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SHE DID IT!
Swimmer takes on Howe Sound, and wins
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MAYOR WON’T RUN AGAIN
Armand Hurford addresses business community
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
S Q U A M I S H C H I E F. C O M
‘HISTORIC CHANGES’ WITH SQUAMISH NATION REFERENDUM
Changes supported include increasing the number on council from 8 to 16 and restricting the number of relations who can sit on council JENNIFER THUNCHER
jthuncher@squamishchief.com
T PHOTO BY JILLIAN A. BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY/@JILLIANABROWNPHOTOGRAPHY ON INSTAGRAM
WILDFIRE HITS TOO CLOSE TO HOME: Squamish Fire Rescue and BC Wildfire Service crews have been fighting the Dryden Creek wildfire since Monday evening. The fire, located above the eastern end of Depot Road in the north end of Squamish, led to an evacuation alert for about 100 properties closest to the blaze. The District declared a local state of emergency Tuesday morning. As of press time, the fire is 14.4 hectares in size and out of control. It is believed to be human-caused. Head to squamishchief.com for up-to-the-minute updates.
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he results are in. Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) members have spoken, and some significant changes are coming to how they are governed. On May 31, Election and Referendum Law voting wrapped up with in-person ballots cast at polling stations in Squamish at Totem Hall and in Chief Joe Mathias Centre in West Vancouver. All told, 899 members voted—both online and in person. There are 3,300 eligible voters within the Nation. The changes will be implemented this fall for the Squamish Nation General Election on Sept. 28. REFERENDUM: Continued on 2
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MAYOR ARMAND HURFORD WON’T RUN FOR POSITION NEXT ELECTION ‘I say that not in a way of resignation or throwing a towel in or going quietly,’ Hurford said at the annual Mayor’s Luncheon on June 9 INDIGO LEMAY-CONWAY ilemayconway@squamishchief.com
J
ust under a year and a half away from the next local election, Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford has announced he will not run for the position again. At the annual Squamish Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s Luncheon event on Monday, June 9, atop the Sea to Sky Gondola, Hurford said that he is ready to reach the “finish line” of his term as mayor. “We’re well into our term here … we’re about 14 months from an election, and I will say that this is my last term as an elected official,” Hurford said.
“And I say that not in a way of resignation or throwing a towel in or going quietly. I’m a racer. Anyone knows me as I’ll tell you that I’m a racer. I’m a competitive person. This is about driving to the finish line without the distraction that it takes to attempt to do this again. “So that’s where I’m approaching the next 12 to 14 months. That’s the perspective for me. And I look forward to pushing as hard as we can to get as much done as possible in that time.” Hurford addressed a crowd of about 90 members of the local business community at the event. He kicked off his speech, noting the “facilities deficit” in Squamish and how the District is doing what it can to tackle the issue. “Almost every facility that we have, save for [the two new fire halls], is over capacity and at the end of life,” he said.
REFERENDUM: Continued from 1
CHANGES RESULTING FROM THE VOTE
For a change to happen, a minimum of 60% of the votes cast for each question had to be in favour of the change. Meaning, if 1,000 members voted on a question, at least 600 would need to vote for a particular option for it to pass. Increased council seats On the question of whether members wanted the size of the Nation council to continue to be eight or grow to 16 councillors, the membership voted in favour of increasing the council to 16. The current council consists of one chairperson and seven councillors. Considerations members had to weigh with this question included the cost of increasing the number of leaders. As of last year, elected officials’ salaries and benefits totalled about $90,000 per councillor. However, moving to 16 also represented honouring the intent at amalgamation, 102 years ago, when sixteen Sḵwx̱wú7mesh villages amalgamated to become the modern Nation. Regional representation removed On the question of whether to keep the three dedicated seats for North Shore, Squamish Valley and regional councillors (who represented members outside the other two regions) or have all electors vote for all councillors, the Nation went with the latter. This means there will no longer be dedicated seats for specific regions. Only one family member allowed on council On the question of whether to limit the
“So as we’re tackling the facilities deficit and we’re working on things, the top priority for us is life safety. So that’s where the fire halls come in. Our new facilities are post-disaster facilities, and they set us up well for full-time, 24-houra-day professional firefighting coverage, and at this point in time ... for the first time ever, we have some overnight coverage from our professional firefighters, and they’re supported with our paid on-call. “As we continue to grow as a community, we’re well-positioned to grow our fire protection services and keep us all safe, which is incredibly important.” Hurford also noted the Public Works Facility, which, despite being an “incredibly challenging site,” will be approximately 27,200 square feet in size. “So this will be coming online, I’m just going
to say soon, but construction is advancing on that,” he said. “Really, what local government is tasked with is keeping us safe, providing safe, clean drinking water, and wastewater treatment is huge there, as well as maintaining the roads, and this is a core piece of our facilities infrastructure that will allow us to do that.” Also of note was the wastewater treatment plant, which is tipped to be operational any day now. “This coming online really signals the end of a planning cycle of our wastewater treatment master plan, and now we’re going back to the start, to start again, because that’s what happens in these and they’re cyclical, so we are set up well for the future needs,” Hurford said.
per speaker, members voted for more time. The People’s Assembly is a formal meeting of the council and the membership that is held three times per year.
today, while also recognizing where we come from and our rich history,” he said. “Having 16 councillors again reflects the origin of our Nation, when 16 Squamish families decided they would be stronger together, and came together to amalgamate in 1923,” he added. “Our people have shared with us the challenges they experienced over the past four years with regional representation. They want to be able to vote for everyone on council and have our elected officials lead in the best interest of the entire Nation. “I also want to recognize we are a young Nation. And it was extremely heartening to see the level of participation from our young people. It was exciting to see so many of our youth involved in the democratic process, including my eldest daughter, who just turned 18 and voted for the very first time,” he continued. “The results of this referendum ensure efficiency, equality, and fairness for our future.” The Electoral Commission—comprising representatives from various regions and demographics within Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw—oversees elections and referendums. In an open letter addressed to Nation membership, Donalene Rapada, chair of the Electoral Commission, said the group was “very pleased” with the referendum turnout. “On behalf of the Electoral Commission, we hold our hands up to each and every one of you that came out to vote for these historic changes,” she said. To learn more about the referendum results, go to the Squamish Nation’s website.
WHAT MEMBERS VOTED NOT TO CHANGE
FILE PHOTO/ABBY LUCIANO / NORTH SHORE NEWS
Sxwixwtn Wilson Williams, spokesperson and council member, says the referendum results give the Nation leadership “a clear direction for our governance structure going forward.”
number of immediate family members who are elected to Nation council, and how many relatives should be allowed, members voted to allow only one immediate family member to sit on council at a time. Currently, there is no restriction on the number of family members who can sit on council. Longer to speak On the question of whether to keep the two-minute speaking limit at a People’s Assembly or increase the time to five minutes
Immediate family definition In terms of the definition of immediate family, as it relates to the number of relatives allowed to sit on the council at the same time, members were given two definitions to choose from. The first is defined as a small immediate family consisting of a mother, father, spouse, brother, sister, son, or daughter of the candidate. The second was defined as a large immediate family that also includes a niece, a nephew, a grandparent or a grandchild of the candidate. The members decided to keep the small family definition that was already in place. Members choose council chair Finally, to the question of whether or not members wanted to change from the current system whereby all voters choose the council’s chairperson, or they wanted the council to choose the council chairperson, the electors stuck with their ability to choose the chair.
‘POSITIONS US TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF WHO WE ARE’ Sxwixwtn Wilson Williams, spokesperson and council member, said the results give the Nation a strong path forward. “Our people have spoken and given us a clear direction for our governance structure going forward. The new structure best positions us to protect the integrity of who we are as a Nation
MAYOR: Continued on 3
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MAYOR: Continued from 2 “Now we can work our way down that facilities deficit and start working on things that are more of the nice-to-haves and the things that we all collectively agree we would like to have as a community, namely Brennan Park.” Work underway on the Brennan Park Recreation facility currently includes a Green and Accessibility Retrofit Project, which will see system upgrades to the arena and pool’s heating/cooling systems, replacement of the arena’s roof insulation, and staged landscaping to include a no-water garden, bee-friendly plants, and solar lighting. “Trying to run a recreation centre is incredibly complicated, and trying to renovate a running recreation centre has its challenges as well. So, I’m really proud of the work that’s happening there to continue to deliver programming to the community while we work to improve the facility,” Hurford said. “We hear from the community often about [adding] an additional sheet of ice or a swimming pool. We have those things showing in our five-year financial plan. We’re working towards these. These upgrades that are underway right now make it a building worth putting these shiny pieces onto.” In his speech, Hurford also spoke about the Cheekye Fan Debris Flow Barrier and the need for regional transit. “This project is underway, that’s going to provide protection to a large piece of the community, and the development that facilitated its construction will introduce 1,250 new homes. So this is a great project, and protects the northern part of our community,” he said of the Cheekye Fan Debris Flow Barrier. As for regional transit, well, the District is still actively advocating for it along the Sea to Sky Corridor. “We have a long way to go on transit, and we’re working hard at that. So, we do have some significant expansion coming ... but we are still advocating for that regional piece,” he said.
When we have people working and living paycheque to paycheque, what happens when something happens to you and you miss that paycheque, is that you end up in a tent in the woods. MAYOR ARMAND HURFORD
PHOTO BY INDIGO LEMAY-CONWAY/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF
Mayor Armand Hurford addresses the crowd at the Sea to Sky Gondola on Monday afternoon.
QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
There were several questions asked by the business community on topics such as housing and encampment issues, as well as the high number of Highway 99 closures due to crashes. “We need to make sure that [Squamish] is a place where folks can live, and that means the whole spectrum,” Hurford said about the housing crisis. “I hear from even our RCMP members and our nurses that they’re having a hard time finding the housing that lines up with what they need.” Below-market housing and rentals were two ticket items, Hurford said the District needs to push in order to get people into “stable places.” Encampments As for what the District was doing about the encampments of unhoused people across town, Hurford said the answer is not simple. “I think that there’s not one thing to be done.
