June 25, 2026

PAGE 3

BASE JUMPER RAISING FUNDS FOR SAR

‘Without them, I wouldn’t be here’

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026

SEARCH AND RESCUE CELEBRATES NEW HOME AFTER NEARLY A DECADE OF WORK

Squamish SAR unveiled its new Government Road base Thursday, capping a decade-long effort to find a permanent home for one of B.C.’s busiest rescue units

LIZ MCDONALD

emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca

Squamish Search and Rescue’s new base is officially open for rescues.

On June 19, SAR invited community members to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the new location adjacent to the Squamish airport on Government Road

The base is the first phase of a two-part project that will eventually see more infrastructure on the site. A vision for a new location for the organization, one of the busiest SAR units in the country, began roughly a decade ago. Its

PAGE 19

FROM HOWE SOUND TO THE OPEN SEAS

Meet the local on patrol targeting illegal fishing in the North Pacific

operational boundaries stretch from Porteau Cove to Garibaldi Lake, covering some of the most heavily used and challenging backcountry in the province.

Cam Stuart, president of the organization, said

that while the vision began 10 years ago, the team learned two years ago they would have to relocate from their former base.

“I can’t stress enough how big the magnitude was of this achievement,” Stuart said. “We sort of

got the note that we needed to relocate, and we had a pretty short amount of time to do it Cindy (Welsh) put her head down and built us a really

SAR: Continued on 2

PHOTO BY LIZ MCDONALD/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcomed attendees to the new base on Friday

WOMEN TAKE TOP 4 OUT OF 5 HIGHEST COMPENSATED DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH EMPLOYEES

District releases annual Statement of Financial Information (SOFI), which shows remuneration above $75K

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

While most of us don’t have our wages publicly broadcast, it is a legislative requirement that municipalities release such information about its staff.

Each year, in its annual Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) report, the municipal government must release, among other information, employee remuneration (pay) above $75,000 and total amount paid to each supplier of goods or services above $25,000

Council members’ remuneration, benefits and expenses are also included in the 2025 SOFI

The SOFI report was presented and

bomber timeline, and really we needed to move it to mach speed and be able to finish it without any hitches—so real testament to the team, and to the work, and to all the contributions that have gone into that.”

Welsh, a member of the board of directors, was recognized alongside volunteer Brendan White at the unveiling for their work securing a new home for the base

The new compound includes a modern two-bay structure, on site water and

fire-suppression systems, septic infrastructure, and room for future expansion. Inside, volunteers have improved space for gear, vehicles and operations. Outside, the site has been designed with Phase 2 in mind.

Stuart said the project was made possible through a combination of public funding and in-kind support. The District of Squamish played a pivotal role, working closely with SAR to propel the project. The Squamish Lillooet Regional District and the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation also provided significant support.

White—a volunteer and professional electrical engineer—mobilized more than $1 million in donated or discounted services from local firms.

The evening opened with a territorial acknowledgement and blessing from Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Elder Kwekwin Kwelhaynexw (Linda Williams), whose Indigenous name means “Where the Spirit Lives.”

“It is vitally, vitally important that you take care of yourselves when you’re doing this work,” she said “Each and every one of you

unanimously received at the special business meeting on June 16

Remuneration includes salary, taxable benefits and any overtime paid out or vacation time paid out.

“It is the holistic picture of someone’s remuneration,” Reann Sousa, director of financial operations, explained.

All told, the District paid about $29-million ($28,965,979) in remuneration for employees. Of that, about $19.5-million ($19,538,786) went to earners making over $75,000 per year

Women take four of the top five spots for highest remuneration for 2025 at the District

1. Linda Glenday—chief administrative officer (CAO) = $279,271, plus $12,905 in expenses

2. Megan Latimer—general manager of community services = $198,629, plus

SOFI: Continued on 5

have value. Always remember that you are divinely led.”

SAR volunteer Olivia Rinne contributed a mural to the space—Sky Pilot and Copilot mountains surrounded by the names of donors who helped make the base a reality. Rinne runs an upcycling business called the Friendly Liver.

“I just like to sprinkle a little bit of creative something in all of the different jobs and things that I do,” she said, adding she chose those particular peaks because of how often SAR responds to calls there.

‘WITHOUT

GOT NEWS?

l your news

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

THEM, I WOULDN’T BE HERE’: LOCAL BASE JUMPER ORGANIZING FUNDRAISER FOR SAR TEAM

A near-fatal crash left Squamish BASE jumper Zach Mayne clinging to a cliff. Now he’s organizing a 22 Jumps fundraiser for the team that saved him

LIZ MCDONALD emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca

Zach Mayne knows what it feels like to fall—and not walk away.

On Nov. 11th, 2025, the Squamish BASE jumper crashed into the rock face of Slhanay Mountain, spending hours on a narrow ledge, hypothermic, with a bone protruding from his leg.

“I put myself into a situation I couldn’t get out of I hit, I rode down the wall, scraping, kicking…until I felt my parachute snag.”

When his chute caught, Mayne was still hundreds of feet off the ground, resting on a small tree root He took himself out of his harness, called his friends to let them know he was alive and then assessed his situation.

“I noticed I had bones sticking out of my leg. I tried using my other foot—and it was making sounds and feelings I’d never felt before I’m now aware I have two broken legs or feet, and I’m clinging onto a wall.”

On two broken legs, he climbed 15 feet up a crack in the rock to reach a ledge and wait for Squamish Search and Rescue (SAR).

SAR rope technicians extracted him in the dark, then helicoptered him to safety.

After months of recovery, Mayne is back in the sport—and channelling that experience into something bigger.

22 Jumps is an American organization that raises money for search and rescue teams, veterans, and people with traumatic brain injuries This fall, Mayne is organizing the

event in Squamish on October 3.

“I started the organization in the wake of my brother’s suicide. We were both in the Marine Corps together, and he suffered a massive traumatic brain injury in Iraq in 2006 and his quality of life sort of declined over the next nine years, and he ended up taking his own life in 2015,” said 22 Jumps founder Tristan Wimmer.

“In that time, we had gotten into skydiving and base jumping together, and I had inherited some of his gear, and so I was looking for a way to sort of honour him, while

also raising money for traumatic brain injury (research).”

The reason the organization is called 22 Jumps, according to Wimmer, is that an estimated 22 veterans commit suicide each day in the United States.

“They’ll be supported with packing, they’ll be supported with medical support, nutrition support, you know, hiking support if they need it,” Wimmer said.

Mayne says BASE jumpers will do a combined 22 jumps in a single day, or more if time and weather allow.

I put myself into a situation I couldn’t get out of. I hit, I rode down the wall, scraping, kicking… until I felt my parachute snag.

ZACH MAYNE

A portion of the proceeds will go to Squamish Search and Rescue—the same team that rescued Mayne.

“I’ve been to 22 Jumps events—three of them in the States—and I’ve seen firsthand the impact it makes to the community and to local search and rescue,” he said “Since I have some notoriety in the sport, I use that as leverage to organize an event here in Squamish, so that we can give back in a meaningful way to the local search and rescue team Without them, I now realize I wouldn’t be here today.”

Mayne says he wouldn’t encourage anyone to take up the sport. But for him, there was never a question of whether he’d go back.

“I never doubted for a second that I would base jump again. I remember lying in the hospital just doing the math on what month it would be when I could start jumping again— and what that meant for the next season.”

For more information about the event, contact Mayne on Instagram @zachary mayne.

PHOTO BY LIZ MCDONALD/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

BASE jumper Zach Mayne almost died in November, 2025 Now, he’s fundraising for Squamish Search and Rescue

LOCAL WOMAN FACES $122,000 BILL FOR SURGERY CANADA

WON’T

COVER

Meagan Leicht has lipolymphedema, a progression of lipedema—a disease affecting an estimated 11% of women. She’s heading to Germany for treatment Canada doesn’t recognize

LIZ MCDONALD emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca

Meagan Leicht has spent her life living in Squamish, as most who move here do–exploring the Coast Mountains in the winter on a splitboard, hiking to mountain peaks, or paddling in her kayak.

But after she started experiencing unexplainable symptoms of sudden weight gain, lethargy, pain in her extremities and swelling throughout her body, she knew something was wrong. Multiple visits to her family doctor proved fruitless.

“I couldn’t figure out what’s going on I’ve always lived a really healthy lifestyle, and living in Squamish, we’re all athletic, in our own way, (with) whatever sports we’re doing,” she said

Despite eating healthily and staying active, she described her sudden weight gain as “astronomical.”

It wasn’t until she visited a naturopath that Leicht started to get some answers about these changes to her health, more than two years after they began.

The naturopath suggested she see a vascular surgeon, and after testing, she received a diagnosis of lipolymphedema, a further progression of lipedema.

WHAT IS LIPEDEMA?

Lipedema is a disease that almost entirely affects women assigned female at birth, according to Lipedema Canada. It’s a disease recognized by the World Health Organization, listed in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

The chronic condition results in fibrous tissue building up throughout a person’s body and an overwhelmed lymphatic system that can’t drain fluid. It is not the same as obesity, and is estimated to impact 11% of women.

Conservative treatment for the health condition includes Lymphatic drainage, compression garments and low-impact movement, according to Ottawa Cancer and Lymphatics Centre Once the disease progresses to the stage Leicht has, non-invasive treatments stop helping, according to Leicht The only treatment that removes lipedema fat is lipedema reduction surgery, otherwise known as liposuction.

FACING $122,000 IN OVERSEAS COSTS

Leicht’s launched a GoFundMe for covering medical expenses, as she prepared to fly to Germany for three surgeries. She estimates the procedures, which she describes as a “terrifying” choice, will cost $122,000, including travel

and accommodation, post-operative care, medical devices and the three surgeries themselves.

“I have exhausted what is available to me in Canada. I am asking for help to access the only evidence-based, effective treatment that exists for my condition, in Germany, where surgery is now formally recognized as a medical necessity,” she wrote in her fundraiser.

There is no standard of care for lipedema in Canada, no trained surgeons to perform the procedure, and no pathway for physicians to document the diagnosis in the country’s billing system

And while liposuction is available in Canada, both Leicht and Emma Cloney, president of Lipedema Canada, said these physicians are not trained to meet the standard of care, and seeking it in Canada can lead to worse outcomes and lymph damage for patients

Leicht is in the process of applying for coverage of elective non-emergency medical care outside of Canada She needs a specialist to apply for out-of-country funding and is asking her vascular surgeon to serve as her reference.

