normal, but when restrictions eventually lifted, we dida one-day event in October,” the festival's Jacqulin McNicol told The Squamish Chief.
It was over 20 years ago that McNicol first became involved withthe festival as a competitor, eventually taking on a volunteer role that has ballooned dramatically in scope. She now oversees a vast number of volunteers that run multiple events, including bed races, a kids’ festival,a giant barbecue anda myriad of competitions Every year, thousands pack into the logger sports grounds to watch birling, hand bucking, tree climbing and underhand chopping—to just name a few of the events.
Forher, it has become a family affair.
“I can’t compete anymore, but my niece Sadie Woudstra has moved into my footsteps, and it’s super amazing to see that legacy keep going. She’s in university, but she drives up every Sunday to train,” she said.
“Basically, my whole family comes up My mom comes from Burnaby from April to September to help out, and in total, we have close to a dozen other family members helping throughout the weekend and leading up to the big day. We’ve become a logger sports family.”
And though the festival involves a lot of fun and games, the importance of keeping the forestry industry alive in the Sea to Sky Corridor is something organizers take very seriously Not only is the money raised being directed into six local non-profits who use it for community initiatives, in the case of the forest industry, it’s the well-paying jobs that allow families to stay in Squamish and give back to the community by supporting businesses that need stability from locals for long-term success.
“The forest industry has done so much for our community. It’s the backbone of Squamish, and much of it is in major crisis with what’s going on The fact that people can still find the time to put on a festival like
this shows how important it is,” she said.
“The industry is faced with major policy changes fromone government to the next, and sinceI work in the forest industry,I see what people go through. We can’t survive without it.”
The festival has gained an international reputation, and they’re particularly excited fora team of champion log rollers to arrive from Wisconsin. Last year, they had 94 competitors, with abouta third of those being local lumberjacks.
“Our competitors are world-class. There’s a circuit around Canada, and they train every day. Many of them work in the forest industry as well, and they’re arborists or loggers who like to climb trees, swing axes
and run saws It’s a part of their daily life and part of their after-work passion. They put all they have into it,” she said.
“Eachnewcomer is learning from the best.”
There’sa tremendous amount of work to be done to prepare for the event every year, and McNicol is effusive about thehelp they receive.
“Every year, we’re inundated with preparations, but we get the same volunteers returning, and it really does become a volunteer family of people working hard in the evenings and on weekends to get stuff done. Every year, the excitement builds, with new people coming into the community and learning more about the festival,” she said.
Our competitorsare world-class. There’s a circuitaround Canada, andthey train every day.
JACQULINMCNICOL
“We’ve even got kids coming in and helping, painting for us, and they’re going to be thenext generation There’s new blood coming in, and we’re going to keep this thing going forever.”
FILE PHOTOS DAVID BUZZARD PHOTOGRAPHY/FOR THE SQUAMISH CHIEF There is so much to see and do as Squamish Days takes over town.
SIXSERVICE GROUPSKEEPTHE LOGGERS' SPORTS FESTIVAL STOCKED WITHVOLUNTEERS
It takesasmall army to keep this juggernaut of an eventrunning
WILL JOHNSON
ForThe Squamish Chief
Without them,the festival couldn’t run.
Some people don’trealize that the Squamish Days LoggersSports Festival is 100% volunteer-run, and the majority of thosecontributorscomefromsix localservice groups that supportityear after year—eachwiththeir ownareaofexpertise. And it takesasmall army to keep this juggernaut of an eventrunning.
Forthe membersofthe Squamish Valley Equestrian Society(SVEA), it’s ano-brainerto throwtheir weight behind theloggers’sport festival everyyear. Notonlyare they nearby neighbours—their addressisonLoggers Lane—but they recognizethe impact it hason thecommunity.
Forthisreason, you’ll find horseenthusiasts
manningboththe concession boothand the axe-throwing station.
“Wetry as hard as we cantofeedasmany people as possible,which is whythisyear we’readdingafoodtruck to catertomore needs,”saidJordanWong, presidentofSVEA.
“Weserve 3,000peopleonSaturdayand over 4,000onSunday, so nowthatwe’re seeing more people,wedecided to bringinafood truck. Theconcession wasquite limitedtohot dogs andsmokies,now thefoodtruck will have awider rangeofwraps andsaladsand bowls, with veganand vegetarian and gluten-freeoptions.”
As forthe axe-throwing,organizingand hostinggives theSVEAvolunteersthe opportunityto meet thecompetitors andgeta frontrow seat to oneofthe signatureevents.
“It’ssuchafun eventtohost. There’ssuch good sportsmanship, andIlovehow we always getahugecrowd to come outand watchit. It’s agreat wayto geteveryoneout,” said StephanieGolder.
Once held downtown,it’snow hosted by the Squamish Valley Golf Course.
“It’sabeautiful venue, plus there’seasy access to food andabar.”
Ourofficial festivalkickoff– teamsoftwo race to boila canofsoapy water overopen flames, using nothingbutahatchet, cedar, andlungpower. It’s fiery, fast,andimpossible to lookaway from.Inbetween heats, enjoy live musiconthepatio andcheeron your favouritesasthesungoesdown.