It’s going to be many things to address the issue. And I think the solutions, if they were easy, would have been done, and we would not be in the situation that we are now,” he said. “We’ve announced that there’s a new supportive housing facility coming for Squamish … and I think that’s a good start. I [also] think that under one roof does an amazing job, and we were right as a community to stop and celebrate that, but it’s about what’s next as well.” He took a moment to remind the crowd that many individuals are only a paycheque away from ending up homeless themselves. “A point I want to make is that everyone in this room, I think we’re all successful people that are privileged to be sitting here today, but we are far closer to the folks that are in those encampments than we are to the Bezos’ and the Zuckerberg’s of the world,” he said. “When we have people working and living
paycheque to paycheque, what happens when something happens to you and you miss that paycheque, is that you end up in a tent in the woods. We need to make sure that we have a better support system to catch those, to ensure that we don’t get those outcomes, because we are in a tough spot here.” Road safety As for what the District is doing towards road safety and the increasing number of Highway 99 closures, Hurford said advocacy was their number one priority. “I think that we, from a community resiliency perspective, want to make sure that we have access to hospital services and so on in North Van and points beyond,” he said. “We know that there are people who have their kids in daycare who are on the other side of [any highway closures]. I personally walked my dog in Britannia Beach, and it cost me 12 hours because I had to eventually go for dinner in the city to wait out a closure. “We are constantly advocating for change and for improvements where we see them. These mountains aren’t done eroding, and we’re not done with our infrastructure that we put through either. So it takes continual investment from the province to keep us all safe.”
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LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE LIONS BAY LANDSLIDE
Almost six months on from the tragic incident on Dec. 14, 2024, the District of Squamish has shared what worked and what was learned from the landslide ‘OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT’
INDIGO LEMAY-CONWAY
ilemayconway@squamishchief.com
W
hen a tragedy occurs, many lessons can be learned from it. Almost six months after the Lions Bay landslide closed the Sea to Sky Highway for almost 24 hours, District of Squamish staff have brought forward a report highlighting the key lessons they have learned from the natural disaster.
A BRIEF HISTORY Early in the morning on Dec. 14, 2024, a landslide tore through Magnesia Creek, affecting Glendale Avenue at the north end of Lions Bay, and spilling debris across Highway 99, near the Brunswick Beach exit. Highway 99 was closed in both directions due to the significant debris across the road and railway, which stranded travellers for 18 hours. Tragically, two Lions Bay residents lost their lives as a result of the landslide.
LESSONS LEARNED District of Squamish councillors received a staff memo on June 3, which recognized the key things that went right during the natural disaster
FILE PHOTO BY MATT GUNN
The landslide closed the highway for about 24 hours on Dec. 14, 2024.
and opportunities for improvement. Interagency co-ordination efforts, crisis communication and community resilience were noted as some of the key successes. According to the memo, the District initiated the first co-ordination call between the
NOTICE OF INTENT RE: LIQUOR CONTROL AND LICENSING ACT APPLICATION FOR A LIQUOR PRIMAY LIQUOR LICENCE An application for a Liquor Primary Licence has been received by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch from Royal Canadian Legion Br 277 at 40194 Glenalder Place. Preposed interior is 70 persons and 36 person on the patio. Hours of liquor service will be 11AM to Midnight on Sundays, 11AM to 1AM Monday to Saturday. Residents located within a 0.5 mile (0.8 km) radius of the proposed site may comment on this proposal by: 1) Writing to: The General Manager C/O Senior Licensing Analyst Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch PO Box 9292 Victoria, BC V8W 9J8 2) Email to: LCRB.SLA@gov.bc.ca PETITIONS AND FORM LETTERS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED To ensure the consideration of your views, your comments, name and address must be received on or before July 9th, 2025. Please note that your comments may be made available to the applicant or local government officials where disclosure is necessary to administer the licensing process.
Emergency Operations Centre, RCMP, and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) within two hours of the landslide, which facilitated rapid information sharing at the onset of the event. District staff maintained open lines of communication with regional partners such as the Nation, Squamish Lillooet Regional District and the Resort Municipality of Whistler to maintain “broad situational awareness” as the crisis evolved. “For example, when the Resort Municipality of Whistler opened their reception centre and group lodging facility, the District shared the information with the public on social media and via Squamish Alert. In addition, District Staff ensured timely updates by participating in ongoing calls with Vancouver Coastal Health and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,” the memo said. The public was also informed routinely via Squamish Alert and social media messaging as the incident unfolded. “Based on lessons learned during this event, staff have expanded the list of incident-specific messaging templates within the Squamish Alert system to expedite internal approvals and subsequent dissemination to the public,” the memo said. One of, if not the biggest success that came from the tragic event was how the Squamish community rallied around those who were left stranded by the landslide. “The community response to the landslide event highlighted the strong social capital that exists in Squamish, as many local residents and businesses offered support to individuals impacted by the landslide event,” reads the memo. “Supports included the provision of lodgings, food and sharing relevant information. This is indicative of strong community resilience for future events.”
Regional co-ordination and emergency support services for stranded travellers were noted as two opportunities for improvement within the District’s response procedures. “Pre-existing informal relationships between local municipalities within the Sea to Sky strengthened regional co-ordination during the event. However, a formalized mechanism for regional co-ordination was identified as a gap,” reads the memo. “This would allow for an opportunity to ensure unified messaging to the public and optimize the use of limited Emergency Social Service resources during an emergency that has broad impacts across the Sea to Sky Corridor.” Furthermore, the memo said that District staff are currently working with regional partners to develop a “formalized regional coordination mechanism” that will provide a framework for collaboration and communications during emergency events in the region. It also notes that there is ambiguity around whether municipalities can reimburse travellers who are stranded as a result of the incident. “The Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA), managed by B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, outlines how municipalities may be reimbursed to operate reception centres and/or group lodging centres during an event response,” reads the memo. “In the EDMA legislation, there is ambiguity whether these reimbursement mechanisms can be applied to stranded travellers rather than evacuees who have been displaced from their homes. “Staff will engage with the province to gain further clarity on eligibility for reimbursement on responses that result in stranded travellers.” At the time of the event, there was very limited vacancy in the hotels in Squamish and Brennan Park Recreation Centre—which is the primary designated facility for group lodgings—was under construction. “As such, efforts were made to inform the public about the reception centre that was opened in Whistler and Squamish ESS (Emergency Support Service) volunteers were sent to assist in Whistler,” reads the memo. “To identify future resources for stranded travellers, the District reached out to community partners (e.g. Tourism Squamish and Squamish Chamber of Commerce) to discuss potential assistance that could be offered to travellers impacted by highway closures. “Additionally, 16 staff and/or ESS volunteers have received Evacuation Registration Tool Assistance training to increase the resource pool of staff who can provide ESS assistance to members of the public during emergencies.” Visit the District of Squamish website for more information on their emergency program.
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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 5
NEW ‘SUPPORTIVE HOME’ DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED
The District, in partnership with BC Housing, Squamish Community Housing Society and Squamish Helping Hands Society, are proposing to build approximately 165 new homes at 39900 Government Rd and Centennial Way INDIGO LEMAY-CONWAY
ilemayconway@squamishchief.com
A
new development is being proposed on District-owned land that aims to provide “supportive homes” for residents. The proposal for approximately 165 new homes is being brought forward by the District of Squamish and would be built at 39900 Government Road and Centennial Way. “The proposed project would offer approximately 60 supportive homes in partnership with Squamish Helping Hands and 100 affordable rental housing units in partnership with Squamish Community Housing Society (Housing Squamish) to the Squamish community,” reads a District of Squamish press release. Built in two separate buildings, the first building would feature approximately 60 to 65 supportive homes, and the second building would feature approximately 100 affordable rental homes. The supportive homes would be for local community members, including seniors, adults and people with disabilities who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness and need support to
PHOTO BY INDIGO-LEMAY CONWAY/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF
The site at 39900 Government Road and Centennial Way.
maintain their housing. The proposed supportive housing building is being planned in partnership with the province, through BC Housing and would be operated by the Squamish Helping Hands Society, which would also provide wellness services, support and aid in securing the housing. According to the District of Squamish website, all residents would pay rent and sign program agreements. Typical support would include 24/7 staffing, meal programs, life skills and employment training, as well as on-site health and wellness support, including referral
pathways to substance-use treatment and recovery The proposed 100 affordable rental homes building would range in size from studios to two and three-bedroom apartments. It would be owned by Housing Squamish and prioritize moderate-income Squamish residents who are seniors, people with disabilities, and families. According to the District of Squamish website, the majority of units “would have rents based on 30% of residents’ household incomes as confirmed by annual income testing.”
Funding for this portion of the project has been requested via BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund (CHF) and is currently not yet confirmed. “Residents would need to meet income and household size criteria and be able to live independently without on-site supports,” the website reads. The District of Squamish has endorsed a 60-year lease for the use of this municipal property. “Both projects are a major part of an effort to build more urgently needed affordable homes in Squamish for a wide and diverse range of people in need,” reads the press release. “Building homes for people at every point on the housing spectrum will help address some of the complex issues Squamish faces, and support people to stay in Squamish.”