“Because women have continuously been denied in B.C, through MSP it will likely not cover surgery fully,” she said “It is why I have started fundraising now to not have to wait and likely be denied (or) have a small portion covered that I would still need to fundraise for.”

CHANGED THERE

Germany approved public coverage of liposuction for lipedema in 2025 based on a landmark study: a randomized controlled multicentre investigator-blinded clinical trial comparing the efficacy and safety of surgery versus complex physical decongestive therapy for lipedema (LIPLEG).

The study was the first blinded, randomized clinical trial performed at multiple research sites in Germany, using 410 women with Stage I to 3 lipedema. All had significant pain, which didn’t improve with non-invasive treatment. The results showed significantly less leg pain, 70% of women’s physical function improved significantly, depression symptoms went down by over 36%, and nearly 70% reported improved physical quality of life

In response, Germany’s Federal Joint Committee took the study and recommended public health insurance coverage for lipedema patients and classified the procedure as medically necessary.

The disease is also recognized in the United States, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom

AN ‘INVISIBLE’ DISEASE

Canada has yet to integrate the newest version of the WHOs ICD-11 into its health care system Because it isn’t a formally recognized disease,

there is no standard of care, physicians aren’t trained to recognize it in medical schools, and women seeking treatment coverage through provincial medical services plans can’t get help, according to Cloney.

“So, what this means is that if you are fortunate enough to meet with a doctor who is knowledgeable enough to say, yeah, I do believe you have lipedema, it can’t be documented anywhere, and because it can’t be documented, when it goes to a policy level, it means that it’s effectively invisible,” she said.

Cloney was diagnosed with the disease in 2021 and has had nine operations outside of Canada for removing fat and extra skin As a registered nurse, she says her medical background was the only reason she could navigate the system at all.

“I can say quite confidently, I think (being a nurse) was one of the only reasons I was able to actually navigate such a convoluted system, both understanding what the responsibilities behind the Canada Health Act were, what my province was responsible for, what the need for coverage for medically necessary care is, and the ability to understand the nuance when you receive half answers and delays,” she said

Initially, Cloney received approval from Manitoba Health’s out-of-province medical referral process, with the province funding

SURGERY: Continued on 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEAGAN LEICHT

As a biologist, Leicht has devoted her career to helping the world around her.

SOFI: Continued from 2

$5,141 in expenses.

3. Heather Boxrud—general manager of financial, information technology and procurement Services = $195,756, plus $2,000 in expenses

4. Julie Wengi—general manager of corporate services = $193,858, plus $3,330 in expenses

5. Aaron Foote—fire chief = $191,832, plus $2,663 in expenses

The report notes that there were six severance agreements in 2025, between the District of Squamish and its non-unionized employees The agreements represent from three weeks to 16 months of compensation

In total, the District paid out $385,465 for elected officials remuneration, $38,056 in expenses, and $67,712 in benefits

• Mayor Armand Hurford—$103,946, $13,174 in expenses, $12,823 in benefits

• Coun. Eric Andersen—$46,889, $3,616 in expenses, $6,004 in benefits

• Coun. John French—$46,926, $7,356 in expenses, $9,777 in benefits

• Coun. Lauren Greenlaw—$46,926, $1,470 in expenses, $9,777 in benefits.

• Coun. Andrew Hamilton—$46,926, $2,824 in expenses, $9,777 in benefits

• Coun Chris Pettingill—$46,926, $5,292 in expenses, $9,777 in benefits

• Coun Jenna Stoner—$46,926, $4,324 in expenses, $9,777 in benefits

SAMPLE COUNCIL COMMENTS

“The SOFI report is a valuable and important piece of our responsibilities as a local government,” said Coun. Andrew Hamilton.

“One recent adventure was looking at council remuneration through many, many municipalities One of the ways I did that was through digitally reading SOFI reports,” he added.

Hamilton noted that an issue with the District and some other municipalities’ presentation of the reports is that they can’t be digitally read Meaning, they can’t be scanned and searched by a computer

“If staff have any knowledge or ability to make it more machine-readable, I think there’s a lot of value in that because I think there’s value to us as a municipality for having our data out there in a machine-readable way because that’s going to be an important piece of moving forward, and we’d rather have the correct information out there than incorrect information. So, if staff could, great. If not, that’s OK.”

Sousa responded that she would take the recommendation back to staff.

Hamilton also noted that compared to other communities, he appreciated the display of SOFI reports on the District’s website.

“I think we should continue that practice I know we’re not legislatively required to go

back more than three years, but I believe it’s valuable for us to continue to do so,” he said.

Coun. Eric Andersen said he always learns from the report, but also questioned, with a laugh, why his remuneration is $37 less than his colleagues.

Sousa responded that it has to do with taxable benefits

Coun Jenna Stoner noted that in 2025, there was a labour dispute and asked how this impacted the numbers.

Staff noted variations are common year-to-year In 2025, the wildfire emergency and labour dispute meant some employees incurred overtime pay.

Coun Chris Pettingill spoke to some discomfort at the legislative rule to have the names and income listed.

“Once again, [I] raise the concern of the cutoff of $75,000 for some of our staff who are in non-political positions, (who) are just doing an honest day’s work for their community. And … the lack of privacy that you would have in any other job seems odd, given that these are not political jobs or appointments. It’s just—that makes me uncomfortable,” he said.

“I understand the transparency and I could understand listing positions and salaries, but putting people’s names to it, especially at a $75,000 cutoff I guess some feedback to the province is warranted.”

Coun John French spoke to the importance of the transparency of the SOFI report

One recent adventure was looking at council remuneration through many, many municipalities. One of the ways I did that was through digitally reading SOFI reports.

COUN. ANDREW HAMILTON

SURGERY: Continued from 4

three surgeries before deciding to pull coverage ahead of her fourth, which she paid for out of pocket. It took her four months of relentless self-advocacy to get approval, calling offices every single day and getting the media involved.

COURT VICTORY IN MANITOBA

On June 9, Manitoba’s Court of Appeal overturned a lower court’s ruling denying two other Manitoba women, identical twins Kelly and Kelsey Fehr, provincial coverage for lipedema surgery.

The two have been battling the province since 2018.

The finding found Manitoba Health had inaccurately applied its own legislation in deciding to deny coverage, arguing there was no standard of care in the province, despite the fact other countries have documented processes. The highest court argued the province was making decisions based on “opaque bureaucratic decision making.”

CALLS FOR FEDERAL ACTION

Aside from her GoFundMe, Leicht is asking people to sign a petition to the Government of Canada to include lipedema within the National Women’s Health strategy under Bill S-243. The petition closes for signatures on July 8, 2026.

Canadians deserve a health care system that recognizes emerging evidence, responds to patients’ lived experiences, and ensures people receive the care and support they need.

PATRICK WEILER

Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country, said he’s reviewed Leicht’s petition and will raise Leicht’s case with the Minister of Health.

“Canadians deserve a health care system that recognizes emerging evidence, responds to patients’ lived experiences, and ensures people receive the care and support they need,” he said in a statement. “I appreciate Meagan’s advocacy in bringing greater attention to this issue and wish her the very best as she continues her treatment journey.”

Until provinces and the federal government move to recognize lipedema, women like Leicht and Cloney are left fighting for a standard of care in Canada that’s well-documented and integrated internationally, but essentially non-existent at home.

“This report, every year, is super important for our community. It is a transparency tool, a transparency document that allows our residents to get a peek behind the curtain, a totally legitimate peek behind the curtain that’s set in law. So I appreciate all the work that goes into this every year and the transparency that this delivers for our community,” he said Next, the SOFI will be sent to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs by June 30, as is required by provincial legislation.

Call forExpressions of Interest

TheDistrictofSquamishisseekingexpressions of interest to lease portions of theSquamishAdventure Centre.

Create astandoutfoodand beverage/retail experienceinone of Squamish’s most visited destinations! This is ararechance to secure ahigh-profile food and beverage/retail spaceright at thegateway to theSea to SkyCorridor.Located inside theiconicSquamishAdventure Centre,thisspace’sunparalleled visibility ensures your businessstandsout to everyone drivingalong Highway99.

Formoreinformation or to apply, head to squamish.ca/adventure-centre-eoi or contactNav Triplett, PortfolioManager at ntriplett@squamish.ca

WHEN WILL THE ROYAL CANADIAN MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE CREW GET A PERMANENT WATERFRONT FACILITY?

District council has provided some navigation toward the goal, but a new marine safety facility is still a long way out on the horizon

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia ca

There is a clearer pathway forward, but it will still be some time before Squamish’s Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) station sees significant movement on its desired local marine safety facility.

The non-profit volunteer rescue organization has told the District they need secure, long-term, on-water vessel moorage for two boats, training, equipment and storage space, and enough space that they can work with partner agencies such as the RCMP, with its upcoming patrol vessel, and

Proposed Land UseObjectives Relating to

theHoweSound/Sea-to-SkyAreaofB.C.

Notice is hereby giventhat, pursuant to Section 93.4 of the Land Act,the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is proposing to establish land use objectives bylegal order in the SeatoSky Natural Resource Districtand Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District. These objectives will bebinding forthe purposesofthe Forest and Range Practices Act.

Theproposed land use objectives wouldimproveforest stewardship in the areas set out in Schedules Aand Bofthe proposed order to help protectIndigenous cultural values, forest biodiversityand old-growth forests.The objectives deal with stewardship topics such as cultural heritageareas,old forests,matureforests,large cedar trees, riparian and wetland areas,and culturally modified trees.The proposed land use objectives arebased on the forest managementdirection contained within the 2025 Squamish Nation Land UsePlanningAgreement (Phase 2)

Thedraft order containing the proposed land use objectives,including the Schedule A and Bmaps and digital spatial files,can be viewedordownloaded at: engage.gov.bc.ca/squamish-nation-land-use

Hardcopies and associatedmaps arealso available forviewing at theSea to Sky Natural Resource DistrictofficeinSquamish(Suite101, 42000 Loggers Lane) and the Sunshine Coast Natural Resource DistrictofficeinPowellRiver(7077 Duncan Street).

The public is invited to comment in writing on the draftorder during the 60-day review period from May 22, 2026, to 4:00 p.m. on July 20, 2026.

Comments can be sentto:

Regional Initiatives,Land UsePlanning and CumulativeEffectsDivision, Ministry of Water, Land and ResourceStewardship,South Coast Region, 200 -10428 153rdStreet,Surrey,B.C. V3R1E1

Email: SouthCoastLandUse@gov.bc.ca

meeting on Feb. 2, with Squamish RCMSAR, local RCMP and Police Services representatives to discuss the matter

The June 16 council presentation and decision was the next step

RCMSAR requested that the District take on conceptual water lot planning to accommodate a water safety facility with secure moorage at Xwúneḵw Park, and engage with technical consultants to advance that process.