Pure Squamish chaos. Teamsof five –ofteninfull costume– race hospital beds througha downtownobstacle coursewhilecheeringcrowdslinethe street. It’s fast,funny, anda Fridaynight favourite you won’t want to miss.
SATURDAY, AUGUST2
KIDSFEST 10:00am to 12:00pm
PRESENTED BY: FORTISBC&ALTA LAKE ELECTRIC
Freefun for families. Joinusdowntownat JunctionPark–with bubbles, mini golf, face painting,crafts,storytime,axethrowing (kid-safe!), andmore. A perfectstart to yourSquamishDays Saturday.
NOVICE&INTERMEDIATELOGGERSSPORTSSHOW
Gates at12:00pm, Showat1:00pm
PRESENTED BY SEA TO SKYGONDOLA
Watch up-and-coming competitors–includingjuniorathletes– take the stageinaxethrow, birling,chokerman’s race, andmore. It’s fast,thrilling, and thebest valueshowofthe weekend.
AXETHROWINVITATIONAL
CompetitorCheck-in by 6:30pm,Startsat7:00pm
PRESENTED BY:TRITON AUTOMOTIVE
Asthesunsets,32 competitors face offattheSquamish ValleyGolfClub. It’sanopen-air eventwith food, drinks, lawnblankets, flyingsteel, andprize moneyontheline! Free to spectate: bring your crew, andget comfy.
SUNDAY, AUGUST3
PANCAKEBREAKFAST 8:00am- 11:00am
PRESENTED BY:BAKERTILLY
FuelupatthePeterHarrisPancakeBreakfasthosted by theSquamishElks #119–withhot coffee, crispy bacon,pancakes,syrup,andsmiling facesin a sunnyparkinglot.Starts early andendsjustbefore theparade. EatSooner!
SQUAMISHDAYS PARADE 11:00am
PRESENTED BY:JRTRANSPORTANDSQUAMISH FORESTRY
Thislong-runninglocal favouriteisorganized by RoyalCanadianMarine Search& Rescue(Station4Squamish) and fillsCleveland Avenue with decorated floats,heavymachinery, costumes, and communitypride. Find a spot earlyandsettlein foraclassicsmall-town celebration.
WORLD-CLASSOPENLOGGERSSPORTS SHOW
Gatesat12:00pm,Showat1:00 pm
PRESENTED BY: WOODFIBRELNG
Themain event. Thisiswhere eliteloggerssports athletesbring their A-game to thebiggeststageofthe weekend – with worldchampionship events,massiveprizemoney, andapacked,cheeringcrowd.
So what is birling, anyway?
To long-time Squamish residents, Squamish Days Loggers' Sports is an annual milestone, a chance to see event favourites from years past return to take on a new, up-and-coming echelon of young athletes.
To those new to the area or the event, however, Loggers' Sports can be quite intimidating What, for example, is birling? Or obstacle pole bucking? Or a springboard chop?
To help those unfamiliar with the sports, we present a look at what all these buzzwords—for lack of a better expression—really mean, with illustrations courtesy of Squamish artist Lorne Lariviere.
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN. THESE CARTOONS ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE PAPER IN 1991.
AXE-THROWING
Well, this event is pretty self-explanatory. The contestants throwa double-bladed axe at a 36-inch target five feet off the ground. Bull-eyes are worth five: the remaining four rings decrease in value to one, and any part of the axe sticking in the target counts, as long as it holds. Pretty simple, eh?
Suddenly, and without warning, Harold remembers his deodorant is still in Australia.
BIRLING
Two competitors battle it out, trying to keep their balance on rolling 15-,13- and 12-inch logs in the middle of a 1,600 square foot pond. They can splash each other, but no body contact is allowed. It isn’t as easy as it looks, believe us.
BUTCHER BLOCK
Three participants have to somehow chop througha 22-inch block of cottonwood, each competitor taking between8 and 10 chops, in the shortest period of time. You have to do it fast, but there are penalties for those who don’t do it right.
“Eight
CLIMBING
A crowd favourite event, and what can we say about it you don’t already know?
The world championship event requires climbers to go up and down a 80-foot tree in the shortest period of time. The novice event is a bit easier, requiring climbers to climb less height and only one-way, while the intermediate event is lower still but necessitates climbing both ways.
CHOKERMAN’S RACE
Two contestants carrying rigging chokers (a securing cable) run across logs secured in the birling pond, reaching the other side, jumping over two log obstacles setting the choke on the third log and turning back across the birling pond to the starting line. Don’t be surprised to seea few contestants taking an unexpected dip in the birling pond!
SPEED BUCKING
Watch the sawdust fly! Open class contestants use a high performance saw or “hot saw” to make 2 cuts one from above and one from below from a 20-22” diameter Douglas fir. They’re judged on time and the size of the cuts.
“Hey, dad– you lookin’ for this starter rope?”
POWERSAW TREE FALLING
Contestants must fall a standing log in as shorta time as possible… but there’s more to it than that. For maximum score, the logs must hit a small T-shaped target on the ground.