‘TACKLE THE COMPLEX ISSUES’ Mayor Armand Hurford said that ensuring access to supportive and affordable housing is critical to building community resilience. “This can only be achieved through HOUSING: Continued on 6
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NEW STUDY SHOWS HOW MUCH RESIDENTS VALUE THEIR TRAILS
As development pressures mount in one of B.C.’s fastest-growing towns, a newly released trail inventory offers insight into what makes these outdoor spaces of Squamish so valued document is meant to be referred to for land-use planning by private landowners, developers, the District of Squamish, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
JENNIFER THUNCHER
jthuncher@squamishchief.com
M
any Squamish residents have a favourite local trail—but what makes these trails so valued and unique? These questions are explored in the Squamish Front Country Trail Inventory report, which Cascade Environmental Resource Group prepared for the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA). The report takes stock of the community’s more than 545 kilometres of trails. With Squamish’s intense growth, it offers an opportunity to understand the value trails hold for their users. For the casual reader, it offers interesting tidbits on areas mountain bikers, hikers, dirt bikers, trials riders and the like frequent, or may be curious to learn more about. Love the Alice Lake/Ridge and Highlands trail network? You aren’t alone. The study found that its 114 km of trails are treasured by users. User groups identified unique, irreplaceable features of the area, such as granite and slab trails and features, the trails’ immersive coastal forest experience, the scenery, including views of Howe Sound and the Stawamus Chief, the area’s unique topography and even the network’s nostalgic importance. The popular Diamond Head area, which has 99 km of trails, contains the second-longest trail, the report notes, after the Alice Lake region. “Trails such as Half Nelson and [PseduoTsugas] are ranked in the top 50 mountain biking trails worldwide,” SORCA notes in the report. Brackendale was prized by dirt bikers as important, especially the Dump Trails, due to the flatter terrain that is best for beginners, the report states. Valleycliffe is prized for its maze of trails and its access to world-renowned rock climbing locations. The report was funded with financial support from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and the District of Squamish. There were three phases to creating the report: an inventory of trails, a survey and interview of user group members, and a public survey of trail HOUSING: Continued from 5 collaboration with non-profit and provincial partners. The District of Squamish and local partners have been working on solutions to meet community needs and tackle the complex issues the community faces,” Hurford said in the press release. “We are very pleased to share details of one of these solutions that is close to receiving funding approval.” Housing Squamish executive director Sarah Ellis said that the proposed affordable rental
A NEED FOR BALANCE
A preface to the report notes the key takeaways that the groups involved gleaned from the results. • The trail system is central to Squamish’s identity and quality of life, offering experiences for a wide range of skill levels and recreational interests. • Specific areas like Alice Lake, Diamond Head, and Valleycliffe are not only heavily used but also deeply valued for their accessibility, diverse terrain, scenic views, and trail progression opportunities. • Irreplaceable features—including granite slab trails, mature coastal forests, and panoramic views—contribute to the uniqueness of the trail experience and cannot simply be relocated or recreated elsewhere. • Connectivity within and between trail networks and between residential areas and trail networks is repeatedly identified by users as a core value. Losing key connector trails—or allowing development to fragment
access—would compromise the integrity of the broader system. • Trails support local businesses, guide services, tourism, and recreation-based industries that now form a meaningful part of the local economy. • The community recognizes these spaces as not only recreational, but cultural, ecological, and social assets. Something that stuck out in the study for Ian Lowe, executive director of SORCA, is the importance of connectivity trails. He noted that what isn’t desirable is for mountain bikers, in his group’s case, to have to get in their cars to reach a trailhead. “Because I think a lot of people have come here to avoid that drive, and so that they can literally get their bike and ride from their house.” “Definitely the connectors were a really big piece that came out of this [report process] for us. … That was a bit of an aha for us—how much people value these connection trails.” Lowe said he believes that it is possible to have the trails well-connected and noted SORCA has devoted trail crew time and energy to improving the connectivity of trails. Ultimately, the report shows how much trails mean to their users. While the report will be made available on SORCA’s website for public viewing, the
The collective goal is to “ensure that these valued trail assets are not lost or fragmented,” the preface reads. “Where outdoor recreation was once a byproduct of working in resource industries, it has now become a central reason many people choose to move to and live in Squamish,” reads the report’s preface. “The town’s trail networks—used for hiking, mountain biking, trail running, motorized recreation, and climbing access—have become vital community infrastructure.” That value is monetary, as well as cultural and social. According to a six-month 2023 study, visitor spending from mountain biking in Squamish alone directly added $26 million to the local economy, $31 million to the regional economy, and $44 million to the provincial economy overall. About 300 jobs in town are related to mountain biking, the preface notes. Lowe said that it is finding a balance between all the different pressures the town currently faces, which the report speaks to. “We respect that there needs to be growth, or else prices are going to go even higher than they are right now. Growth needs to happen, and people have private lands that 100% we are riding in their backyards right now. So, respecting that as well. This is a bit of a guide, more than anything… [to] provide at least a little bit of a framework to those groups that need to make these big kinds of planning decisions in the near future or in the medium term.” He added that he hopes the public takes the need for that balance from the report, too. “They can’t be like, no growth, no growth, no growth, because that’s just not realistic. This place is too amazing for that. And likewise, they can’t be all growth, no trails.” Lowe said he hopes this report will serve as a foundation for future master planning efforts aimed at preserving access while accommodating responsible growth.
and supportive housing buildings are a “vital” step forward in addressing the urgent need for housing in Squamish. “We are incredibly grateful to BC Housing and the District of Squamish for their leadership and commitment to creating more inclusive and affordable communities. We’re also proud to be working alongside Squamish Helping Hands Society, whose deep connection to the community and expertise will be key to the success of this project,” she said in the press release. Echoing both Hurford and Ellis’s comments,
Squamish Helping Hands Society executive director Lori Pyne said that the project represents a “crucial building block” in the local housing continuum. “Its success will be deeply rooted in the strength of collaboration—between our four dedicated partners and the broader community, working together toward lasting impact,” Pyne said in the press release. According to Point in Time as of 2023, there are 119 people experiencing homelessness in Squamish. Of these, 41% reported insufficient income as their reason for housing loss.
Development permit applications for the two buildings are anticipated to be submitted by summer 2025, with site preparation expected to begin in Winter 2025/26. The District of Squamish has invited the community to learn more about the proposed housing project, meet the project team, and ask questions at a drop-in Community Information Session on Wednesday, June 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Mamquam Elementary School. To learn more about the project and to RSVP for the Community Information Session, visit the District of Squamish website.
PHOTO BY GIBSONPICTURES/E+/GETTY IMAGES
A view of the Half Nelson mountain bike downhill trail in Squamish.
users. The user groups included SORCA, Squamish Trails Society, Squamish Dirt Bike Association, Squamish Access Society, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) member trail users, and community members at large.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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LOCAL STUDENTS CONNECT WITH ANCESTRAL LANDS THROUGH TWO-EYED SEEING
From sturgeon legends to scuba diving demonstrations, children at Porteau Cove experience a new way of learning that honours both heritage and habitat INA PACE
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
W
estern science and cultural beliefs do not have to be interchangeable; in fact, they can be very complementary to a child’s learning. Staff at St’a7mes School, who uphold project-based learning, garner knowledge for the future land stewardship of the Sḵwx̱w ú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) with a multi-faceted approach. Children of all ages are taught about their lands and culture, not only through traditional stories, activities, and language, but also with modern science by Western conservationists. Two-Eyed Seeing refers to learning with one eye from Indigenous knowledge and the other from Western knowledge, then combining both sets of knowledge for the benefit of all. In teaching and learning with Two-Eyed Seeing, all are encouraged to rebuild and connect to the land on which they live, whether they are Indigenous or otherwise. This can be observed as an act of reconciliation. Matthew Van Oostdam, land-based co-ordinator for St’a7mes School, works with Nation members to lead a series of Two-Eyed Seeing ocean learning days for Cultural Journeys and Learning Expeditions, the latest of which, and not for the first time, took place at Xwawchayay (Porteau Cove) last week. “It’s not a matter of learning the Western science beliefs or the Sḵwx̱w ú7mesh understanding of these places… we can learn about both these things,” Van Oostdam said. “The focus is to create space for both ways of seeing and understanding. A huge part of it is rebuilding our relationship and connection to [Porteau Cove]. For the kids, that’s so fundamental to caring about these places and realizing that their ancestors have lived, camped and paddled along these waters since longer than any of us can remember.” A welcome figure was erected two years prior at the south end of the park to commemorate the school’s then two years of learning and partnership with the Nation and BC Parks, who help fund local non-profits, such as the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS), which co-hosted the ocean learning days at Porteau Cove last week. According to MLSS project director Adam Taylor, the MLSS has worked with local governments to protect areas such as Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver for 30 years, and has discovered prehistoric glass
sponge reefs in Howe Sound, which were thought to be extinct since 1987. “[MLSS] focuses on marine conservation areas, but we recognize the need for local stewardship and education and outreach because we won’t have long-term conservation areas without children learning about [their] importance,” he said. “We want to inspire the next generation of stewards [and] researchers; without the children learning early, we won’t have long-term sustainability.” The ocean learning days at the end of May were divided into two parts: the morning began with an introductory talk by Van Oostdam about the story of the sturgeon, followed by Indigenous ceremonial music at the base of the welcome figure. Xwawchayay translates to “place of little sturgeon.” Knowledge Keeper Kwewawatennat (Virginia Johnston) then presented the children with dynamic and interactive Indigenous storytelling about various sea creatures, at a viewpoint overlooking Howe Sound. In the afternoon, MLSS marine biologists gathered various hardy organisms with a team of divers from Howe Sound for the children to observe, after their lunch and a cultured beach walk, among them sea cucumbers, starfish, a small octopus, and crabs. The children also spoke with and observed the scuba divers on the shoreline, marvelling at the workings of their suits and diving equipment. Cory Hartling, St’a7mes School’s principal, was one of the first teachers at Learning Expeditions, which started simultaneously with Cultural Journeys 10 years ago. “We’re having the kids really learn through experience,” Hartling said. “These kids, a lot of them are Squamish kids, are here on their traditional territory learning traditional practices, and at St’a7mes School, that’s what we’re all about. We’re deeply invested in learning here on the land… For me, this really represents a deep act of reconciliation.” St’a7mes School’s Two-Eyed Seeing ocean learning days ran from May 27 to 29. You can contact staff to learn about future projects and similar programs via the school’s website. 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.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 7
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Squamish Sustainability Corporation Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the Squamish Sustainability Corporation annual general meeting, for the receipt of the 2024 financial statements and annual report, will be held during the June 17, 2025, Special Business Meeting in Council Chambers, Municipal Hall, located at 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, B.C. Copies of the financial statements are available for inspection on the District’s website squamish.ca/annualreport The meetings can be live streamed at squamish.ca/live-meetings
2026 Permissive Tax Exemption Applications
Permissive Tax Exemptions are a method that the District of Squamish, supported by Council, may support voluntary non-profit organizations by exempting land or improvements or both, from taxation under Section 224 of the Community Charter. The District of Squamish is now accepting applications for Permissive Tax Exemptions. Section 224 of the Community Charter and the requirements of the District of Squamish Permissive Tax Exemption policy apply. If your organization can demonstrate eligibility you are welcome to apply for an exemption. The application and policy are available online. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2025, for exemptions beginning for the 2026 taxation year. For more information, please contact us at 604-892-5217. squamish.ca/grants
Stormwater Survey
The District of Squamish is developing an Integrated Stormwater Management Plan for Brackendale, Garibaldi Highlands and Garibaldi Estates. We want to hear from you! Help shape the future of stormwater management in your neighbourhood by taking our community survey. Your feedback, along with technical analysis, will help guide future infrastructure investments and shape how we communicate and engage with the community on upcoming projects. Survey open until June 30. Take the survey at: LetsTalkSquamish.ca/stormwater-survey Your voice matters. Let’s work together for a more resilient Squamish.