McJannet noted that work is well underway on the sea dike at the park. The new non-motorized public dock and gangway has been installed, and there will be a new waterfront walkway created.

Vessel moorage has not been designed to be accommodated as part of the public recreational dock, McJannet added.

Squamish Search and Rescue, with its swiftwater jet boat

RCMSAR’s needs and requests were discussed at council on June 16

Station 4 currently moors its vessel at the Squamish Harbour Authority government wharf.

“However, this is not considered permanent moorage and they have limited storage space in a sea can and trailer on the adjacent upland, and that is privately owned. Station 4 has been actively fundraising for five years for a new vessel, boat shed and training facility,” Sarah McJannet, District manager of community planning, told council.

She added that the integration with other agencies is an “ongoing topic.”

“I can say that integration of marine access is an ongoing topic with marine interest holders within existing private marinas and also for future discussion as part of future waterfront development and park sites,” she added.

Ultimately, council voted unanimously to direct RCMSAR to the District’s new Community Agreements Policy (2025) for support during a future municipal intake process.

This provides the organization with a preliminary water trail forward through the District, toward a potential Marine Safety Facility

BACKGROUND

Squamish’s RCMSAR had sent a request letter to council back in December about establishing a marine safety facility at Xwúneḵw Park.

The joint letter was also signed by representatives for Squamish Search and the Squamish Paddling Club.

In it, the groups say the “primary barrier” to realizing the goal of a facility “has been the lack of a suitable location with long-term security to protect the significant investment.”

After the letter, District staff held an in-person

“Staff have highlighted very significant costs for engineering design and permitting that the District went through for this project to date,” she said, noting there’s no available project budget for further site-specific water lot design at Xwúneḵw Park

However, McJannet said the Parks and Recreation Master Plan is scheduled for review in 2027

“(Staff) will look to integrate the many hectares of waterfront parks that have been developed since the last parks plan,” she said, adding that the marine safety facility could be reviewed as part of that process.

She said that the District hasn’t fully determined that Xwúneḵw Park is necessarily the best and only site where this marine safety facility could go.

Asked by Coun. Jenna Stoner if the SEAandSKY development, on the east side of the Mamquam Blind Channel, could be a potential location, McJannet said it was possible

“That is a possibility, although we haven’t had any detailed design discussion,” she said, referring to the development’s plan for moorage on the water eventually

McJannet said that with the new 2025 community agreements policy, the District will be looking at ways to formally consider community-led proposals, like RCMSAR’s, that aim to provide community-based services, operations, or capital projects that are aligned with the District’s Official Community Plan, or strategic and master plans.

“So staff have suggested this pathway as an option to encourage RCMSAR to build partnerships with RCMP and SAR and work on developing a proposal for potential support for project planning and design in the future,” McJannet said.

She acknowledged that none of these processes are “rapid.”

The intake for proposals for the community agreements policy is expected to open in the fall

PHOTO BY BRONWYN BEAIRSTO/COAST REPORTER

The Gibsons’ Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 14 facility that Squamish would like to emulate.

MARINE: Continued on 7

SKWXWÚ7MESH SQUAMISH TOGETHER CELEBRATION

DESIGNATED ‘MUNICIPALLY SIGNIFICANT’

Council voted to designate the annual celebration in order to support of Downtown Squamish’s liquor licence

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

There will be more “cheers” downtown this July 1.

Council voted unanimously at its meeting on June 16 to designate the annual Skwxwú7mesh Squamish Together celebration, which takes place on Canada Day, as a municipally significant event.

The move was in response to a letter from the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association (Downtown Squamish), which said that the designation would help organizers with liquor licensing.

“The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch has advised that a designation of municipal significance from the District of Squamish is required for the event to qualify for an exemption allowing liquor sales above standard cost-recovery pricing under our

MARINE: Continued from 6

of 2027, with approval set for the financial plan of 2029, for example, according to Patricia Ing, the District’s economic development officer.

“We would get the intakes in 2027, and then … we would start that process to look at all the different plans that need to be put in place and do feasibility studies. But that would be the initiation and it could take quite some time to look at the feasibility,” Ing told council.

RCMSAR Station 4—Squamish has 33 active members and one member in a supportive role Since 2009, Squamish RCMSAR has undertaken 223 missions, and assisted 152 people, including 21 lifesaving responses, the staff report to council reads. RCMSAR also assists in joint responses with BC Ambulance Services, Squamish Search and Rescue Society and the RCMP, in addition to supporting marine safety education activities and community events on the water.

SAMPLE COUNCIL COMMENTS

“As our marine access increases and grows, we need for the Royal (Canadian) Marine Search and Rescue crew to have functional infrastructure to be able to do what they do,” said Coun. John French.

“So, I fully support working with the organization to improve marine safety infrastructure in our community.”

In voicing her support for the ultimate motion that passed, Coun Jenna Stoner acknowledged the attention paid at council to ground search and rescue versus the dimmer spotlight on

marine rescue

“I think that this is a good pathway forward to continue to ensure that we are supporting Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue in a variety of ways possible as we go forward,” she said. “It’s interesting as we’re a week out … from celebrating the opening of the Squamish Search and Rescue new search and rescue base and the amount of effort and collaboration that went into that, I will be very frank, sitting around this table, we haven’t spent as much time chatting with the folks at RCMSAR,” she continued. “But it’s not because you aren’t doing really vital work There’s a lot of pieces here, though, for me that in terms of understanding where the RCMP piece fits in We’ll likely be paying for that facility through our contract with RCMP anyways, so ensuring that it actually is achieving all the things that our community needs is a really critical component as we move this forward.”

She echoed Coun Chris Pettingill in saying that the District can also do advocacy work to pressure other levels of government to come to the table to support marine rescue organizations.

“We can be pushing back to the provincial and federal governments, ensuring that they are also supporting this really vital work in our communities that we know is so critical for everything from tourism to economic development, especially as we reorient our community to being more ocean forward and ocean focused.”

Next, District staff will meet with RCMSAR along with RCMP for further discussions.

special event permit,” reads the letter from Sarah Stewart, events coordinator for Downtown Squamish

The request was further that the District provide written confirmation of the designation for submission to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch

Coun John French put forward the motion in support of the requests

“The celebration scheduled for July 1st is an event that’s well worth supporting. I attended last year, and it was smooth. It was an excellent gathering, and it went very well,” he said. Having a place for folks to have a glass of wine and a beer to celebrate the event, I think will enhance the day. And I fully support the event planners and trust their judgment in putting this gathering together.”

Mayor Armand Hurford noted it is odd that council has to be a part of such processes, but was happy to support Downtown Squamish in its efforts.

“I think there were a number of years where July 1st had a bit of a, we’ll say, an identity crisis inside of the community That was before the current format,” he said,

acknowledging some folks discomfort during and post COVID-19 with celebrating Canada Day in light of the country’s history of residential schools and other prejudices against Indigenous peoples, which were being vastly revisited at the time Skwxwú7mesh Squamish Together launched in 2023, billed as “inclusive and thoughtful,” with music, food and a Xexe7énaḵ Creators Together Market, with lots of Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) member involvement.

“I think that the community has grown to really appreciate this day and the excellent work of the Downtown Squamish BIA to put it on. So I’m happy to see this advance and receive this designation,” Hurford said.

This year, Uncle Strut will be headlining festivities for Skwxwú7mesh Squamish Together

Head down Cleveland Avenue to Junction Park & O’Siyam Pavilion for all the action

In addition to live music, there will be yoga, dance, art and cultural activities, food and drinks, local crafts and community vendors. New this year, there will be FIFA World Cup-inspired soccer skills and activities.

WEDNESDAYJULY1,2026

Live Music: 12pm -2:30pm

FILE PHOTO/INDIGO LEMAY CONWAY Head downtown for the festivities on July 1.

Britannia Mine Museum gratefullyacknowledges their communitysponsors: featuringmusic by The Riverbank Roses

Recreation Services Field

User Requests

Field User Requests forSeason 2

September 1, 2026, to February28, 2027

Request deadline: June 26, 2026

Fields: Centennial Fields,Hendrickson, Artificial TurfField &HoweSound CommunityField

HowtoRequest

Please contact booking@squamish.ca or call 604-898-3604 to get the forms.

Questions?

ContactRecreation Services at 604-898-3604 or head to squamish.ca/field-allocation for moreinformation.

Field User Allocation Meeting forSeason 2

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

5:30 pm at Brennan Park Recreation Centre

Sprinkler and AutomatedIrrigation

Twodaysper week based on street address.

•Odd side: Thursdays and Sundays

•Evenside: Wednesdays and Saturdays

Sprinkler 4–10 am and 7–10 pm

AutomatedIrrigation 10 pm–4 am

Hand Watering

and Drip Irrigation

Trees,flowers,shrubsor gardens is allowedanytime.

Formoreinformation and to see thefull water restrictions,head to our website:

DanceSampler –HalfDay Camp

(5–12YRS) at Brennan Park Recreation Centre

July 6–10, 9 am–12 pm

Getreadyto move,groove, andexplore movement!This camp introduces young dancers to avariety of styles (ballet,jazz, and creativemovement) in afun, playful environment.

Perfectfor all levels,this camp encourages imagination, coordination, and confidence, all while having ablast with music.

Agreat wayfor dancers to discover their favouritestyle and build alove fordance! There will be ashort performanceatthe end of the week,allowing the students to perform the dances they have learnt.

The 55 ActivityCentre Summer Hours

Monday–Friday: 9 am–4 pm

Saturday–Sunday: Closed Canada Day, July 1: Closed

HappyCanada Day!

SummerPoolSchedule!

Beat the summer rush and avoid surprises by checking the weekly pool schedule before your visit! View the schedule at squamish.ca/pool

HolidayHours

Wednesday,July 1

Municipal Hall Closed

BylawServices Call 604-815-5067 forassistance 8 am–4:30 pm

Brennan Park Recreation Centre 9 am–3 pm

Public Works Foremergencies: 604-815-4040 Office Closed

Squamish Fire Rescue Foremergencies: 911 Office Closed

Squamish Public LibraryClosed

The55ActivityCentreClosed

Checkout the arena andpool schedules!

