NEARLY THERE: Another construction milestone has been reached on the Woodfibre LNG site. On March 10, the 15th module of 19 arrived aboard the specialized heavy cargo vessel Red Zed 1. The 10,847 metric-tonne liquefaction module is the heaviest and one of the largest pieces of the LNG export facility under construction on the southwest shores of Howe Sound. The company says this module is a “central” component of the LNG production process. Once installed and in operation, it will cool natural gas to approximately -162C, compressing it into an energy-dense liquid so it can be shipped overseas.
SEA TO SKY TRANSIT PUSH HITS PROVINCIAL GOVERNANCE HURDLE
Student safety concerns renew calls for service between Squamish and Whistler, but the province says local governments must lead transit planning
LIZ MCDONALD emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca
Those hoping the provincial government will champion regional transit in the Sea to Sky Corridor may be disappointed.
In December, the Sea to Sky School District (SD48) sent a letter requesting inter-regional transportation between Squamish and Whistler, citing safety concerns for student athletes travelling between communities for winter sport practices.
But the issue highlights a larger challenge: the corridor still lacks a regional transit commission, the governance structure used elsewhere in B.C. to fund and operate regional transit systems.
In the letter, board chair April Lowe outlined
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PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH @OISINMCHUGHPHOTO
TRANSIT: Continued from 1
Some students, she wrote, are using ride-sharing apps despite being underage, which she called “a serious and urgent student safety concern.”
In his reply, Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth did not address the safety concerns directly, instead pointing to how transit services are structured outside Metro Vancouver.
“As you may know, although the provincial government, through BC Transit, is proud to help fund transit, decisions regarding inter-city transit outside of Metro Vancouver are made by local governments, who subsequently work with BC Transit to determine feasibility,” he wrote.
Farnworth added that his ministry is “committed to working towards” scheduled transit service in the Sea to Sky and said staff have engaged with First Nations, local governments and BC Transit on the issue.
“A key consideration will be what the local partners envision and are willing to contribute to the service,” he said, encouraging SD48 to contact the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and municipalities in the corridor.
In a statement to The Squamish Chief, Lowe said the district will continue advocating for improved transportation options.
“We appreciate Minister Farnworth’s response and remain committed to advocating for safe and accessible transportation for Sea to Sky School District students. As recommended, we will continue engaging with municipalities and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District as we work toward solutions,” she said in an emailed statement.
Continued on 14 concerns about students travelling between communities to attend winter sport practices.
The Ministry of Transportation and Transit said in an email to The Squamish Chief improving transportation access remains a priority but emphasized that regional transit systems rely on partnerships between the province and local governments.
“While the province is committed to supporting regional transit solutions, local governments must first determine the preferred service model, governance structure, and the level of local funding needed to advance a regional transit system,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry statement did not address whether the province would consider establishing a regional transit commission for the Sea to Sky Corridor, a step required under provincial legislation before regions can collect a motor fuel tax to fund transit service.
Under BC Transit’s partnership model, local governments contribute funding through fares and property taxes and make decisions about service design, including routes and frequencies.
The ministry pointed to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission as an example of how regional governance can work in B.C.
In that model, municipalities jointly oversee transit service alongside the province and
fund it through a mix of fares, property taxes and a regional motor fuel tax.
EXISTING TRANSIT MODEL
Calls for improved regional transportation in the Sea to Sky Corridor are not new.
While no transit currently connects Squamish and Whistler, residents travelling between Pemberton and Whistler already have a public transit option.
The Route 99 Pemberton commuter was introduced in the 2000s and operates through Whistler Transit Ltd. as part of the Pemberton Valley Transit System.
Pemberton’s village council sets fares, routes and service levels through coordinated planning with BC Transit, according to the Village of Pemberton.
An undated cost comparison from the village highlights the potential savings for commuters.
A driver travelling between Pemberton and Whistler five days a week would log roughly
18,200 kilometres per year. Fuel costs alone can reach thousands annually, not including insurance, maintenance, financing or depreciation.