Business Opportunities Requests for Proposals
• Mount Garibaldi Cemetery Expansion • Financial Audit Services • Loggers East Storm Sewer Construction
Requests for Quotations
• Crosswalk Installations & Safety Upgrades squamish.ca/doing-business-with-the-district
8 | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
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View this ad online: Stage 1 Outdoor Water Use Restrictions are now in effect. and COUNCILLOR STONER
squamish.ca/water
11:30 am–12:30 pm
Wednesday, June 18 Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
RECREATION AND CULTURE
Check out the pool schedule: squamish.ca/rec/pool
NEW! You can now skip the clicks and head directly to registration with our new URL. It’s super easy! squamish.ca/booknow
Train to be a Lifeguard!
at Brennan Park Recreation Centre Course starts July 4 This 44-hour course is required to obtain employment at swimming pools in B.C. Teamwork, leadership, communication and prevention are emphasized. Participants must be 15 years old on the last day of the course in order to participate, and have completed Bronze Cross and Standard First Aid.
CAMPFIRE BAN is now in effect
Active Kids Camps (6–9yrs)
at Rose Park Camps start July 21 Get your kids outdoors this summer with instructor Ryan Johnston! Opportunities for your kids to learn new skills, make new friends and have a lot of fun! Activities and games include yoga, hiking, gymnastics, soccer and more!
Join a Healing Fitness Class this Summer! Reduced Mobility Movement Hip/Knee Recovery Exercises Tai Chi—Seated Tai Chi—Gentle Posture & Balance Hand/Shoulder Recovery Exercises Summer Special $10 Drop-in permitted
squamish.ca/rec
Annual Municipal Report
Notice is hereby given that the District of Squamish 2024 Annual Municipal Report will be presented at the June 17, 2025, Special Business Meeting in Council Chambers, Municipal Hall, located at 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, B.C. The 2024 Annual Report is available for public viewing either: In person at Municipal Hall (37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, BC), Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Online at the District’s website: squamish.ca Questions and input from the public are welcome and may be submitted by: • Email to info@squamish.ca • Mail to PO Box 310, Squamish, BC V8B 0A3 • Hand delivery to 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish The deadline for written submissions is 12 p.m. on June 17, 2025. Council will receive the 2024 Annual Report at the June 17, 2025 Special Business Meeting. Members of the public can watch the Council meeting in person or view the live stream at squamish.ca/live-meetings. Pursuant to Sections 98 and 99 of the Community Charter, municipalities in British Columbia are required to produce an annual report before June 30 each year and to make the report available for public inspection. The annual report must include the following: • The audited annual financial statements for the previous year. • Information and amounts of each permissive tax exemption provided. • A report respecting municipal services and operations for the previous year. • A progress report respecting the previous year in relation to the objectives and measures established for that year. • Any declarations of disqualifications made under Section 111 of the Community Charter. • A statement of municipal objectives, and the measures that will be used to determine progress respecting those objectives, for the current and next year. • Any other information the council considers advisable.
NEWS
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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 9
SEX EDUCATION FOR KIDS STARTS WITH ‘100 LITTLE CONVERSATIONS’
Q&A with local educator who teaches in schools and recently published her first sexual health education guide for parents, in French JENNIFER THUNCHER
jthuncher@squamishchief.com
“L
et’s talk about sex, baby. Let’s talk about you and me. Let’s talk about all the good things. And the bad things that may be.” Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s 1991 song Let’s Talk About Sex was sex-positive for its time. In terms of sex education, things have changed quite a bit since the 1990s, when many of today’s parents were exposed to it at school. Squamish’s Tessy Vanderhaeghe is a sexual health educator in schools across the Sea to Sky Corridor and Greater Vancouver. Originally from Belgium, she found that there were plenty of English books for parents on the topic of sex education, but she couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for among French-language books, so she wrote one. She recently published 100 petites conversations à avoir avec son enfant. (100 little conversations to have with your child.) It’s a guide based on science for parents and trusted adults to talk with kids, from ages two to 12, about bodies, consent, emotions, and relationships, in a way that’s honest, inclusive, and age-appropriate. The book offers “clear, positive information about how to have these conversations and how to answer kids’ questions without shame or awkwardness,” Vanderhaeghe said. She also creates informative social media posts that even adults can learn from. The Squamish Chief sat down with her at our office on Second Avenue for a candid talk about her book, what she teaches and what she would like parents to know. Q: What got you interested in this type of education? Did you grow up in a really open home? A: My mom was pretty open, so that was nice. I just didn’t feel like sex was taboo. But you got sex ed, and it was terrible—the little bit we had. We didn’t get a lot of information. And then you become a teenager and you speak a little less, and you aren’t so open. And suddenly, some friends have a pregnancy scare, like, at 14 or 15 years old, and then they’re dating guys who are too old, and you don’t have the tools to know that this is not OK. I did my master’s in gender studies because I was very interested in all these topics. Q: So now you teach health in French public schools and then wrote 100 petites conversations à avoir avec son enfant, as your first book?
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY TESSY VANDERHAEGHE
Sexual health educator, Tessy Vanderhaeghe.
As sex educators, we give a presentation to the parents and caretakers before we talk to their kids in school, so they know what we’re going to talk about and how to continue this conversation at home. TESSY VANDERHAEGHE
A: Yes. It’s really a compilation of all the conversations and workshops I’ve done with parents over the years. As sex educators, we give a presentation to the parents and caretakers before we talk to their kids in school, so they know what we’re going to talk about and how to continue this conversation at home. And I think that’s where it was hard—people don’t know how to have these conversations. That is the idea for the title, that the sex talk is not one 100-minute conversation, but 100 little conversations.
Q: What about age appropriateness? How do parents navigate what to say when? A: It’s really about the layering of the conversation approach. So if we’re thinking that we will talk about this down the line when the kids are older, say you want to have a conversation about protection and condoms, and at age 12 you want to start talking about porn, because we know they’re exposed to porn. Well, if you start at 12 with a porn conversation, that’s going to be tricky. So you’re going to have to think of all the conversations you want to have before that. The first thing is we need to talk about just the body, what your body is. That is going to be the body parts, and what the name for the body part is and understanding that some of these parts are private and so on. For example, with a conversation about where babies come from, we’re going to start with, we need an egg and we need a sperm. Some people have eggs, some people have sperm, and then we can build on the conversation. SEX: Continued on 17
Community Information Session Join us to learn more about the proposed development at 39900 Government Road and Centennial Way in Squamish.
6–8 pm, Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Mamquam Elementary School Gym, 40266 Government Road
To RSVP: Scan the QR code to register or visit squamish-government-road-community-session.eventbrite.ca You are welcome to drop in any time between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. There will be project information on poster boards throughout the space. Representatives from the project team will be present to answer questions one-on-one. Registration is not required, but appreciated for planning.
10 | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
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2025 PROPERTY TAX AND UTILITIES – PAYMENTS ARE DUE JULY 2, 2025 A late penalty of 5% will be applied after July 2, 2025. A second 5% penalty will be applied after July 31, 2025.
WAYS TO PAY
Property owners will be sent separate property tax and utility notices. If you have not received your notices, please contact Financial Services for assistance. New owners should ensure taxes and utilities are paid on their property. If there is any doubt, please call Financial Services at 604-815-5035.
Please note, property owners are responsible for payment of the 2025 property taxes and utilities regardless of whether or not notices are received. Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
squamish.ca/taxes
Online Banking
Property Taxes and Utilities are separate payees.
Utilities Payee: District of Squamish Utilities Account#: 7 digit number
Property Taxes Payee: District of Squamish Property Tax Account#: 13 digit number/roll number Some financial institutions hold payments before forwarding to us or are in different time zones. Avoid the risk of a penalty by paying two to three business days before the due date.
Sign-up for a MyCity Account to access Property Tax and Utility notices online With a MyCity login, you can access your Property Taxes, Utilities, Building Permits, Planning Applications, Business Licence and Recreation Program Registration accounts online.
By Mail
Cheque only. Do not mail cash. Postmarks will not be accepted as date of payment.
After Hours Drop Box
Cheque only. Do not leave cash in the drop box. The yellow after hours drop box is located at Municipal Hall on the wall to the right of the doors. Please deposit cheques only. Do not leave cash in the drop box.
In Person
Cheque, cash or debit (Payments by credit cards will not be accepted). Please be sure to check your daily spending limit before you arrive. You may need to request a temporary increase from your bank. No post-dated cheques.
Field Allocation
Allocation period: September 1–February 28, 2026. Request Deadline: Friday, June 27, 2025. Field Closures: All fields except Artificial Turf Field: December 15 – January 15 (weather dependent).
Field Allocation Meeting
Step 2: Select Register/Edit Account.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Please contact Recreation and Culture at 604-898-3604 with any questions.
Step 3: Register a Tax Account and Register a Utility Account. You will need the folio number and access codes from the prior year’s notices.
Infrastructure Upgrades
Step 1: Log in to MyCity or Create an Account.
• Property taxes: Use the folio number and access code from LAST YEAR’s property tax notice. • Utilities: Use the account number and access code from LAST YEAR’s utility bill
squamish.ca/online-services
Installation work continues on a watermain between Bill’s Place and Highlands Way South. squamish.ca/building-our-future
Development Review
• Woodfibre – Floatel – Temporary Use Permit • 39884 Government Road – Zoning Amendment squamish.ca/review
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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 11
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Notice of Bylaw Readings Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, B.C. District of Squamish Zoning Bylaw 2200, 2011, Amendment Bylaw (CD-Zone 118, 38140 Third Ave), No. 3093, 2024
District of Squamish Zoning Bylaw 2200, 2011, Amendment Bylaw (1221 Pioneer Way Business Park Alignment) No. 3175, 2025
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 467 of the Local Government Act, that District of Squamish Council will be considering first, second and third reading of District of Squamish Zoning Bylaw No. 2200, 2011, Amendment Bylaw (CD-Zone 118, 38140 Third Ave), No. 3093, 2024. Please note: Last week, this notice erroneously listed “Amendment Bylaw (Upper Finch), No. 3174, 2024” instead of the correct bylaw in the above statement. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Affected Lands: 38140 Third Ave, Squamish, British Columbia.
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 467 of the Local Government Act, that District of Squamish Council will be considering first, second and third reading of District of Squamish Zoning Bylaw 2200, 2011, Amendment Bylaw (1221 Pioneer Way Business Park Alignment) No. 3175, 2025. Affected Lands: 1221 Pioneer Way, Squamish, British Columbia. Lot 38 South East 1/4 of Section 3 Township 50 Plan 18954 PID: 007-249-373
Proposed Bylaw Amendment
The purpose of the proposed Bylaw is to Rezone a Residential 1 (R-1) Zone to a Comprehensive Development 118 (CD-118) for the purpose of a six storey mixed-use building with ground floor commercial uses.