COUNCIL ADVANCES BORROWING BYLAWS FOR FLOOD PROTECTION AND LANDFILL PLANNING

The District has unanimously advanced a set of loan authorization and temporary borrowing bylaws that would enable longterm and short-term financing for flood protection upgrades and planning work at the Squamish Landfill

JENNIFER

THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

Like most of us, the municipality can’t afford everything it needs to do around the “house,” so takes on debt to cover its costs.

For the District of Squamish, taking on this debt requires an annual trip to council for approvals.

At its meeting on June 16, council unanimously passed first, second and third readings of loan authorization and temporary borrowing bylaws that allow the District to borrow to carry out some of its projects.

Reann Sousa, director of financial operations at the District, explained that a loan authorization bylaw is for long-term borrowing and a temporary borrowing bylaw is for short-term borrowing.

For long-term borrowing, there must be an electoral process, meaning an opportunity for residents to weigh in on the decision to borrow the funds.

That process can be through a referendum or, as in this case, through an alternative approval process (AAP).

LOAN AUTHORIZATION BYLAWS

The first bylaw provides a funding source for $1 million for flood protection upgrades

“Most notably minor work and designs for the Squamish River dike in Brackendale and the Sea dike in downtown Squamish,” said Sousa.

Another bylaw provides a funding source for $2.6 million for the residual waste long-term planning, design and construction project related to the Squamish Landfill

“Examples include clearing trees, building temporary roads, detailed design, permit support work and project management,” Sousa said

All of these projects were previously included in the 10-year financial plan.

Had council voted down the bylaws, alternative funding would have had to be found, or the projects would have to be removed from the 2026–2035 Financial Plan

Sousa said that were the full amount of the debt issued for 20 years at an interest rate of 4.95%, the total annual debt servicing costs would be just over $307,000

“As these projects were included in the 2026 to 2035 financial plan, adopting these bylaws will not increase the debt servicing beyond what was reported at the time of preparing the financial plan, which is 17%,” Sousa said

The maximum debt servicing a municipality can incur is 25% of revenues

“The District’s long-term financial planning guidelines and policies have limited this to 20%,” Sousa explained.

According to the staff report to council, if the flood protection loan authorization bylaw, which is funded by general taxation, was borrowed at the long-term borrowing rates and a 20-year term, the estimated annual cost to a residential property owner per $100,000 of assessment value would be $0.45, and $1.21 for business and other taxpayers. If the full amount of the residual waste bylaw, which is funded by solid waste utility fees, was borrowed at the stated long-term borrowing rates and a 20-year term, the increase to solid waste utility revenues would be 3.2%

TEMPORARY BORROWING BYLAWS

It is a bit confusing, but the projects require long-term loans, and they also require temporary loans.

“These projects will require temporary debt as bridge financing during construction to supplement cash flow until the long-term debt is issued As such, temporary borrowing bylaws are required to accompany the loan authorization bylaws in order to provide authorization to borrow short-term against the loan authorization bylaws,” the report to council explains.

Sousa further explained to council that borrowing under a loan authorization can only be done once the expenses have been paid for by the District

“Therefore, temporary borrowing provides short-term working capital to fund the projects until long-term borrowing can be issued,” she said.

The temporary borrowing

amounts—$1,010,101 for the flood protection work, $2,626,263 for the residual waste—are a bit more because they include a 1% deposit.

“The total average monthly interest payment would be $9,000,” Sousa said, noting that the interest rate at the time the report was prepared was 2.86%.

Next, the loan authorization bylaws are sent to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval.

Then, there’s the opportunity for the public to weigh in on this borrowing.

With an AAP process, if the resident is in favour of adoption of the bylaw, no action is required. If opposed, a form has to be filled out and submitted to the District

If 10% of eligible electors complete and submit the elector response forms, council must either abandon the bylaw or put it to an assent vote (referendum) to obtain approval.

The report to council says that the AAP process for these bylaws would likely begin in early 2027

Then, if all goes according to plan, the bylaws come back to council for final adoption

SAMPLE COUNCIL COMMENTS

“This is just taking action on the financial plan that we did back in the fall and into January,” said Coun. Jenna Stoner. “So this has been planned for, but it is still a really important step that we go through in terms of getting electoral approval to take on this debt for these particular projects, annual flood protection and starting to plan for the expansion of our landfill are both really, really critical to the long term services that we provide to our community. And

Borrowing is an important tool and not just because it makes these payments smaller, easier to manage cash flow all those things that we would think about in our normal day to day life.

MAYOR ARMAND HURFORD

so I think it makes good sense that we take on this debt in order to be able to provide those services in the long term.”

Mayor Armand Hurford spoke in support of borrowing as a way to protect and benefit residents.

“Borrowing is an important tool and not just because it makes these payments smaller, easier to manage cash flow—all those things that we would think about in our normal day to day life But there’s this concept that the people benefiting from the services that we’re delivering should be part of paying for the services that we’re delivering, and borrowing allows us to bring that concept forward in the community,” he said. “So when I look at these pieces here, the annual flood protection we’re not just protecting the people and the taxpayers here today, but in future As the community grows and more folks are here to share the burden of those investments or to benefit from those investments, depending on how you want to look at it. This is how they can be contributing in the long term.”

HOLDING A LINE OF CREDIT

At the same meeting, council also unanimously passed three readings of a Squamish Revenue Anticipation Borrowing Bylaw.

This gives the District approval to maintain a $2-million line of credit with Scotiabank for operating expenditures.

“Although the District has sufficient cash flow, it maintains a line of credit with its financial institution, Scotiabank,” Sousa said

The bank does not charge the District fees to hold the line of credit, she added.

If used, she said the interest rate is a “reference rate” currently set at 2.5%

The funds were available, but not used last year.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAM SH CH EF

The District of Squamish is moving toward an alternative approval process that would give residents a chance to weigh in on borrowing for flood protection upgrades and landfill planning

2026 PropertyTax and Utilities –PaymentDue July 2, 2026

Alate penaltyof5% will be applied afterJuly 2, 2026. Asecond 5% penaltywill be applied afterJuly 31, 2026.

Please be awareMunicipalHall will be closed July 1for Canada Day.

Property owners will be sentseparate property tax and utilitynotices.

If youhavenot received your notices by June 9, please contactFinancial Services forassistance.

New owners should ensure taxesand utilities are paid on their property.Ifthere is anydoubt,please call Financial Services at 604-815-5035.

Please Note

Property owners areresponsible for paymentofthe 2026 property taxes and utilities regardless of whether or not notices arereceived.

Property owners areresponsible for applying forthe homeowner grant.

Municipal Hall,37955 Second Avenue

MondaytoFriday: 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.

Ways To Pay

Online Banking

Property Taxesand Utilities are separatepayees.

Utilities

Payee: DistrictofSquamish Utilities Account#: 7digit number

Property Taxes

Payee: DistrictofSquamish Property Tax Account#: 13 digit number/roll number

ImportantNote

Somefinancial institutions hold payments beforeforwarding to us or areindifferenttimezones.

Avoid therisk of apenaltybypaying twotothree business days before thedue date.

2027 Permissive Tax Exemption Applications

Permissive TaxExemptionsare amethod that the DistrictofSquamish, supportedbyCouncil, maysupportvoluntarynon-profitorganizations by exempting land or improvements or both, from taxation under Section 224ofthe CommunityCharter.

TheDistrictofSquamish is nowaccepting applications forPermissiveTax Exemptions.Section 224 of the CommunityCharterand therequirements

of theDistrictofSquamish PermissiveTax Exemption policyapply.If your organization can demonstrate eligibilityyou arewelcome to apply foran exemption. Theapplication and policyare available online.The deadline to apply is July 31, 2026 forexemptions beginning forthe 2027 taxation year

Formoreinformation, please contactus at 604-892-5217. squamish.ca/grants

ByMail

Chequeonly.Donot mail cash. Postmarks will not be accepted as date of payment.

AfterHours Drop Box

Cheque only.Donot leave cash in the drop box. Theyellowafter hours drop boxislocatedatMunicipal Hall on the wall to the rightofthe doors.Please deposit cheques only Do not leave cash in the drop box.

In Person

Cheque,cash or debit. (Payments by credit cards arenot accepted).

Please be suretocheck your daily spendinglimit beforeyou arrive.You mayneed to request atemporary increase from your bank.No post-dated cheques

• 38005 Cleveland Avenue –DevelopmentPermit

• 38459 BuckleyAvenue –Zoning Amendment squamish.ca/review

DISTRICT-FUNDED SSCS YOUTH SERVICES SEE INCREASED PARTICIPATION AND HIGH SATISFACTION, REPORT SAYS

Sea to Sky Community Services delivered an annual update to council on its District-funded youth services, reporting increased visits, expanded Youth Hub hours and a range of programs for residents aged 12 to 24

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

Sea to Sky Community Services delivers a variety of programs available for local youth.

A representative from the charitable organization, which was established in 1978, provided an update to the council on initiatives that it undertook in 2025, which fall under its service agreement with the District.

The Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS) Youth Services Agreement means SSCS delivers youth services on behalf of the District to young people who are 12 to 24 years old

The agreement formalizes youth services delivery on behalf of the District The current funding amount in the agreement is $330,000 annually, which includes expenses to operate the Squamish Youth Hub, youth outreach programming, and youth special events for the community.

A main directive is for the organization to implement the District’s Squamish Youth Strategy, which aims to empower local young people.

The presentation went over some of what the organization has been doing with and for youth this past year.

One thing noted by SSCS manager of youth services, Sharada Clayton, is extended Youth Hub hours, with an additional opening at lunch during the week to better connect to Foundry drop-in services, like counselling.

The Foundry and Youth Hub are located at 38646 Buckley Ave., next to the Skate Park Foundry Sea to Sky offers health and wellness services to kids for free.

Clayton highlighted some of the events put on by SSCS, such as music nights, a disc golf workshop, and a trip to the Squamish Valley Golf Course, and a five-week story writing workshop

There was also a session with MP Patrick Weiler, attended by 19 youth.

There were events with RCMP and ICBC—such as an event that included the chance to try on impairment goggles. Other activities included visits to the Foundry by Don Ross students and vice versa.

“Building familiarity with youth and increasing engagement with staff and the space in advance of the summer break,” Clayton explained.

Sea to Sky Community Services also works with Whistler-based Zero Ceiling, an

organization that focuses “on building career readiness and employment opportunities for youth experiencing multiple barriers.”

Clayton said 12 youth participated in two hiking trips with Zero Ceiling over the summer and four youth participated in the ski and snowboard trip in the winter

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation canoe pull, in its fifth year, is an annual highlight, Clayton said, and is a prime example of community relationships in action.