By comparison, the annual cost of an adult commuter bus pass is $910.
PUSH FOR REGIONAL SYSTEM
Despite the Pemberton–Whistler commuter route, the corridor still lacks public transit connecting Squamish and Whistler.
Though that wasn’t always the case. As reported by Daily Hive in 2023, a pilot BC Transit bus ran between Squamish and Whistler for five years, starting in 2005. The article also referenced a BC Transit study on the feasibility of transit from Squamish to Pemberton, which made a strong case for the route.
While SD48 called specifically for a bus linking Squamish and Whistler, local officials say the broader issue is the lack of an integrated regional transportation system.
Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said successive Sea to Sky governments have been working toward that goal for years. He sits on a regional transit committee studying options for the corridor.
“The goal of that group is to have a cohesive system from Mount Currie into Metro Van or TransLink, if you think about it that way. And rather than piecemeal stitching together service from Squamish to Whistler, say, and then to Pemberton, having all these things talk to each other,” he said.
One proposal would fund the system through a regional motor fuel tax overseen by a transit commission.
Hurford said residents in the Sea to Sky already pay fuel prices comparable to regions that levy such a tax, but the revenue does not currently support transit in the corridor.
“It’s just going into the pockets of the fuel stations,” he said.
But progress toward a regional system has
PHOTO BY EDB3_16/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES
A letter from the Sea to Sky School District has put a spotlight on a long-running gap in corridor transportation: there is still no public transit linking Squamish and Whistler.
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DISTRICT RINK FIXES TACKLE HUMIDITY ISSUES BEHIND FALL CLOSURE
The District says it has made key improvements at the Brennan Park Recreation Centre ice arena since last fall’s humidity-driven shutdown, including stricter door management, a replaced Zamboni bay door and scheduled preventative HVAC maintenance
JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca
There have been improvements have been made to the ice arena at Brennan Park Recreation Centre since its September closure, addressing issues that contributed to humidity problems and a three-week shutdown.
That is the takeaway from the presentation council heard at its March 10 committee of the whole meeting.
At the meeting, Paul Ellis, principal of Summit Building Consultants Inc., gave the council a brief review of his Ice Rink Closure - Root Cause Analysis report.
The District’s Harmony Cornwell, director of facilities planning, then shared with council what’s been done since the report to address issues brought to light through the ice rink investigation.
“Renovating a recreational facility while it remains open to the community does provide continuity of service along with inherent operational friction,” Cornwell said.
“The ice rink was shut down for 21 days. While we know this is disruptive, a full facility shutdown for the entire renovation would have resulted in much deeper community disruption.”
BACKGROUND
On Sept. 2, 2025, the District temporarily closed the arena.
All programming and public uses of the rink were cancelled, including the start of the hockey and figure skating seasons.
The District cited humidity issues in the rink resulting from renovation work that temporarily removed a portion of a wall between the rink and the pool as the cause of the problem.
The arena, built in 1977, shares a structural wall with the pool, which was built in 1992, along its south side.
As reported previously, the report states that the issues in the rink were caused by multiple compounding factors, including summer warm temperatures outside in the lead-up to the closure.
Other listed factors in the report include the renovation work on the centre that removed the south wall, allowing humid air
Since the rink reopened in late September, “active door management” has been instituted at the rink, addressing one observation in the report that doors were being opened “frequently” and letting in humidity, which was one of the several contributing factors to the problems that ultimately led to the rink closure, according to the consultant’s report.
from other areas, in particular the indoor pool area, which was experiencing a mechanical failure and near-100% humidity, to move into the ice arena.
The report also says the arena’s four dehumidifiers, which were installed as part of a mechanical upgrade completed in 2022, only work to dehumidify the air in the immediate vicinity of each unit. They were not up to the task of dealing with the large-scale facility’s humidity.
“The ice arena’s current dehumidification system is undersized for the facility, limiting its ability to control humidity under these conditions,” the report reads.
UPDATES SINCE REOPENING
Since the rink reopened in late September, “active door management” has been instituted at the rink, addressing one observation in the report that doors were being opened “frequently” and letting in humidity, which was one of the several contributing factors to the problems that ultimately led to the rink closure, according to Ellis’ report.