No Public Hearing
In accordance with Provincial housing legislation, Section 464(3) of the Local Government Act, local governments are now prohibited from holding public hearings related to rezoning applications for developments that are primarily residential and are consistent with the local government’s Official Community Plan (OCP). This proposal meets those requirements.
Proposed Bylaw Amendment
The purpose of the proposed bylaw amendment is to rezone the subject lands from Residential 1 (R-1) to Business Park Industrial (I-11) to align the zoning with the subject site’s Official Community Plan Land Use Designation of Mixed Employment and Industrial Business.
No Public Hearing
In accordance with Provincial legislation, Section 464(2) of the Local Government Act, local governments are not required to hold public hearings related to rezoning applications that are consistent with the local government’s Official Community Plan (OCP). LOCATION MAP
LOCATION MAP
Attend the Meeting
In-person at Council Chambers at Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, B.C. or online at: squamish.ca/live-meetings
How to view the proposed bylaws A copy of the proposed bylaws and related information that has been or may be considered by Council may be inspected online at squamish.ca/showcase or in person at Municipal Hall at 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, British Columbia, from June 5, 2025, to June 17, 2025, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Enquiries regarding the proposed amendment bylaw may be made to the Planning Department at 604-815-5002 or by email to planning@squamish.ca. This is the second of two notices, dated this 12 day of June 2025 at Squamish, British Columbia.
12 | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 13
Canadian jobs start here Real jobs. Real energy. Real opportunity. At Woodfibre LNG, we’re building more than a world-class facility—we’re creating real opportunities for Canadians. With a strong commitment to local hiring, Indigenous partnerships, and best-in-class workforce accommodation, we’re supporting good-paying jobs that contribute to families, communities, and Canada’s economy. woodfibrelng.ca
14 | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
squamishchief.com THE SQUAMISH CHIEF NEWSPAPER, PRINTED EVERY THURSDAY BY LODESTAR MEDIA 38113 Second Avenue Box 3500, Squamish BC, V8B 0B6
CONTACT US PRINTED EVERY THURSDAY BY LODESTAR MEDIA T: 604-892-9161 news@squamishchief.com ads@ squamishchief.com classifieds@squamishchief.com subs@squamishchief.com production@squamishchief.com obituaries: ads@squamishchief.com EDITOR JENNIFERTHUNCHER jthuncher@ squamishchief.com follow @thuncher REPORTER INDIGO LEMAYCONWAY ilemayconway@ squamishchief.com REPORTER INA PACE inapace@ squamishchief.com SALES MANAGER CATHIE GREENLEES cgreenlees@ squamishchief.com MULTI- MEDIA SALES REPRESENTATIVE KIM BOATMAN kboatman@ squamishchief.com CIRCULATION MANAGER DENISE CONWAY dconway@ squamishchief.com PUBLISHER SARAH STROTHER sstrother@wplpmedia.com
The Squamish Chief is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Editor Jennifer Thuncher at jthuncher@squamishchief.com. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. Reproduction of any material contained in this publication is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publisher.
EDITORIAL
IT’S A NO-BRAINER
T
here are a lot of things about Squamish that don’t make it onto Instagram reels. For example, there are tons of great swimming holes and camping spots here, but many locals can’t enjoy them on summer weekends, due to their popularity. And there’s getting around on the highway— good luck on a sunny Saturday or Sunday! (Pack for a closure.) The hiking is fantastic, but come prepared or you could end up in a news brief having been rescued by our (even more fantastic) Squamish Search and Rescue volunteers. This is one of the most spectacular places to live, but many can’t afford to do just that. Another underbelly truth is that many of the recreational pursuits that draw us here cause injuries, including brain injuries. In Canada, June is Brain Injury Awareness Month. If you don’t know someone here who has suffered a concussion, you likely soon will. “The invisible effects of a brain injury can make everything more challenging,” says Brain Injury Canada. We are lucky in Squamish that we have many professionals who can help with brain injuries (just Google “Brain injury Squamish”). But there is so much that has been discovered and protocols that have changed in recent years, it behooves all of us to learn more about it. For example, did you know that you shouldn’t wake up a person with a fresh concussion every two hours? That is what we were all told for years was the best thing to do. We know better now. The brain needs to rest after a blow. Same with going into a dark room to lie down for an extended period. That is no longer the advice. Also, about 90% of concussions don’t result in loss of consciousness, according to the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit. Who knew? And did you know that concussion symptoms can be delayed for hours or even a few days? Further, you don’t have to get hit in the head to get a concussion. Many of these things turn what we used to believe on its—er—head. Squamish truly is a wonderful town to live, work and play in, but there are back alleys to the shiny exteriors that we are all better for if we acknowledge them. The online Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is a quick, easy and informative way to learn how to recognize and treat brain injury. Check it out, and maybe share it on that Instagram reel.
OUTING MYSELF AS A WIG WEARER EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
JENNIFER THUNCHER
I
wear wigs. There, I said it publicly. Whew. For some reason, there is still some stigma around wigs. The back story for me isn’t sad or dramatic. It is just that, well, peri-menopause can be a bitch. About six months ago, in addition to weight gain that makes me see Winnie the Pooh in my silhouette, my already baby-thin hair thinned out to the point I felt self-conscious. It is a fluctuating hormone thing, apparently. My husband, close friends, and very supportive hairdresser say my thinning isn’t so bad at all—hardly noticeable. But I was thinking about my hair while interviewing folks for my job, which isn’t where my focus should be. Today, I feel so much better and even enjoy picking and styling my wigs. But to start, the alternative hair world was utterly overwhelming. There are different kinds of caps and fibres. Do you want heat-friendly, synthetic, or human hair?
And they all need maintenance. Got a clothes steamer? Well, you will need one if you wear synthetic wigs. Heat-friendly wigs must have heat tools applied to them. (Are you keeping up?) And you need accessories, like a wig grip, clips, a wide-toothed comb, and a mannequin head! There is so much conflicting information that, not going to lie, it brought me to tears trying to sort through it. Finally, I found a Canadian YouTube channel called Wigs with Steph. Her videos on YouTube have garnered about 2.5 million views, and she is active on social media. She also has a private community on Skool where she helps people with their wig issues. She and a couple of other wig educators (wig influencers?) have opened my eyes to a whole new world and dried my tears in the process. I am going public with my wig-wearing because I didn’t know anyone in Squamish going through what I was. According to the stats, though, you are out there. A report in Harvard Health says, “about one-third of women experience hair loss (alopecia) at some time in their lives; among post-menopausal women, as many as two-thirds suffer hair thinning or bald spots.” There are likely lots of reasons not to go public, NOTEBOOK: Continued on 15
squamishchief.com
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 15
Ha7lh skwálwen cht kwis emút cht iy sts’its’áp’ cht iy kw’shétsut cht na7tkwa temíxw tl’a Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw
JOIN US ONLINE
(We have good feelings that we live, we work and we play on the lands of the Squamish Nation)
QUESTION OF THE WEEK Are you prepared to leave in case of an evacuation order due to a wildfire or other emergency?
NOTEBOOK: Continued from 14 but my only real hesitation was shallow. Not quite vanity, but—I mean, it feels good to have nice hair and for people to think it is mine. But as a reporter who expects the truth and vulnerability from others, it feels right I walk the talk, so to speak. Because her honesty was such a help to me and because she is a homegrown independent creator (she lives in Alberta), I recently interviewed Wigs with Steph’s Stephanie Mitchell by phone. What follows is a version of that wide-ranging conversation that has been edited for length and clarity. Q: Can you tell me about your thought evolution from hair loss to wigs, to deciding to go public with your channel? A: My hair loss has always come in waves, but I remember the first time I noticed it falling out more than usual. It was all over my pillow. It was coming out in clumps in the shower. And I was eventually diagnosed with Graves’ disease, which was the trigger. At that time, I was very panicked. I felt alone. I didn’t feel like myself anymore. I didn’t want my friends, my family, or coworkers to know what I was going through at the time, so I did everything I could to hide it. I dove really heavily into research. I watched so many YouTube videos, I went to wig boutiques, I read blogs, but I literally couldn’t find a single wig that looked real enough to me for what I wanted, and even the in-person shops were disappointing. There were a lot of tears in those days. I realized that when it came to wigs, I was totally on my own. In time, year after year, I eventually taught myself how to make wigs work for me. One morning after putting on my wig, I actually caught myself smiling in the mirror, genuinely smiling, because I felt like I had it figured out. I had often scrolled on YouTube. I liked watching all the new wig styles being released, but the more videos I watched, the more I realized something was missing. So many of the tips and advice didn’t feel real or honest to me, and a lot of it seemed driven by brands. It didn’t reflect the real emotional journey of hair loss and what I knew it to be. On top of that, a lot of the wigs being promoted didn’t look real, and it just drove me nuts. So, I decided to start my own channel.
Have your say at squamishchief.com
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION
If you had to name one thing that is better because of Squamish’s recent growth, what would it be? (Top 3) NOTHING! BETTER PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK MORE COOL PEOPLE
50% 22% 5%
MOST READ STORY
Update: Squamish wildfire at five hectares
PHOTO BY MYKEL THUNCHER/FOR THE SQUAMISH CHIEF
Jennifer Thuncher and her wigs.
Q: Who is your audience? A: The majority of my audience is definitely women. There are some men, but it’s mostly women, often in midlife or beyond. I have some as young as 25 years old, and I have some teenagers who watch too, but it’s not the majority. I hear from people navigating menopause, others who are postpartum, and women with autoimmune conditions like alopecia or Graves’ disease. So many people dealing with genetic thinning have been struggling since their 20s. Q: If you could change one thing about how wigs are marketed, sold, or discussed, what would it be? A: It would be the lack of honest education and empathy that are often missing—the why of it. Because so many people entering the wig world for the first time are doing it because of something deeply emotional, like a diagnosis, postpartum changes, aging, or autoimmune disease, and what they’re often met with is just, “Here’s a pretty wig. Buy it.” You know? There’s rarely any explanation about why a wig was designed the way it was. What the cap features are actually for. Or how to find what works best for you. Q: How important is it that partners
are supportive during this wig journey? A: It’s so important, and I’m lucky that I have one. It’s important because when you go through hair loss, you look different, and in turn, you feel different. And when you feel different, you’ll act different. They don’t necessarily have to understand what you are going through, because it is hard for people to get it—most men don’t seem to feel the same way about their hair loss—but just to support you no matter what. That can just be thrown out in conversation, “I love you no matter what.” I wasn’t always the nicest during my bouts of hair loss, because I was very upset about things, and he was just there for me. And he never said anything negative. It was always positive. I’ve been with my husband for over a decade now, but I had hair loss before that. So when I was dating with hair loss, that was a challenge, because I did meet people who weren’t as supportive, but to me, it was almost like a way to weed through people. NOTEBOOK: Continued on 16
PHOTO BY AAFREEN ARORA
DOGS OF SQUAMISH: Got a cute picture of your pooch, like Bentley here? Send it on to news@ squamishchief.com.