“This year, in partnership with Squamish Nation, (the) RCMP First Nations Unit, Foundry Sea to Sky and Squamish Youth Services, nearly 50 people came out to recognize this important day and our commitment to the integration of reconciliation in our work.”

Several events were held during BC Youth Week, May 1 to 7, with 100 youth attending events throughout Squamish.

In terms of metrics, Clayton said there was a survey of 21 of the young people who use Squamish Youth Services, which showed almost complete satisfaction

“Ninety per cent of youth reported being very satisfied or satisfied with youth programs and 100% of youth surveyed

reported being very satisfied or satisfied with the staff support they are receiving. 100% of youth reported positive well-being after participation in Squamish Youth Services programs.”

In total this year, Squamish Youth Services saw 106 new youth registered for programs and 4,749 visits to its programs

“This is significantly up from our council presentation in 2024 where we reported to you that the total number of youth visits for the year was 3,049.”

SAMPLE COUNCIL COMMENTS

Ultimately, council was simply tasked with receiving the report, which they did unanimously.

Coun Chris Pettingill spoke to “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

“I have observed just a small bit of support earlier on in life can have such a big, positive long-term impact on life and on the community. So it is really important, and I’m glad to see that we’re trying all kinds of different things to make sure we’re reaching out to youth in all kinds of different circumstances,” he said “And I think it’s really important to keep doing that.”

Coun John French praised the stats in the report.

Ninety

per cent of youth reported being very satisfied or satisfied with youth programs and 100% of youth surveyed reported being very satisfied or satisfied with the staff support they are receiving.

SHARADA CLAYTON

“To hear (about) the growth from the previous year it says to me that the work you’re doing is effective and word is getting out,” he said “And it’s a stat like that, that just double kills me when I see comments online that say there’s nothing for young people in Squamish to do Go to the Youth Hub. There’s a lot going on there,” he said.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

The Youth Hub at Foundry Sea to Sky is located at 38646 Buckley Avenue (by the Skate Park).

THE SQUAMISH CHIEF NEWSPAPER, PRINTED EVERYTHURSDAY BY LODESTAR MEDIA 38113 Second

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EDITORIAL

GLOSSY READ

The District’s annual report is alot like those round-up Christmasletters relativessend. Youknowthe kind.Ithas theglossy overview of howhubby gotapromotion,Mom rana marathon,the family took acruiseand Sonnygot into university.

There’snomention inthe year-that-wasofDad’s affair with aco-worker,Mom’s wine “problem”or Sonny’sinability to make friends.

Allthistosay,the District’s snazzy annual report, whichwas presentedtocouncil by CAOLinda GlendayonJune16, isn’treallythe gritty versionof 2025

However, like your aunt’s letter,the report is still worthy of aread.

It is telling not just becauseitcatalogueswhatthe District accomplished throughthe year,but also becauseitshows residentsthe values, beliefsand priorities at city hall.

Glendayhighlighted that in 2025,the District signed amemorandumofunderstanding “that builds on decadesofcooperation andsetsout a shared path forlandstewardship,reconciliationand collaborativedecision-making”withthe Squamish Nation.

Themunicipalitycompleted theDistrict’sfirst age-friendly community plan “tosupport older adults in thecommunity,” andacommunity grants policy update to improvefunding access and opportunities forlocal organizations.

Therewas also thecompletionand handover of thenew Ménmens ta smánit childcarecentrein Valleycliffetothe SeatoSky Community Services Society.

Among many other highlights,Glenday noted the District creatednew developmentand amenitycost charge bylaws.

“The newrates will ensure thecostofinfrastructureprojectsrequiredtosupport growth in the communityiskeeping up with recent cost increases of majorinfrastructureprojects,”she said.

Shefurther notedthe startofconstructiononthe XwúneḵwParkSea Dike,and the900 metres of the Squamish RiverDikethatwereupgraded.

Glendaynoted that afew keyitems on thedocket for 2026 includecompletingPhase 1ofthe Brennan Park revitalization project, helping move forward thesupportiveand affordable housing projects on Government Road,delivering theprovince’s temporarymodular homesfor folksinencampmentsthrough theprovincialHEART andHEARTH programs,and completing thedowntownpedestrianbridgehandover. TheDistrictwill also beginto update theParks andRecreationMasterPlan, work with Squamish Nation to co-createaframework for renewing thenextOfficialCommunity Plan,and implementthe community agreements policy.

Ultimately,the report doesn’tlet yousee thedirty laundry, butitisenough of apeekbehindthe curtain to make it wortharead.

We’re barely aweekleftinAlberta’s deadline to submit aplanfor an oilpipelinetoB.C.’s coast, PremierDavid Ebysayshe’sstill not part of anytalks

Ebytold reportershebasically doesn’tknowwhat’s goingwithAlberta’s bid.

“I know Albertaisworking closelywiththe federal government on theirproposal; we arenot at thetable,” he said Friday

“We’ll seewhattheybring forward. Ican tell you with certaintythatthe idea of running apipeline throughtothe northcoast will only jeopardize actual real majorprojectsthatBritish Columbia hasaswell.”

HowisitpossibleB.C.isn’t at “the table” afterso many months of national pipeline discussions, especially with PrimeMinisterMarkCarneyintown Thursday to meet with thepremier andmakea major housingannouncement?

HasB.C.asked to be at “the table”?Isthere stillsome waytoget aseatthere before allthe detailsare settled?

Thepremier danced around thosequestions.

“Well, just like Alberta, we’reatthe tablewiththe federalgovernment, we’reatthe tableonthe projects thatare goingtodeliver forBritish Columbians,” he said.

So B.C. is at “the table” with Ottawa—justits own table, with tiny little chairs,overinthe corner,far away from therealaction?

That seemsimplausible at this point. Carney is nota fool.Hehas 19 LiberalMPs in B.C.,who will face severe voterbacklashifthe province is shut out.

Plus,Carneyhas said repeatedlythatB.C.needs to seesubstantial benefitfromany Albertaproposalto thecoast.The question hasalwaysbeen: What kind of benefitdoesB.C.wantand whywon’t theprovincial government stateits demandspublicly?

Eby’sansweronFridayperhaps offeredsomehints. He said he “discussed critical infrastructure projects forBritish Columbia like theMasseyTunnel, like the NorthCoast Transmission Line that’s goingtoenable electrificationofthe entire northwestand reduce carbon pollutionwhile improvingmineoperating economicsand bringmoreofthese projects forward” with Carney

Both of thoseseemlikelyareas whereB.C.expects federalcash.

The$6billion NorthCoast Transmission Line,torun from Prince George to Terrace, is an easy onefor Ottawa to back,given Carney hasalready putitonhis majorprojectslistand touted howitcan help unlock thekindofcriticalmineral mining projects the countryneeds

TheMasseytunnel, though,isanother matter.The projectisamess. B.C. firedthe design-build companieslastweek, andthe previous $4 billion budget is nowrumouredtohavealmosttripled, though B.C. denies this

Does Ottawa want to wade into that kind of gong show?Ifitdoes, youcan betit’sgoing to capits contribution to avoidbeing on thehookfor any overruns caused by theBCNDP government’s chronic slow-playing andmismanagement of theproject. What else couldB.C.expectfor apipeline?

Presumably,money.Whenthe province wasforced to accept thetwinningofthe TransMountainpipeline, it received around $1 billionover20years,plusmoreif thepipelineoperatesatfullcapacity. Some sort of

PROVINCE: Continuedon13

PROVINCIAL VIEWS ROBSHAW

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

(We have good feelings that we live, we work and we play on the lands of the Squamish Nation)

PROVINCE: Continued from 12

per-barrel levy, or lump sum cash contribution, from a new Alberta pipeline must be an ask of the B.C. government, even if the premier won’t say it publicly If Eby can take that new cash and earmark it for improvements for specific provincial programs and services, he can help mitigate criticism of the risk of the project in British Columbia as well

B.C. will undoubtedly also demand a southern route for the Alberta project to avoid any northern tanker ban issues That would dovetail with Ottawa dredging Burrard Inlet to allow for heavier tankers And if the province was smart, at the same time, it would demand the feds dredge the silt around the Fraser River to fix the long-standing impact on float homes and fisheries in Delta and Richmond as well

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘DRIPA IS A STORY OF COLLABORATION AND HOPE’

Since the spring legislative session ended in Victoria, I’ve been reflecting on the most prominent debates in our province right now: reconciliation with Indigenous communities, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and modern rights and title agreements like the K’ómoks Treaty, that was that was passed by the B.C. Legislature in May.

As we face these critical issues, my goal is to work towards a common understanding of the rights our justice system has established over decades. When settlers arrived in what is now British Columbia, European recognition of Indigenous rights and title was expressed through trade processes and negotiated agreements, such as the Douglas Treaties

Despite these and other agreements, only a small number of treaties were reached in B.C. and most land was taken contrary to these commitments. Since then, the rights of Indigenous peoples have been enshrined in many parts of Canadian and B.C. law, including Section 35 of the 1982 Canadian Constitution and decades of judge-made law.

DRIPA was passed unanimously in B.C. in 2019 It sets minimum standards for Indigenous human rights, dignity, well-being, and survival It provides a roadmap for First Nations and the Crown to come together at the negotiating table instead of in the courts, and acknowledges the difficult decisions to be made

While DRIPA offers a way forward, this path to certainty only works if the government shows up to the table. When the Crown doesn’t negotiate seriously, Nations have little choice but to turn to

LETTERS POLICY

the courts, and in the absence of negotiated reconciliation, the courts continue to remind the government of their own obligations.

Along with court action, the failure of the government to honour its commitments to First Nations has led to decades of blockades, social division, economic uncertainty, and misinformed interpretation of complex, 800-page legal decisions.

The consequences of this are not theoretical. In our area, multiple Nations have reported a surge of hateful correspondence. Recently, someone circulated a fake letter in Britannia Beach, claiming to be from the Squamish Nation and asking residents to vacate. As the Nation’s chairperson put it “this type of deliberate provocation is designed to divide, and it truly hurts us all.”

Despite this fear and uncertainty, most British Columbians have not given up According to a recent poll, more than half want more action on reconciliation DRIPA is a story of collaboration and hope. It can bring respectful, mutually beneficial economic development. We need steady leaders who are willing to sit down at the negotiating table, have difficult conversations, and build new traditions of collaboration in B.C. politics This government needs to be doing that work over the course of this summer and beyond, as promised when they agreed not to meddle with DRIPA this spring

If you’re interested in more depth on this topic, I encourage you to view or read a discussion with two former Attorneys General of B.C. and a former MLA from across the political spectrum, hosted by my MLA colleague Rob Botterell, at www. mlabotterell.ca.