“District and construction staff have been instructed to keep doors closed unless required for deliveries,” Cornwell said.
“The team is instructed to observe the usage of these doors during daily inspec-
tions.”
Cornwell also said that the Zamboni overhead bay door, which wasn’t working when Ellis visited, had been replaced.
A semi-annual scheduled preventative maintenance plan utilizing contracted professional HVAC technicians has also been initiated.
“Prior to the event, preventative maintenance was performed by site staff. Postevent, we have added a semi-annual scheduled preventative maintenance plan utilizing contracted professional HVAC technicians,” Cornwell said.
In addition to the work that has been completed, other work is underway, including technology updates and monitoring.
Staff are in the process of purchasing CO2 sensors for the arena, which the report noted weren’t installed. (Ellis said in his report that this is not uncommon for an arena of its era.)
“Additionally, to replace old notebooks and spreadsheets, the District is rolling out a centralized digital asset management system known as Cityworks this year to formally track maintenance work against District assets,” Cornwell said.
In the report by Ellis, it was noted that “no maintenance records or logbooks were available for review” for the dehumidification
units.
In terms of the physical structure, Cornwell said crews expect to reinstate the permanent south wall by spring.
The original wall was thin and slatted, with no insulation or thermal break.
The new wall will be “thermally broken,” insulated, and include a vapour barrier, Cornwell said.
“What this means is there are systems in place that stop heat and moisture from moving from between different areas of the building,” she said. “Upon project completion, we will have the ability to cool the space immediately adjacent to the ice rink that we did not have before.”
Cornwell said that in terms of changes to government and oversight, the District is strengthening its project management approach to support renovations with minimal disruption.
“This means more in-depth upfront planning, enhanced risk identification, and operational impact assessments before construction begins,” she said.
As part of the 2027 to 2036 financial plan review, a plan to design and construct a revised HVAC system that meets existing codes and best practices will be submitted, according to Cornwell.
“This project will also consider upgrading the arena ceiling and wall insulation, and it will be done in coordination with the work from the recreation centre task force,” Cornwell said.
The primary pool air-handling unit replacement project is in the planning phase and is on track to be completed at the end of 2027, she added.
Among several council questions, Coun. Chris Pettingill noted that one of the contributing factors to the need to close the arena was that some dehumidifiers weren’t functioning at full capacity, so he questioned whether that was known prior to the closure.
Warren Jaggers, District manager of facilities operations and maintenance, said that while District employees do daily rounds of the building every two hours, the issues with the dehumidifiers weren’t known.
“There was no measured performance data on the existing condition of the dehumidifiers at the time. Maintenance was done
Continued on 14
PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF
THE FUTURE OF THE EAGLEWIND COURTS—ANYTHING BUT PICKLEBALL
The District is reopening the conversation about what should happen at the long-closed Eaglewind courts — but with one clear boundary
JENNIFER THUNCHER
jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca
What should temporarily go in the old pickleball courts in the Eaglewind neighbourhood?
This is what the municipality will be considering after council voted 4-3 on March 10 to have consultation on interim activities for the closed courts, while a bigger master plan for recreation goes through its years-long process.
District staff came before council at the committee of the whole for direction from elected officials on how to utilize funding set aside for the rehabilitation and construction of tennis courts in town.
The staff recommendation for elected officials was that they direct muni staff to use the funding to convert the Eaglewind courts back to tennis courts.
However, with a resolution put forward by Mayor Armand Hurford, council instead voted to direct staff to explore alternative uses for Eaglewind courts that exclude
pickleball while the community awaits a District master plan that will determine a more permanent solution for the decommissioned courts.
The staff report to council notes that the District’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan from 2012, is set to be updated in 2027.
HOW THE BALL BOUNCED
The Eaglewind courts have been closed for years and there are signs warning against unauthorized access.
Let’s rewind a bit.