16 | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
NOTEBOOK: Continued from 15 Hey, this person will not be a good partner for you. So, you know, next! Q: The secret of wig-wearing is that once you sort through the confusion, it gets really fun, and there is such a beautiful community around it. Can you speak to that? A: There’s something special that happens when the confusion lifts and you start having fun with wigs. You realize you can express yourself in ways you never could before. You can wear something shorter, longer, lighter or darker. You can feel like yourself again, or you can even discover a new version of yourself you never thought you’d get to meet. What makes this community truly beautiful is that I’ve seen women cheer each other on, share tips, cry with each other and build friendships over a shared experience that used to make them feel so isolated. It becomes less about hiding and more about embracing—embracing your needs, your beauty and your adaptability. Q: Someone reading this may be tearing up because they are losing their hair and thinking of getting a wig. What would you
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like to say to them? A: That I see you and I have been you. I understand that hair loss can feel like the ground is shifting beneath you, like you’re losing a part of yourself, and no one really gets it. I want to say that it’s OK to grieve it. What they’re feeling is valid, and they’re not being vain, and they’re not overreacting. They’re human, and this is hard. But this does not have to be the end of their confidence. I truly think that it can be the beginning of something really empowering because a wig isn’t just hair. It’s a tool that can help you feel like you again, not somebody else, not a version you’re trying to pretend to be, but the version of you that walks out the door feeling strong, beautiful and seen. I would want them to know that they’re not broken. They’re becoming someone even more resilient, though it never feels that way at the beginning. It has a way of revealing parts of you that maybe you didn’t know you had, like strength, self-awareness, and compassion, not just for others, but for yourself. And this whole experience invites you to grow and honour your feelings and discover a kind of confidence that isn’t tied to what’s on your head, but to who you are.
PHOTO BY BUDZ NERIC
MAGIC HOUR: The term ‘aurora borealis,’ was derived from Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, boreas, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Locals were staying up late to see the northern lights when they made an appearance June 2 and 3.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE HERE Editor’s note: This letter was sent to Squamish council and MP Patrick Weiler and copied to The Squamish Chief.
I
am a local resident of Squamish, a full-time working mother of two young kids. I am writing with a short wish list for Squamish. I believe these items will improve our quality of life here in town. Advocate with the provincial government on the STR 1) We have chosen not to list our house on Airbnb while we go away on vacation this summer, despite having done so in the past, because we feel like the price and the hassle are not worth it. We have simply done this to help fund our vacations. Since it is our principal residence, we are not removing any inventory from the long-term housing inventory stock. Instead, by removing our listing, it’s cutting into the summer shortterm rental inventory in Squamish. Can the District of Squamish engage in advocacy with the province of B.C. to remove the requirement to pay the annual fee (or better yet, remove the requirement altogether) to register a full-time principal residence on the short-term rental registry? Implement a regular Whistler bus for commuters 2) I live in Squamish, but I work full-time in Whistler on a hybrid schedule. I commute to
Whistler two to three times each week, and it shocks me that there is no form of regional transit to get me there. When I do not have access to a car, I will either ride with coworkers or use Poparide. A reliable bus service would go a long way in alleviating the mental load of coordinating rides to travel to Whistler. I know I am not alone in commuting to Whistler from Squamish. As I have learned from many Poparides, there are a lot of Squamish residents who work full-time in Whistler. What is the District currently doing to work towards a reliable regional transit service in the corridor? Squamish is expanding rapidly, and this is something that is desperately needed, both to sustain stable employment and to mitigate the effects of climate change. Build a bike path to connect our lakes 3) It is no secret that water access in our coastal town is actually quite limited. The new oceanfront development has been an excellent addition to our town, but I feel that access to the lakes could be significantly improved by implementing active transit. Perhaps my greatest wish for Squamish is that a bike path be built to connect all of the lakes in town. From Alice Lake to Cat Lake to Brohm Lake, a bike path would go a long way in improving safe, fun and easier access to our beautiful lakes, which draw people from Vancouver every hot weekend in the summer (and limit parking), and who can blame them?!
I also believe that such a bike path would be an added feature to our tourism economy. Much like in popular destinations, like Whistler, Tofino and Ucluelet, the bike path is essentially an accessible tourist activity that allows visitors and locals alike to explore a destination with a greener footprint. A bike path connecting the lakes has been on my mind for a long time. A couple of years ago, I contacted the person in charge of active transit at the District, and she suggested that I contact my local MP to discuss it further. She cited jurisdictional issues in creating a bike path, but surely there is a way we can work together to bring this idea to fruition. What can the District do to improve active and safe transit to our lakes via a bike path? I love Squamish, but as with any growing community, we need improved infrastructure to maintain and improve the quality of life for residents. Nikki Johnston Squamish
LNG BENEFIT? This is in response to the story on the first LNG modules arriving at the Woodfibre LNG site in Squamish, published online on May 26.
I
f LNG projects in B.C. are the economic generators and future providers of government revenue they’re made out to be, why do they require billions of dollars of taxpayer funding? Let’s start with these
made-in-China LNG steel modules that were exempted from federal tariffs on fabricated steel, likely amounting to millions of dollars. These modules will play a role in supercooling B.C.’s natural gas so it can be shipped to global markets by a subsidiary of British Petroleum, which holds a purchase agreement with the Indonesian-owned Woodfibre LNG. Enbridge, a minority owner in the project, has a market capitalization of $140 billion, and it received a $300-million federal loan last year. It costs a lot more to produce LNG in B.C. than it does in the U.S. The B.C. government’s LNG policy framework provides global gas companies with indirect public subsidies. As more and more gas is extracted to make LNG, household, health care and climate costs are rising—and they’re already more than what LNG royalties will be. One summer of wildfires cost nearly as much as what gas and LNG royalties will bring in, not to mention the increasing strain on the health care system from increased fracking and climate-induced health impacts. There are 67 active wildfires in B.C. as I write this, including four that started in the last 24 hours. Summer hasn’t even begun. Laid out like this, it certainly seems the CEO of Woodfibre LNG is inaccurate about ensuring Canadians are receiving maximum benefit for their resources. Chad Hooper Squamish
LETTERS POLICY The Squamish Chief welcomes letters to the editor of up to 400 words. Letters should be exclusive to this publication and are meant to respond to a local story in The Squamish Chief or raise an issue happening in town. Please include your name, neighbourhood and daytime phone number. The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for Thursday’s edition. Full names and neighbourhood will be published with the letter. The publisher reserves the right to refuse and edit letters for length and clarity or to address legal concerns. Email letters to: editor@squamishchief.com.
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SEX: Continued from 9 Q: The porn issue is so different from when we were kids in that they can access so much now online, even if they don’t have access at home. Their friends might show them on their device, for example. How can parents navigate that? A: Part of that is starting to have conversations about bodies and sex early. If we don’t give them the information they need, they’re going to start looking for information elsewhere. And then you might mention, “Some kids in your school might have some phones. If you ever see something online, or you get a message from anyone that seems to make you uncomfortable, and everyone else is looking at it, and there’s a peer pressure thing, you can always tell me. You’re not going to be in trouble.” Sometimes, kids might see something, say, when playing a video game, but they don’t want to say anything because they think they won’t get to play the game anymore, for example. So saying, “You can tell me, we’re going to look at how we can prevent that from happening again on that game.” Q: With porn, it seems it could be so impactful on young brains in terms of moulding how they think people should look and behave, right? A: I was in a classroom of Grade 11 and 12, and at that age, I don’t need to know whether or not you’re watching porn. I just look at the stats. It’s having a conversation about what it
COMMUNITY says, what it represents. The porn conversation is a media literacy conversation, right? The conversation I would have is, “Say you are on YouTube and you’re watching a video. It’s free, but is the person making money? How is it making money? Is the money going to the people in the video? Is that a stolen video? What do you think of the way people were represented? If you don’t agree with it, each click is money. So, are you happy to give your money for what you’re seeing and getting there?” Making them think about it, rather than saying it is bad or they are bad. Q: What are some of the big things you see that parents could be doing differently when it comes to sex education with their kids? A: The first one is that parents are very uncomfortable talking about it, which is normal, because no one told you how to have this conversation. I would tell people to start early, because it’s easier if you have these small conversations early—you can build on them. But you are a parent who hasn’t started early, don’t beat yourself up. Be honest about it with your kid. “You know what? I haven’t talked about this. No one talked to me about this, and I want to change that.” Another thing parents will say is that they have had a talk with their kids about sexual health, and now they are waiting for their kids to ask them questions. This seems like a great idea, but kids don’t always ask questions.
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It can be a quick conversation in the car on the way to school, with the parent saying, “Hey, I read this article about porn and it said the age kids see porn is 10 or 11 years old. Do you think that’s true?” Q: There has been so much politicization around sexual health education, especially in the U.S., with protests around what is being taught. Do you ever get pushback? A: There’s been a little bit of a pushback, I would say, since towards the end of the pandemic. I get more emails from parents than I used to, asking what we are telling kids. Like, “What are you saying about gender?” In any school I go in, some kids are being pulled out of the classroom because there is sex ed health being taught. Health Education is mandatory in B.C. Parents can find alternative means for kids to get that education. But somebody has to teach it. Q: What else would you like to say? A: There’s that group of parents who think sex education is bad. It’s not a lot of people, but they are very vocal. I would encourage parents and caregivers, even if they feel like they’re doing all of the things around sex education at home, to keep really advocating for schools to keep doing it. It’s good for all the other kids to have that. So, I encourage parents or caretakers to keep pushing for it.