To summarize in the words of Chief

There’s a lot B.C. could be asking for from Ottawa. If it was at the table. Which it must be, in some way. Even if the premier continues to claim inexplicably that he isn’t.

Rob Shaw has spent more than 18 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for BIV. He hosts the weekly show Political Capital and has a new daily podcast, Political Capital Daily.

Justice Antonio Lamer, who wrote the landmark Delgamuukw decision nearly 30 years ago: “It is through negotiated settlements, with good faith and give and take on all sides that we will achieve the reconciliation of the pre-existence of aboriginal societies with the sovereignty of the Crown. Let us face it, we are all here to stay.”

Jeremy Valeriote MLA for West Vancouver – Sea to Sky

QUESTIONS REMAIN ON BC HYDRO LINE

Thank you for your continued coverage of WLNG/BC Hydro’s proposal to build a new high-power transmission line through Brackendale. This is an important issue for all Squamish residents, as it involves infrastructure planning that could affect homes, backyards, public health, public spaces, and environmentally and culturally sensitive areas. Because of this, it is essential that public engagement be clear, accessible, and meaningful Unfortunately, my experience so far is that this standard has not been met. Communication to date has been inconsistent and, at times, confusing. Information about the project has primarily come through BC Hydro, rather than directly from the WLNG Interconnection Project Team, to whom feedback is now being directed through an online feedback form This has made it difficult to understand the roles of the different parties involved and how public input will ultimately be used. The online feedback form does not appear to provide an effective mechanism for meaningful

LETTERS: Continued on 14

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

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

How do you plan to celebrate Canada Day this year?

Have your say at squamishchief.com

Did you attend your prom when you graduated high school? (Top 3 answers)

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31-year-old man dies in waterfall system east of Britannia Beach as coroner investigates

TOP TIKTOK OF THE WEEK

This week, reporter Liz McDonald takes viewers up the Stawamus Chief to meet a local BASE jumper who knows what it is like to jump and not walk away Find this and many other interesting videos on our Tiktok channel at @squamishchief

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

inclusive and meaningful consultation.

public input. Furthermore, it actually states, “The additional line will be built within the current right of way (ROW) from Cheekeye Substation through Brackendale to the LNG facility.” This route includes a range of sensitive areas, including private residential properties, public parkland, First Nations territory, and an ancestral heritage site Residents are being asked to provide input, but it is unclear how that input will be used, who will be reviewing it, or what influence it will have on final decisions. Given the significance and complexity of these issues, the online feedback form does not clearly explain how feedback on these distinct topics will be collected, assessed, or incorporated into decision-making.

I attended the March 31 open house, along with over 100 other neighbours and community members, hoping to gain a clearer understanding of the proposal and its rationale. Many concerns were raised, and clarification sought, but these were not meaningfully addressed. As a result, several important issues remain unresolved. As a group, we called for more frequent town hall meetings to encourage meaningful engagement with stakeholders and community members. Scheduling a town hall meeting in the middle of summer, when many residents may be away, risks limiting participation and reducing the opportunity for broad community input. This undermines the goal of

These are not minor administrative concerns. They go to the heart of what meaningful public consultation should look like, particularly for a project of this scale and potential impact

Residents deserve clarity not only about what is being proposed, but also about how their input will shape outcomes

I am raising these concerns in the hope that future engagement will be more transparent, accessible, and genuinely responsive to the community it is intended to serve.

Karin Burns Brackendale

ORWELLIAN LETTER

While reading the letter by Laura Prosko, (former) corporate spokesperson for Woodfibre LNG (“Long history of industry and innovation,” published June 17, 2026), I immediately thought of George Orwell. Not his famous 1984, but his less known essay, Politics and the English Language, which also showed how vague, abstract language is used to conceal uncomfortable facts.

Prosko’s piece has it all, profusely littered with fuzzy buzzwords like: “balance,” “stewardship,” “prosperity,” “sustainability,” “economic growth and environmental stewardship.” It could all be in the Appendix to Orwell’s book as a textbook example of what he’d most likely call a “prefabricated hen-house” of contemporary

corporate-speak. Read it all carefully because language, not tied to reality, is what Orwell would also describe as “meaningless phrases.”

Such verbiage, said enough times, is supposed to sound like - somehow - Squamish really needs Woodfibre LNG if it wants any chance of being a thriving community. As if we weren’t already on our way to becoming one before WFLNG

One other notable example is Prosko’s tortured argument, often repeated by LNG enthusiasts:

1) Britannia mine and the old Woodfibre pulp mill once existed here

2) That history gives some kind of imagined entitlement to now having an LNG facility doing what it does

In other words, think of any poor choice we’ve made in human history: “Well, we did it once! So we get to do it again!”

Most importantly, let’s not overlook those “uncomfortable realities” that’ve curiously slipped her mind about our previous “partnerships”:

For decades, Britannia mine discharged contaminated water directly into Howe Sound. Tens of millions of litres of contaminated water entered the ocean. Copper concentrations were so high that fish and many marine organisms could not survive near the outflow. A large “dead zone” developed around Britannia Creek. Salmon habitat was severely damaged. Local biodiversity declined dramatically In the 1960s

and 1970s, parts of Howe Sound near Britannia were often described as biologically devastated. Britannia mine is well-documented as one of Canada’s most notorious environmental disasters. Not easy to forget At least if we are talking facts

Then there’s the old Woodfibre pulp mill No mention in Prosko’s sunny reminisces of pulp bleaching that used chlorine-based processes that generated highly toxic compounds, dioxins and furans Chemicals that persist in sediments, those that bioaccumulate in animals that can be carcinogenic For decades. All which led to fishery closures in Howe Sound during the 1980s.

Again Not one word

And just as she didn’t mention that prior cost to the environment, no word about the environmental cost WFLNG now threatening Squamish. Note how Kitimat has fared with its own LNG experience: the flaring of carcinogens. One that’ll soon hover over a community that thrives on outdoor life. And the stress Howe Sound and its aquatic life once again will face. Just as it was beginning to recover.

That’s not balance Ms Prosko Not with WFLNG’s thumb on the balance, together with its corporate and political power piling on As Orwell put it elsewhere, its “doublespeak,” and we ought to hear it loud and clear.

Elijah Dann adjunct professor of philosophy and religion at SFU Squamish

LOCAL FISHERY OFFICER JOINS HIGH SEAS PATROL TARGETING ILLEGAL FISHING IN THE NORTH PACIFIC

During inspections on the high seas, Canadian boarding teams check fishing vessels for compliance measures that include rules against shark finning and the use of illegal drift nets

operate. Because there are vessels out there that crew 150-plus people.”

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

For Squamish’s Kirsten Lee, it has been an exciting shark-sized leap to go from patrolling Howe Sound to the open seas.

The local Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) fishery officer was part of the DFO’s fourth annual, two-month-long high seas patrol to detect and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the North Pacific Ocean

The mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard (Op. NPG), was led by DFO fishery officers and supported by the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Canadian fishery officers have taken part in the annual mission since 2019

Lee also participated in 2025

This year’s operation included the participation of a total of 19 DFO fishery officers, including Lee.

The Canadian patrol also included representatives from the United States Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Fisheries Agency of Japan, and the Republic of Korea Coast Guard.

Lee was part of a crew aboard the 83-metrelong Sir Wilfrid Laurier vessel, which is also a light icebreaker

Lee and fellow fishery officers used their authority under international law to conduct high seas boardings and inspect fishing vessel operations to spot illegal fishing and verify that vessels are complying with other regulations.

On this mission, the first step was sailing across the Pacific Ocean from Victoria

“Approximately seven days after we started our transit, we got into our boardings and inspections. Essentially, we’d have our mornings in the meeting, do a daily briefing of what our plans looked like, if there were any target vessels nearby,” she explained.

“We would discuss our boarding teams and then take those teams, go out, do the inspection, and then come back, debrief with the team If there was any admin or paperwork that needed to be addressed, we would follow through with all of that And then depending on if there were any more vessels nearby, there would be odd times we could actually do two to three boardings in a day.”

Overall, during inspections, the crews being boarded were well-received, Lee said The scale of the vessels she was boarding, compared with what one would encounter back home, was noteworthy, she said “It’s been really interesting just going onto those vessels,” she said “And I think the biggest thing for me is seeing the scale in how those

In Howe Sound, vessels she has boarded have had two or four people on them

During the inspections onboard vessels in the North Pacific, crews were looking for various forms of compliance

“It can be a little bit complicated, but it’s essentially compliance management measures. So a bunch of different regulations and rules that are put together by different countries participating in the Regional Fisheries Management Organization,” she said A main thing they are looking for is shark finning.

“In the past, there’s been issues with vessels that will just take the shark fins but discard the bodies. So that’s been a big one over the last few years,” she said.

“There’s also high seas drift nets, which are illegal to be used in the high seas or international waters And so that’s another big one that we’re looking out for, making sure those vessels don’t have that equipment on board. High seas drift nets can span kilometres long And so it can be really detrimental to various fish stock populations, including our own salmon. (That) is also a big part of why we’re out there—to help manage and monitor the regulations regarding salmon To keep those populations from declining.”

Asked about some of the surprising things she encountered on this trip, Lee said seeing their first vessel in about seven days after leaving Victoria was a surprise. Typically, during the transit phase, it usually takes about two weeks before you see a vessel, she added.

“There were actually fleets across the international dateline. So I think that was surprising,” she said

Another thing that she found surprising was what crews weren’t seeing—sardine and mackerel

“We’ve really found stocks of fish that vessels are reporting they aren’t seeing right now. So it’s definitely concerning,” she said. “They’re not spotting them off of their radars.”

She said it’s hard to say what’s going on with those species, but other missions will likely learn more about those fish

As a young female officer, another highlight was a leadership role she got to take—as a lead bridge inspector.

“(With the) inspection teams, there’s approximately five different roles. We’ve got a bridge inspector, so they’re on the bridge with the captain. There’s deck inspection teams, they’re going into the holds, looking at freezers and catch and things like that There’s security who oversees everything,” she explained. “And I got an opportunity to take on the role as the lead bridge inspector. So that was going through and chatting with the captain and leading that

inspection So what I thought was really unique about that was it was very confidence-inspiring,” she recalled.

“I just want to make sure that younger females also understand they have that opportunity too, and just kind of be an inspiration in that sense. And taking that back home for me, I think, instilled a lot of confidence for the work that I’m doing back home too.”