OBSTACLE POLE BUCKING
Another event that’s much harder than it looks. An eight-inch diameter alder pole is fixed at an angle, up whicha contestant must run, start his power saw, saw off the end (using two cuts) at a designated point and run back to the start. It’s a timed event, and there are penalties if the log is not saweda just right point.
With both belly full and pride soaring, Billy wandered back to his pond.
SPRINGBOARD CHOP
Contestants must chop two notches in a standing log, placea board in each as a step, cut one side of the log, then go down and do the same on the other side of the log and finish the cut at the top in the shortest period of time.
“Now hold it…did I shut off that tub?”
HAND BUCKING
Using seven-foot saws, competitors must cut through a 22-inch Douglas Fir log single-handedly. “Double hand bucking” is two competitors onopposite ends doing much the same thing…sweating, that is.
UNDERHAND CHOP
After cutting footholes on an anchored block, contestants must cut halfway through the block, then turn it over and continueexactly meeting the point they started on the other side. Watch those toes!
VOLUNTEER: Continued from B4
A 20-YEAR LEGACY
He couldn’t believe it.
Hal Hughson was recently looking throughold records when he realized that the Squamish Curling Club has been volunteering at the loggers’ sports festival for two decades now—a task that has ballooned dramatically in scope.
“It’s changed quitea bit. Before, all we did was sell tickets. Then they asked us to do gate security, because people were coming in during the mornings Then,a couple of years later, they asked us to do parking too,”he said.
Originally,he was running all the volunteers, but nowhe’s had to delegate.
“Now there’s training because everything is online with the tickets, so our gate people need to use an app and these scanners,” he said.
“It’s important to get it right because for the past two years we’ve sold out.”
As for parking, there’s anart to it.
“It’s amazing how many more cars you can put in a field if somebody organizes them.”
NO RAIN ON THIS PARADE
It’s one way to get exposure.
For the members of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue—Station 4, Squamish—getting involved in loggers’ sports is one way to raise awareness about the important work they do—saving lives on Howe Sound.
“Squamish Days is Squamish’s most iconic event, and we love being part of it,” said spokesperson Scott Shaw-MacLaren.
“Our volunteers organize the entire parade, from recruiting floats, judges and parade staging to traffic and crowd management.”
They’ve been running the parade since 2008, and look forward to it each year.
“Our favourite part is the smiles of all the kids watching the parade, and the camaraderie it provides for our team members.”
They hope to keep it going for years to come.
“I will brag a bit that we are really, really good at running the parade and have it pretty dialled, so why fix what isn’t broken?”
ONE SIMPLE MEAL
It’s a very simple equation: beef plus bun equals delicious.
That’s the recipe that Rotary Club of Squamish has been offering loggers’ sports attendees for as long as anyone can remember, and nobody’s complained once. The signature meal is made on a giant spit constructed from discarded railway materials, and it’s delicious!
“People love these sandwiches There’sa lot of history there. People come there wanting that beef on a bun, and that’s what we give them,” said Tony Adamson.
All told, the barbecue requires between 60 and 70 volunteers who cycle in for two shifts each day on Saturday and Sunday. Then there are the two or three experts manning the spit, and they’re long-time experts.
“You can get about 400 pounds of beef on there at once. We have a long-standing deal with Save-On Foods; they supply us and give us a really good deal. The guys running it, some of them are trained chefs, and some of them have just been doing this for years.”
Adamson said the Rotarians are hyped to
LOGGERS’ SPORTS FESTIVAL 2025
volunteer each year, as it’s become something they all look forward to.
“We all do our own little piece of it, and together it’s an amazing community effort.”
HOW TO RACE A BED
It’s a niche skill.
If you happen upon the annual bed racesheld during the loggers’ sports festival, you will see grown adults trying their best to manoeuvre beds through elaborate obstacle courses. This is thanks to the work being done by the volunteers at the Squamish Legion #277 and their president, Russ Robertson, who has been hosting these races for the last decade.
At the beginning of the race, five racers gather around a hospital gurney They begin at the crosswalk outside Cleveland Meats and then complete a number of reality TV-style challenges The winners receivea trophy and the notoriety that comes with being the bed race champion
PANCAKES, PANCAKES, PANCAKES!
This is breakfast, done right.
The Squamish Elks Lodge #119 hostsa giant and sumptuous pancake breakfast every year during the loggers’ sports festival, one of the ways they show their dedication to an organization they’ve been connected to long-term. Festival-goers pack in shoulder-to-shoulder to slather their flapjacks with butter and syrup, and to eat until their bellies are full.
Their shared history goes back to a treeplanting project from 1939 to 1941 just north of Brackendale. The loggers’ sports festival also used to be held behind Elks Hall on 2nd Avenue.
The pancake breakfast put on by the Elks for the past 58 years is the lodge’s most important and lucrative fundraiser.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RCMSAR STATION4 SQUAMISH
RCMSAR Station4 Squamish volunteers in action at a previous Squamish Days Loggers' Sports.