Find out more: •Readers can get in touch with Vanderhaeghe by email: tess@yestess.ca •Via Vanderhaeghe’s website, www.yestess.ca. (Where her book is available for sale) •On her Tiktok @yes.tess •On her Instagram at @yestess.familles, •On Facebook at Yes Tess
DARTS & DAFFODILS A DOUGHNUT SHOP OF TIMBITS to the person who
found my watch and handed it to the staff at Tim Hortons in the Estates. Thank you very much. Got something nice to say or some constructive criticism? Send your Darts & Daffodils: Email: news@squamishchief.com or drop off at The Chief office (38117 Second Ave.) during business hours. Deadline for submissions is Monday at 4 p.m. for Thursday’s paper. All submissions must be signed and include a phone number for verification. Maximum length is 75 words. Darts are intended to be an anonymous critique between private parties. Darts must not directly or indirectly identify an individual or business.
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LONG-DISTANCE SWIMMER JESSI HAREWICZ TAKES ON HOWE SOUND FOR FUNDRAISING PROJECT She’s the first Canadian to take on the North Channel, now she has swum from Squamish to Horseshoe Bay to raise funds for Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue INDIGO LEMAY-CONWAY
ilemayconway@squamishchief.com
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any people drive along the Sea to Sky Highway, but most probably wouldn’t consider swimming alongside it. But that is just what Vancouver lifeguard and distance ocean swimmer Jessi Harewicz did while swimming from Squamish to Horseshoe Bay on June 8. Setting off during the tidal window at 1:47 a.m. on Sunday morning, Harewicz completed the 30 km journey in 9 hours and 31 minutes. And the motivator for the challenge—besides the love for the sport— was to raise funds for the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) Station 04 in Squamish. “This was one of my smoothest swims ever, really. We lucked out,” Harewicz told The Squamish Chief. While boating to the start line from Vancouver the night before, she shared that she was lucky enough to see humpback whales breaching. “We had the most beautiful private view of humpback breach right as we were exiting Horseshoe Bay,” she said.
A BIT OF HISTORY Harewicz told The Squamish Chief that her love for open water swimming blossomed in 2016 following a diagnosis of a degenerative hip impingement. After attending a swim camp with a number of athletes who had completed the English Channel (a 33-kilometre or 20.5-mile swim between England and France) she set her sights on completing the iconic journey herself. “Back then, if you wanted to do anything around 10 km, you all went to the same camp, and I got exposed to all these English Channel people, and I was in a wetsuit, and there were all these people swimming without wetsuits,” she said. “And I was like, ‘What is this? I don’t understand, and they kind of just brainwashed me into this whole thing about ... if you can tough [the cold temperature] out, you can swim the English Channel.” Well, by 2017, she did exactly that, completing the marathon swim in 17 hours and 34 minutes. In August of 2022, Harewicz became the first Canadian to swim the North Channel (between Northern Ireland and Scotland).
PHOTO COURTESY OF RCM-SAR SQUAMISH
Jessi Harewicz and RCM-SAR Squamish crew member Chantelle Hancock.
You’re invited! Meet with members of the Woodfibre LNG team for an update on our application for a second floatel for the Woodfibre LNG Project on Wednesday, June 18th, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Executive Suites, located at 40900 Tantalus Road. woodfibrelng.ca
She also holds the record for the longest unassisted (no wetsuit or touching the boat) ocean swim in the Salish Sea—a 30-hour, 58 km swim from Nanaimo Harbour to Kitsilano Beach, which she completed in 2019. And just last year, she took on the width of Lake Ontario, a whopping 51km distance to raise money for the Lifesaving Society.
THE SWIM In a press release prior to the swim, Harewicz said the decision to swim this particular route in Howe Sound took a few years of planning. “I understand why nobody wants to swim big distances in Howe Sound. There’s lots of planning and logistics. Lots of little islands placed close together with some crazy wind patterns and currents,” she said.
“[But] the snow-capped mountains, the Indigenous stories, driftwood, the seals and other wildlife, make it a place to swim like no other.” Harewicz said that the route she chose, from Squamish to Horseshoe Bay, was inspired by fellow English Channel swimmer Shane Collins, who passed away in 2017. “He actually did this route first,” she said. “I remember we talked about it briefly when I was training for the English Channel and he was like ‘Oh, it is so cold, it’s the coldest swim I’ve ever swam,’ and when I started looking at things like the North Channel … I started looking at colder swims, and this swim just kept coming back in my head and I thought—we can do this.” SWIM: Continued on 19
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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 19
GRACEY HEMSTREET AND JACKSON GOLDSTONE FLY TO SECOND STRAIGHT WORLD CUP WINS Hemstreet became the first Canadian woman to prevail at a downhill World Cup in Loudenvielle
DAVID SONG
dsong@wplpmedia.com
A
star is being born on the UCI World Cup circuit, and her name is Gracey Hemstreet. The Sunshine Coast native powered to another gold roughly a week after making history for Canadian women’s downhillers. Her time of three minutes and 21.962 seconds was too much for anyone to equal in Leogang, Austria: including silver medallist Anna Newkirk (3:22.827) and Valentina Höll who nabbed bronze (3:24.389). Jackson Goldstone, not to be outdone, prevailed in the men’s event (2:57.229) narrowly over Loic Bruni (2:57.288) and Henri Kiefer (2:57.764) in that order. It is Goldstone’s second consecutive World Cup breakthrough.
‘IT JUST CLICKED’ Marine Cabirou occupied the hot seat for some time on Saturday, watching numerous athletes fail to knock her off of top spot. Yet the ladies’ race shifted into high gear when Hemstreet dropped in, rocketing through the course’s bottom half to deny Cabirou what would’ve been her maiden win. Newkirk, representing the United States, could do no better than second place. That left Höll, the fastest qualifier and reigning UCI World Champion, an opening to seize glory in front of her home fans...who voiced their disappointment audibly when she crossed the line in third. Hemstreet is now the sixth rider to back up her first career triumph with another, following in the footsteps of Höll and Cabirou in 2021 and 2019 respectively. “I definitely didn’t [expect that], I hadn’t really been feeling too confident this week and
SWIM: Continued from 18 The swim makes up part of Harewicz’s Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound Swimming Project in which she aims to create a comprehensive swim map for fellow swimmers and outdoor enthusiasts. “Since [Howe Sound] also got named a [UNESCO] Biosphere within the time that I’ve been swimming there, [I want] to do as many routes as I physically can within the biosphere,” she said. But it was no easy feat. “This route is a hard route. This is going to be tough because it’s a big, big change in temperatures throughout the route,” she said prior to the event.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UCI
Jackson Goldstone celebrates his third World Cup downhill win on June 1 in Loudenvielle, France.
it just clicked,” said Hemstreet, who’s just risen atop the overall standings. “There actually felt a lot more pressure than I expected, I struggling at the motorway all week but I just pedalled as hard as I could. I felt it at the bottom so I was happy.”
‘UPS AND DOWNS’ Goldstone poured it on to best Bruni at the line by just under six-tenths of a second. From that point on he could do nothing but watch,
“There are spots along the highway that are on the way to Squamish [where it’s] 13 C. And then you go up into the rivers, and they’re six or seven. “Even half a degree Celsius, to one degree Celsius of water temperature change, if you’re not wearing wetsuits, and even if you’re conditioned like I am, is a big difference. So every degree is a big deal.” As an advocate for safe open water recreation, Harewicz is always keen to promote trip planning as she knows all too well how conditions can change quickly. “We have four people on a boat watching one person, [because it can be] very dangerous,” she said. Her support boat followed her throughout the swim and there was a live tracker for people to
visibly nervous, as a sequence of top-flight competitors attempted to rain on his parade. Fastest qualifier Loris Vergier fell short, as did World Cup overall leader Amaury Pierron. Unheralded German Kiefer made a robust challenge as the only man besides Goldstone and Bruni to lead a sector, but it still wasn’t enough to disturb the podium order. “That last split and the stump section going into the motorway, those were the two crucial sections for me that I needed to work on and I
definitely felt like I couldn’t have got those better in my run,” Goldstone said in a press release. “It’s just crazy, you go through all the emotions of the riders getting close to beating your time and it’s so many ups and downs, you feel for the guys that went down or had mistakes in the run, it’s just a rush of emotions.” The Squamolian is now just 45 points behind Bruni for top spot in the overall due to Pierron’s uncharacteristic 18th-place result.
follow along during the adventure. “Hopefully, people understand that this … is my choice, and I’m not putting anybody else in danger or trying to accomplish something that’s difficult,” she said.
[RCM-SAR]. But it’s really important that we raise awareness and much more money for these organizations, because as water sports do increase in popularity, some people are safe, some people are not so safe. And we need these resources at our fingertips.” RCM-SAR Station 4 leader Rob Walter said in the press release that he was “incredibly thankful” Harewicz was using her swim to help raise funds for the organization. “As a fully volunteer crew, it’s only through the kind donations of local individuals and businesses that we’re able to support our community year-round,” he said. To donate to Harewicz’s campaign, visit the CanadaHelps website and see clips of the swim on her social media.
WHY RCM-SAR? Advocating for safe swimming means recognizing that sometimes, people aren’t always safe while partaking in water sports, and sometimes those people need to be rescued. “We have these resources out there to save people, and there are amazing experiences, both on the mountains and water, but we have to respect nature,” Harewicz said. “I’m so lucky to have my own support and family support that we are able not to use
20 | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
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44-YEAR-OLD KEVIN SCHELLENBERG TO PLAY FOR CANADA AT MEN’S SOFTBALL WORLD CUP FINALS The Squamish-based middle infielder feels like he’s ‘making the team for the first time’
It was the culmination of all the hard work, all the sacrifice I put in over the years, my fourth World Championship at the time … and then to go to the Pan Am Games was very special.
DAVID SONG
dsong@wplpmedia.com
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hen Kevin Schellenberg got the call to represent Canada at this year’s WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Finals, it was as if his career had just risen from the ashes. That might sound dramatic at first blush, but consider that Schellenberg is 44 years old. He’d already retired once in 2018, understanding that his best days were likely over and that he had two kids to raise. Being recruited to play for his nation once more, against the odds, felt like “making the team for the first time again. “I think we’re incredibly deep at all positions, and I definitely don’t envy the coaching staff for having to choose this team,” Schellenberg said. “We have a good mix of veterans and younger athletes, some playing for the senior national team for the
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PHOTO BY WINSTON CHOW/COC
Kevin Schellenberg in action for Team Canada.