HOW IT STARTED

Lee’s—sea—path to being a DFO officer wasn’t linear. She says she didn’t even grow up fishing. Her work with international volunteer organizations in the past opened her up to international work.

Then, during COVID-19, as the world shut down, she was laid off from her retail job.

“Having the opportunity actually during COVID to research different jobs and learn what else is out there, I just knew I wanted to work in conservation and something outdoors,” she recalled.

“I heard about this job and had heard about this opportunity as well through (Operation) North Pacific Guard, that there were officers able to go and work on these big patrols on an international scale. That was something that kind of jumped out at me.”

She started out with BC Parks first, before moving into work with the DFO.

Now, she is coming up to 2.5 years with the

I just want to make sure that younger females also understand they have that opportunity too, and just kind of be an inspiration in that sense.

KIRSTEN LEE

organization, primarily in Squamish.

“Most of the work that is done in Squamish is focused on recreational fishing, commercial fishing, and First Nations fishing,” Lee explained.

“North Pacific Guard is mostly focusing on international commercial fishing. We do have a little bit of commercial fishing in Squamish with prawn and crab. They’re not on the scale as … what NPG has.”

She said she feels “very fortunate that just a few years after signing on (with the DFO), I was able to actually participate in the operation.” Now back on the west coast, Lee said it is the busy season for local DFO officers, who monitor the commercial and recreational fisheries out in Howe Sound.

“Through the summer, we’ll be working collaboratively with Steveston (in Richmond). That’s our sister office. So we’re pretty busy doing a lot of work down there and then over in Squamish,” she said “Our fall gets quite busy because that’s when salmon are going upstream to spawn.”

Lee hopes to inspire youth to consider the DFO.

She spoke at Howe Sound Secondary, she said, and noted there are opportunities for those interested to do “ride-alongs” to see what it is all about.

“If people have an interest in conservation work, if they want to do some stuff outside, working outside, it’s such a unique opportunity,” she said

“Having the opportunity to participate and work in, for me, in my own home community, to be able to protect those marine species and be able to do something about it too, is really, really rewarding. So for anybody that is interested, I would definitely recommend learning more about the role itself.”

Op NPG is funded by the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, which received a total of $412.9 million over five years under A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature.

PHOTO COURTESY DFO Squamish’s Kirsten Lee.

DistrictofSquamish Zoning BylawNo. 2200, 2011, AmendmentBylaw (1100, 1120, 1140 HunterPlaceAdditionalRentalResidential)No. 3230, 2026

Properties

1100, 1120, 1140 HunterPlace, Squamish, B.C. as outlined in black on thelocation map.

Proposed AmendmentBylaw

The primarypurpose of the proposed Bylawisto amend the existing ComprehensiveDevelopment Zone 99 (CD-99) to convertaportion of theproposed officespaceinthe developmenttoresidentialspace (a mix of affordable and market rental units). The secondarypurpose of the proposedBylaw is to update the CD-99 Zone to alignwith themostrecent development plans forthe site, as follows:

•Add lightindustrial,senior carefacilityand tourist accommodation as permitteduses,

•Remove the requirementfor anofficebuildingto be constructedinthe southeast corner of the site (the officespaceisproposed to beconverted to rental residential space),

•Increase the maximum residential density(floor area ratio or FAR) from 1.19 to 1.36 to allowfor additional rental residential units,

•Add aminimum employmentspace requirementof 20% of the total gross floor area,

•Reducethe maximum heightofaprincipal building from 30.0 m to 26.5 mand adda maximum heightof18.0 mbetween the first floor level and the uppermost floor level,

•Reducethe minimumlot sizerequirement,

Business Opportunities

Requests forProposals

•Urban Forest ManagementStrategy

•Environmentally SensitiveArea (ESA)Mapping Update

Requests forQuotations

•PowerhouseSprings Production

Well 8Construction –Phase 1 squamish.ca/doing-business-with-the-district

•Clarify maximum lot coverage and setback requirements,and,

•Clarify the off-street vehicle andbicycle parking spacerequirements

No Public Hearing Required

In accordancewith Provincial legislation, Section 464(3) of the Local Government Act, alocal governmentmust nothold apublic hearing on a proposed zoning bylawifthe sole purpose of the bylawistopermit adevelopmentthatis, in wholeor in part,aresidential development,and the residential componentofthe development accounts foratleast half of thegross floor area of all buildings and other structures proposed as part of the development. This proposed rezoning meets those requirements

HowtoViewthe ProposedBylaws

A copy of the proposed bylawand related information that hasbeen or maybeconsidered by the Council can be inspectedonline or at Municipal Hall

Online at: squamish.ca/showcase

Municipal Hall at 37955 Second Avenue,Squamish, British Columbia, from Thursday, June25, 2026 to Tuesday, July 7, 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Mondaythrough Fridayexcept for statutoryholidays.

InfrastructureUpgrades

•Wastewater System Upgrades continue in Dentville

•Annual Watermain Upgrades continue in Brackendale

•Phased construction on Squamish RiverDike at Harrisand Dryden Pump Stations and CentralLift Station through to November.

•CentennialWay LiftStation upgrades continue through June 26.

Enquiries regarding the proposed amendment bylawmay be made to the Planning Departmentat 604-815-5002 or by email to planning@squamish.ca

This is the first of twonotices

Publish date: June 25, 2026.

•Workonthe PembertonAvenue LiftStation upgrades expectedtobecompleteJune 26.

• Depot Road ActiveTransportation Upgrades begin June 22. Theprojectwill provide safe, comfortable and accessiblepedestrian and cyclist access,and improvelighting and accessibilityfor all users. Residents should expectincreased noise level and single-lane alternating trafficduring construction hours (7 a.m. to 5p.m., MondaytoFriday). squamish.ca/building-our-future

Soccerfest seeks teams to kick it

Squamish Soccer Association hosts the annual Soccerfest Tournament each year in April. This year we are hosting our first ever summer 7s coed tournament

It will be held July 25th at Brennan Park Recreation Center Artificial Turf There will be short-form 25-minute games all day

We hope to get enough teams to register to make this a success so we can continue to host it in future years. We will have a food truck concession, family friendly seating areas, and a beer garden.

Registration for the tournament is open now until July 6th. Forms and more information can be found on our website at www.squamishsoccerassociation.com/ soccerfest-home

YOUR TOWN, YOUR NEWS: COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS

Take 5 at the theatre

‘TAKE A NEW 5,’ Between Shifts Theatre’s latest production, opens this Thursday , June 25th, and runs four nights to the 28th,

Show is at 7 p.m. at the Eagle Eye theatre

Tickets at the door or go to betweenshifts.tickit.ca

Our new production features four of the five one-act plays written by local playwrights and all feature local actors and directors

Plays range from dramatic to a little spicy!

Come support the arts in Squamish!

The Squamish Chief welcomes community submissions for local sports achievements and arts events. Submissions must be 300 words or less. Please note that all submissions are final and will be published on a first-come, first-served basis, as space allows. Submit at squamishchief.com by going to the “Connect” tab and clicking “Community Submissions.”

CLASSIC CAR & TRAIN SHOW ROLLS BACK INTO THE RAILWAY MUSEUM OF BC

The Second Annual Classic Cars and Trains show returns on July 4, free with museum entrance

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

Dozens of classic cars and heritage trains will be on display in Squamish on July 4.

The Second Annual Classic Cars and Trains show returns to Squamish’s Railway Museum of British Columbia, free with museum entrance

Event organizer Singh Biln is hoping to see about 60 cars on display.

Last year, the show saw about 50 cars, he noted, with 25 of those local.

Previously, the event was held downtown; this is the second time the display will be hosted at the museum, offering a combination of heritage trains and vehicles.

The Lions Club will have barbecue hot dogs and hamburgers, with chips and drinks, available for purchase

“I’d love to see a lot of cars here We have lots of room—we’ve got 12 acres in total,” he said, gesturing to the open field between trains at the museum

His own classic car, a canary-yellow 1966 Pontiac Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe, will be on display as well

At the end of the event, the vehicles will parade down to Sp’akw’us Feather Park

“If the weather cooperates, it’ll be a fantastic day,” he said

The day also happens to be his 75th birthday

“Come out for my birthday,” he said, with a laugh.

The car show is on from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Car exhibitor registration is required. Contact Biln at jsbiln51@gmail.com.

He also hopes to revive a local classic car club, so even if Squamish car owners don’t want to be in the show, he encourages them to reach out if interested.

Find out more about the show on the museum’s website, www.wcra.org.

TheSea to SkyContractors Directory is back!Weoffer free listings forall localcontractors and trades. Don’tmissout on being part of theregion’sgo-to resource—simply fillout the form below to claimyourspot

MAMQUAM ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ADVOCATE FOR SEA LIFE

Students

from Kirsten Sollid’s Grade 4/5 class and Jen Yates’ Grade 1/2 class discuss their year-end project on plastics and their impact on ocean and human life

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

It’s Friday afternoon at the Mamquam Elementary School library, and along with the expected books, the June sun shines through the windows onto several jellyfish and a chromodoris. In the classroom down the hall are dolphins and stingrays.

This isn’t an environmental miracle, or disaster. The marine animals are lovingly handcrafted out of plastic and other recycled materials—and that is the point.

They are the work of students from Kirsten Sollid’s Grade 4/5 class and Jen Yates’ Grade 1/2 class, a result of a project on plastics and their impact on ocean and human life.

Yates told The Squamish Chief that during a year-long “Be My Own Hero” social studies project, students looked at local leaders to see how one person can change the world. “After learning about David Suzuki and what his foundation does to positively impact the environment, students were inspired to look at our school’s waste more closely. They sorted their classroom waste to see what could be reduced, reused, recycled, or composted,” she

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explained.

“Through this work, students learned that people use too much plastic. They found out that this plastic ends up in the ocean and hurts sea animals. When they checked our school trash, they saw that a huge part of it was soft plastic film (plastic wrap). They decided that they could make some positive changes right in their own school community.”

The kids advocated to get a flexible plastics bin for their school, so students can divert this waste to be recycled properly.

“For their final project, students learned how to protect ocean life. They built beautiful sea creatures out of recycled materials,” Yates said. They hope that by speaking up about their project, other schools and individuals will be inspired to take another look at their waste and make positive changes.

The students explained that plastics make their way into wildlife like fish, dolphins, and eagles, and that hurts them When we eat those things, it hurts us too, they said

“Around 35% of ocean garbage is micro-plastics that comes off of our clothes when we wash them,” added Calvin, who further explained that the chromodoris, his art piece, is a colourful sea slug that is about three inches long

Students noted that plastic pollution also looks awful in our environment.

In addition to recycling as much as possible, students had plenty more suggestions for how others in Squamish could help make the environment better, such as picking up trash, packing out what you pack in, packing

Through this work, students learned that people use too much plastic. They found out that this plastic ends up in the ocean and hurts sea animals.

JEN YATES

plastic-free lunches and more.

“You can take small showers,” Loche said “Like a minute’s good, but not an hour.”

Yates said the students thought about what their (artistic) sea animals would say about all the plastic pollution, if they could.

“If they could still be alive after they died, they would probably say ‘Stop, you shouldn’t do that It impacts a lot of sea life and it can hurt a lot of people—even you’,” said Mia.

The Squamish Chief is not including the students’ last names for their safety Students who were interviewed were Kinley, Mia, Loche, Calvin, Desiree, Avery, Abby and Lily

PHOTOS BY (LEFT) JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF: (RIGHT) JENNIFER YATES

Students from Kirsten Sollid’s Grade 4/5 class and Jen Yates’ Grade 1/2 class completed a project on plastics and their impact on ocean and human life

ARTIST ASPIRES TO CONTINUE SQUAMISH’S ‘CULTURAL CROSSINGS’ WITH SCOTLAND, IN INDIGENOUS-INSPIRED EXHIBIT

A local artist, heavily inspired by a Squamish Nation master carver’s work in the U.K., has opened a summer exhibit

INA PACE

ipace@lodestarmedia.ca

Squamish and Scotland (in the U.K.) are more culturally interconnected than you might think.

Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) master carver Xwalacktun (Rick Harry) helped carve 34 landmark totem poles across Scotland, visiting twice a year over the course of a 12- year cultural exchange project

The Scottish Pole Project began in the early 2000s when a Scottish woodworker (Kenny Grieve) visited the west coast of B.C. Grieve recruited a group of local carvers to support his workshop Brotus (in Fife) in creating traditional story telling through art. The group also included fellow Nation member Tawx’sin Yexwulla (Aaron Nelson-Moody).

“Every time we went over, they had two or three logs (of limewood) waiting for us,” Harry said.

“Scottish people didn’t have a written language, same as us; we told our stories and messages through pole carving. I overlapped our stories with theirs to show that we’re all connected to Mother Earth.”

Squamish-based artist Dana Finnie—who has both Scottish ancestry, and a personal history with Harry—has started her own project called Cedar and Thistle: Crossing Bloodlines and Tree Rings, so-called because red western cedar is recognized as B.C.’s provincial tree, and thistle is Scotland’s national flower

Finnie has painted two acrylics on canvas using the same palette; they are inspired by Coast Salish art and Harry himself, and both depict a wood carving with copper eyes In one painting, there is the face of a wolf lying down with a carving tool resting across it The wolf’s face is within the moon in the other painting “as an observer” or “a dream,” Finnie explained.

She described the two paintings as the Cedar and Thistle “project initiates.” These are the first two paintings of what Finnie hopes will become an extensive collection.

On June 16, they were unveiled at a reception at The Brackendale Art Gallery (The BAG), as part of The Summer Show. Finnie completed the paintings last year, having previously displayed them in April at the Community Art Show at the Sea to Sky Gallery in Britannia Village.

“The style is very unique, it’s very clearly an exercise in light and shadow, which is true for all of my work,” she said

“These are curiosity pieces (to see how my style will change) images that stood out as monumental and meaningful to me (They) are part of a much larger body of work, continuing cultural crossings, collaboration, storytelling, artistic expression, and documentation.”

The Cedar and Thistle “initiates” are inspired by a six-foot house post Harry gave Finnie a few

years ago as part of a trade. The carving on this house post, she said, was a collaboration between the two of them, and inspired by events in her personal life

Harry clarified that a wolf in Indigenous symbolism represents familial strength and the ability to keep moving forwards

Finnie recalled how Harry had visited her school—Garibaldi Highlands Elementary—in 1982 and taught her class how to draw and paint the contemporary style of the Haida orca They kept in contact over the years, with Harry coming to visit her art shows when she was a student at Capilano University in North Vancouver

Finnie said that Harry is now encouraging her to go to Scotland to paint each of the 34 poles he helped to carve in various locations. The expansion of Cedar and Thistle, she explained, feels logical to her, but she has not travelled to Scotland yet as Cedar and Thistle is still very much in the planning and development phase. She said she is yet to connect with—for example—Grieve, funders, and potentially documentary filmmakers.

“The more research I do, the more I realize everything’s in place to continue the project. The relationship is long standing and full of curiosity, and a really incredible opportunity,” she said “I hope that (viewers) get a sense of expansion, cross-cultural integration and a feeling of unity through humanity to look at the importance of representing art as a piece of what we’re here for.””

The style is very unique, it’s very clearly an exercise in light

and shadow, which is true for all of my work.

Harry confirmed that he still maintains his working relationship with Grieve, and that Grieve’s next visit to Canada is due this September.

The Summer Show, featuring Cedar and Thistle: Crossing Bloodlines and Tree Rings, is at The BAG, which is open between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. until Aug. 8. Admission is free. Folks can reserve a spot via Eventbrite.

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

Meet Louise andLyle

thehappy pair of Zebrafinches wholovetochatteraway. Actually, they soundmorelikea squeaky toy, whichispretty cute.Zebra Finchesare notknown to be social with humans or hand tamed. They are more of awatch andenjoy thebirdsounds kind of bird. They need acagethatismore long then high, as they love to fly back andforth allday with abathand food breaknow andthen.

PHOTO BY INA PACE/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Artists Dana Finnie and Xwalacktun (Rick Harry) at “The Summer Show” opening reception at The Brackendale Art Gallery, June 16

DANA FINNIE

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Crosswordpuzzle answers use American spelling

LASTWEEK’SANSWERS:

HOROSCOPE WEEK OF JUNE 25, 2026 -JULY1,2026

ARIES March 21-April 19

You’llembarkonaspiritual journeythatbroadensyour horizonsandnurturespersonal growth.Reconnectingwithyour valuesandbeliefswillbringa senseofinnerpeace.Thisperiod oftransformationwillberesonant andraiseyourconsciousness.

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GEMINI May21-June 20

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CANCER June 21-July 22

Yourphysicalhealthisoften influencedbyyourmental health,soyou’llneedtoexplore yourfeelingsandsubconscious thoughtstounderstandwhat’s causingyourdiscomfort.If youhaveachronicillness,this introspectioncouldrevealnew pathstohealing.

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You’lljuggleamoveandaproject closetoyourheart.Yourromantic partner’ssupportwillbeinvaluable.Orderinyourlivingspacewill bringmentalclarity,promoting serenity,motivationandasenseof balance.Thesequalitieswillhelp youmaintainyourpriorities

LIBRA Sept.23-Oct. 22

You’llexpressyouropinions boldly,evenifthey’renot alwayspopular.Yourcharmand eloquencewillinspireothers toembraceyourideas.Artwill beapowerfulchannelforselfexpression,touchingthehearts andmindsofothers.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov.21

Financialconcernsmaycause stress,soholdthingsinperspective. Moneyisimportant,butlove, healthandhappinessshouldbe yourpriorities.Regainingthis insightwillbringcalmandhelpyou returntowhatmattersmost.

SAGITTARIUS Nov.22-Dec. 21

Youaredrivenbyenthusiasm andambition.Youwelcome stimulatingchallenges. Professionalorpersonalsuccess isonthehorizon.You’lltake asteptowardrealizingabig dream.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan.19

Adifficultsituation—ahard-tokeepsecret,perhaps—mayweigh onyourmind.Thinkcarefully beforeactingandtrustyour intuition.Yourguardianangels willleadyoutowardtheright decision.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb.18

Limityourcoffeeintaketobetter managestressandagitation.When facedwithdifficultsituations, practicereleasingcontrol.Focus onyourpriorities.Thiswillhelp youhandleunexpectedsituations andprofessionalchallengesmore calmly.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

Newprofessional opportunitiesareonthe horizon,whichwillshowcase yourskillsandexperience.If youcanadapt,you’llpersevere toachieveyourgoals.The processwillenhanceboth yourachievementsandyour financialstability.

HOWTOPLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3box contains the numbers1through 9only once. Each 3x3box is outlined with adarker line. Youalready have afew numbers to getyou started. Remember:you must not repeat the numbers1through 9in the same line, column or 3x3box

Holy Communion and Morning Worship

Sundays at 10:00 AM

Rev Cameron Gutjahr 1930 Diamond Road 604-898-5100

ExaltingJesus,Equipping His Followers,Engaging theWorld

www.squamishanglicanchurch.ca info@squamishanglicanchurch.ca WorshipService Sundays 10am

onour website and Facebook Live 2262ReadCres. 604-898-3737 www.squamishbaptistchurch.org

SUDOKU

BIG DREAMS.BIG MEMORIES. BIG THANKS TO OURSUPPORTERS

Your generosity, encouragement, andcommunity spirit helpedmakeHSS Prom 2026 an unforgettable experience. We aredeeply grateful foryoursupport.

Acuflo Therapy

Aikam ElectricalContractors

All-Terrain ExcavatingLtd

Alta Lake ElectricLtd

Angie VazquezPrec.

CapilanoUniversity

Carbon Engineering

Coast Mountain Academy

Coastal Mountain Excavations Ltd

DiamondHeadDental

DowntownSquamish BIA

Everyday Leaders

Garibaldi Supply Company

GFL-Green forLife

GSK LLPCharteredProfessionalAccountants

HealthyHeartsHealthy Minds Inc.

NewEra Plumbing& HeatingLtd

NormalBeverage, LTD.

Panago Pizza Squamish

Pettit andCompany

PICS Inc(PresentingSponsor)

Quantum TechnologyCorp

RONA

Save-On-Foods

SeatoSky Courier andFreight

ScottMcQuade -Realtor

ServiceMaster Clean &RestoreSea to Sky

SSA Marine

Stong’sMarket

Squamish Terminals

Sweeney Bride Strategic Wealth Advisory

TASU Construction

LANDSEA

MACLEOD &COMPANY

McDonald’s

Melanie Anne Bitner Brand &Design

Mount Garibaldi Lodge no.127

NestersMarket

TerraNovaSquamish Medical Clinic

TimHorton’s

TheLocals Board

Wind Studio SeatoSky Print andDesign

XL Audio Visual

Toour parentsand volunteers:thank you. Together, we created somethingtruly extraordinary.