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first time. Our pitchers have won everything … so full confidence in our pitching staff as well as our offence. We all played at the highest level throughout the year, so no opposing pitcher is going to give us any surprises. We will be ready, although our pool is incredibly difficult.” The Canadians are sorted into Group A once the finals begin this July in Prince Albert, Sask. They’ll have to keep up with eighth-ranked New Zealand, fifth-ranked Venezuela and the No. 1 seed Argentinians to even grab a chance at a medal. Fortunately, they’ll have Schellenberg’s experience to lean on. The Squamish native returned to action in 2023, where a respectable national title outing with the Sooke Loggers opened the door for him to join the Grande Prairie Pirates at last year’s ISC World Tournament. He batted over .300 with two home runs, convincing Team Canada to give him another look.
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Schellenberg brings obvious value to the unit as a cagey middle infielder who expects to line up mostly at second base, but he also brings intangibles like a winning pedigree. In 2015, the local athlete struck gold at the ISF World Championships in Saskatoon and followed it up with triumph in Toronto at the Pan-Am Games just a few weeks later.
“That was the most important month of my entire career because [the ISF Championship] was my first event back from the torn ACL in 2013,” remarked Schellenberg. “It was the culmination of all the hard work, all the sacrifice I put in over the years, my fourth World Championship at the time … and then to go to the Pan Am Games was very special. Next to the Olympics, it’s the biggest athletic competition in the world.” While in Toronto, Schellenberg got to mingle with his fair share of icons like Canadian Sports Hall of Famer Larry Walker and two-time Major League Baseball All-Star Carlos Delgado. He sometimes has difficulty believing he did, in fact, help Canada win a Pan-Am title, but recognizes the achievement moulded his entire career. Something similar can be said for the dues he once paid in rehab. When your goal is representing your country and you want it badly enough, that can provide all the fuel needed to push yourself through the doldrums of nursing a catastrophic injury. It’s truly been a life of hitting and catching for Schellenberg, who grew up as a baseball player and transitioned full-time into fastpitch at 16 years old. This summer will be his final chance to wear the Maple Leaf on his chest at a major international event, and he intends to leave it all on the field. “To stay in the moment—that’s going to be my mindset,” Schellenberg said. “You obviously can’t dwell on what has happened. You have to be in the moment at all times in order to seize [the day].”
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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 21
MARIZA NASU WINS CANADIAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP Nasu will represent Canada at the U17 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro
DAVID SONG dsong@wplpmedia.com
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local wrestler has taken a big step forward in her young career. Mariza Nasu struck gold at the 2025 Canadian Wrestling Championships, which were held from May 29 to 31 at the University of Alberta. Representing Coast Regional Training Centre (RTC), Nasu’s victory in the cadet women’s 43-kilogram division netted her a spot on Team Canada for the upcoming U17 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Coast RTC received the Club Team Award for ladies, reflecting a greater trend of success as British Columbia finished atop the cadet women’s overall standings. A press release notes that “the Canadian Wrestling Championships serve as a critical platform for identifying and nurturing wrestling talent, determining national champions, and selecting members for Canada’s national teams across various age groups.” “Mariza Nasu’s dedication and hard work have not only brought pride to Squamish but
Mariza Nasu’s dedication and hard work have not only brought pride to Squamish but also positioned her as a rising star in Canadian wrestling.
also positioned her as a rising star in Canadian wrestling. Her upcoming participation in the Pan American Championships marks a significant step in her athletic career, and the community eagerly anticipates her performance on the international stage.” Over 600 athletes from each province and territory filled up the senior, junior and cadet divisions at Canadian Championships. Meanwhile, the U17 Pan-Ams are slated to take place from June 16 to 23.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE NASU
Mariza Nasu of Squamish won the 2025 Canadian Wrestling Championships in the 43kg weight class.
Please Contact the SPCA for more details! Visit our website: spca.bc.ca
Meet Kaz!
Kaz is a super sweet, chill boy, who loves to have his cheeks scratched and spend time with humans. Kaz had a really tough go of it when he first came into care. A stray who was emaciated and very dehydrated, was obviously having a tough time surviving outdoors. Kaz is back to his peak health and his soft, shiny coat is a good indication of that. He would do well in an adult home or a home with older cat savvy children. PHOTO BY ANASTASIA KOGAN
SPECTACULAR SIGHT: The northern lights put on a Squamish show early last week.
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Employee Health & Wellness Plan available HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR – Minimum 5 years or 5,000 hours operating experience on excavator. Full-time, Monday – Friday. $33-$46 per hour.
www.whistlerexcavations.com The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company. The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company. We are currently recruiting professionally minded people to join our team:
HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC – Commercial Truck & Transport, Transport Trailer, Class 1 or 3 air brakes preferred. 4x10 or 5x8 schedule. Red Seal certified receive $200/month tool allowance. $40.19- $49.15 per hour. 5% premium on hourly wage for Lead Hand position. CONSTRUCTION LABOURER – Great opportunity to learn on-the-job. Stamina for physically demanding work and perseverance to brave inclement weather required. Previous experience preferred but not required. Training provided. $28-$33 per hour. HYDROVAC OPERATOR – Valid Class 1 or Class 3 with air brakes required. Manual transmission. 2 years experience preferred. $35-$41.50 per hour. PIPE LAYER – Minimum 5 years experience in civil construction. Full-time, Monday – Friday. $33-$43 per hour. TRUCK DRIVER – BCDL Class 1 or Class 3 with air brakes required. Manual transmission. 2 years experience preferred. $35-$41.50 per hour.
Class 1 or Class 3 Truck Drivers *Competitive wages, extended health benefits (after 3 months) Email resume to: info@whistlerexcavations.com
Y APPL
TAKE A BREAK
squamishchief.com
HOROSCOPE WEEK OF JUNE 12, 2025 - JUNE 19, 2025
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Hot chocolate 6. Green veggie 9. Catch 12. Adjust 13. “____ That Jazz” 14. Tavern order 15. Flat hat 16. Snow runner 17. Mother’s boy 18. Take a break 20. Was sore 22. Monkey’s fruit 25. Fire residue 26. “Look ____ ye leap” 27. Record 29. Adrift 33. Big cat 35. Young louse 36. Fishing poles 37. Narrow road
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | 23
38. Genuine 40. Quick taste 41. TV commercials 43. Scarves 45. Grind harshly 48. Female singer 49. Veto 50. Verve 52. Host 56. Devoured 57. Raw mineral 58. “____ and Ivory” 59. Get married 60. Roofing liquid 61. Bullwinkle, e.g.
5. Wait upon 6. Former 7. Deer’s kin 8. False name 9. Crosby, Stills & ____ 10. Burn reliever 11. Road curve 19. Holy people 21. Blacken with flame 22. Church ringer 23. Vocal solo 24. Sign gas 25. Authentic 28. Lancelot’s title 30. Average: hyph. 31. Cut, as film 32. Poisonous serpents 34. Nifty 39. Regard highly 42. Bus station 44. Jazz group 45. Chew on 46. Ceremony 47. Chopped 48. Rich Little, e.g. 51. Age 53. Talk amorously 54. Print measures 55. Tiger’s-____
ARIES March 21-April 19
Some of your friends will suggest doing some enriching activities this week. As an artist, you’ll discover a wellspring of inspiration once you’re in your own private space. Solitude can strengthen your creativity.
to treat yourself to a welldeserved getaway.
LEO July 23-Aug. 22
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21
You’ll openly express what others are thinking. Fortunately, your wisdom and maturity will guide your choice of words, allowing you to communicate with tact and diplomacy.
You may soon be faced with a difficult decision. Even when weighing up the pros and cons, you may struggle to choose the right path. The answer is in your heart—listen CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 to your inner voice. TAURUS April 20-May 20 You may struggle with keeping your finances in check when You’ll need to hold an visiting an attractive boutique. immediate meeting regarding VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 This summer, you may want Having a more spiritual a delicate situation at work. to slim down, which would be outlook on life will lead to Your colleagues recognize greater fulfillment and align your leadership abilities and good for your overall health. Now is the perfect time to try a you with your true desires. exceptional organizational new, healthier diet. skills; they rely on you for AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 guidance. LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 You’ll achieve a significant Your voice will captivate the GEMINI May 21-June 20 accomplishment that will When planning your vacation, audience as soon as you share fill you with pride. If you’re your point of view. Your words single, your soulmate will make sure to carefully will resonate far and wide, steer you toward a promising organize every detail, amplified by the power of new beginning. If you’re in a especially if you’re going relationship, your romantic abroad or taking a road trip. To social media. efforts will rekindle the have a smooth and enjoyable SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 flame between you and your journey, you’ll need to pay You have some exciting partner. particular attention to several plans in the works for your important elements. home and relationships. You PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 CANCER June 21-July 22 may be planning to move in You’re craving relaxation with a new partner. You may and rejuvenation. Prioritize You’ll be in a good position consider starting a family, a wellness-focused lifestyle to renegotiate the terms of whether through traditional to combat the health risks your mortgage or any loans. means or by blending families. associated with stress. This flexibility will allow you
SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.
Crossword puzzle answers use American spelling
Each 3 x 3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3 x 3 box.
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:
DOWN 1. Taxi 2. Work by Shelley 3. Convertible, e.g. 4. Sung drama The Parish of
YOUR PLACE OF
St. John , the Divine Squamish Holy Communion and Morning Worship Sundays at 10:00 AM Rev. Cameron Gutjahr 1930 Diamond Road 604-898-5100 www.squamishanglicanchurch.ca info@squamishanglicanchurch.ca
Exalting Jesus, Equipping His Followers, Engaging the World
Worship Service Sundays 10am on our website and Facebook Live
See Website for Service times and location
2262ReadCres. 604-898-3737 www.squamishbaptistchurch.org
coastalchurch.org/squamish
Share your PLACE OF WORSHIP with Squamish for $10.25/week - Call today to book your spot 604.892.9161
24 | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
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ABATEMENT SERVICES
CLEANING SERVICES
ASBESTOS BC Abatement Services
SQUAMISH BUSINESS BOARD
Advertise your business/service for only $30/week • 604.892.9161 • ads@squamishchief.com
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COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
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HOME RENOVATION & CONSTRUCTION
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construction CONTACT US TODAY TO BOOK! WWW.WOODRIDGE.BUILD | INFO@WOODRIDGE.BUILD
PROPERTY AND STRATA MANAGERS
30
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order Online dominos.ca
10-1257 Commercial Way, SQUAMISH
604-567-6767
REAL ESTATE
WE HAVE 1 & 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS AVAILABLE
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For more details email rentals@avesta1.com
604-815-4545 • www.avesta1.com
Advertise here!
Sea to Sky Real Estate Professional • Connected • Prepared • Hardworking
604-815-2143
www.mikejonesrealty.com