In 2021, the municipality converted the tennis courts at Eaglewind into six new pickleball courts as interest in pickleball was growing.
Nearby residents quickly complained about the thwack of plastic pickleballs and other noise emanating from players.
Thus, council and District staff considered the relocation and construction of six new pickleball courts next to Brennan Park Recreation Centre, completed throughout 2023 and 2024.
At the same time, the existing tennis courts at Brennan Park were removed and
replaced, though with one less court. There used to be four, now there are three.
“Space was earmarked at Brennan Park for additional sports courts to be installed at a future date,” the report reads.
Council passed a motion in September 2022 to add $50,000 of funding to the 2023 - 2027 Financial Plan to return the Eaglewind Courts from pickleball to tennis.
Funding was also approved by council to rehabilitate and construct additional tennis courts at Brennan Park, with a requirement to complete additional engagement and assess the future of the Eaglewind, Brennan Park Recreation Centre, and Boulevard courts, the report to council states.
In 2025, a capital budget of $498,000 was to be allocated to additional tennis courts, pending public consultation. There is currently a carry forward amount of $488,000, after $10,000 was spent in 2025 on a consultant to review the status of the three locations of courts in town.
“We confirmed that there is a demand for more tennis and more pickleball throughout the community,” Devin Kiyonaga, director of public works told council on March 10.
In terms of the court in the Garibaldi Highlands, staff don’t recommend any major work as it is still usable.
Coun. John French, who called himself a “hardcore” pickleball player, stressed that what couldn’t happen was a return to pickleball courts at the Eaglewind location.
“I am a hard no for pickleball at Eaglewind,” he said. “Some players don’t care about the impacts on others and we saw that at the height of the complaints,” he said. “We put in the time restrictions. People were disobeying those,” he added.
“They didn’t care that the game that they play creates a decibel noise range when ball hits paddle that is the equivalent to sirens.”
When Hurford put forward his motion to direct staff to look at alternatives that could work in the courts for now, outside of pickleball, he spoke to lessons learned from putting in the pickleball courts in the first place, which was outside of a master plan and a result of passionate advocating by pickleball enthusiasts.
“Rather than going the full measure of returning this to tennis, which is a tremendous expense ...I do think that finding an …. interim alternative configuration to those courts is the path forward until such time as there is a master plan and we can figure out what our council the day can make a more informed decision.”
He added there should be engagement to see what would best work there.
“With some minor patch work to just buy us time to get through the parks and rec master plan with the intent of reviewing that site and that tennis court to see if tennis is really still the best use for that park,” Kiyonaga, said.
In terms of Eaglewind’s courts, however, the holes put in for the pickleball fencing did damage to the courts’ surface.
“The assessment from the consultant … was that in order to turn this back into a tennis court, it’s not worth trying to patch the court surface because of the damage caused by those holes,” Kiyonaga said, noting water pooling has made the issue worse while the courts have been closed.
“This court is at the end of life and must be replaced with a full demolition and reconstruction,” Kiyonaga said, summing up the consultant’s recommendation.
The estimate for that work was $575,000.
“Which, I note, is above our current budgeted amount, and it included a 25% contingency and was also a very rough estimate,” Kiyonaga added.
The staff recommendation was thus to use the available funding for tennis court rehabilitation to convert the Eaglewind courts back to tennis, and to divert everything else to the parks and rec master plan fund.
The aim would be to complete the conversion construction in 2026.
Councillors Eric Andersen, Lauren Greenlaw, and French opposed the motion. Hurford, and councillors Jenna Stoner, Chris Pettingill and Andrew Hamilton were in support. Thus, the motion passed.
SAMPLE COUNCIL COMMENTS
In supporting the motion, Stoner said she wanted to see the location used by the community as quickly as possible and for as little money as possible.
“I do see more wholesome engagement happening in 2027 and to me this is an interim measure to get this functional and accessible to our community for that time,” she said.
Andersen said he was opposed to the interim idea because he wanted to see support for a sport that the most people can play.
“I would prefer to support the staff recommendation of tennis court rehabilitation,” he said. “Tennis is an all-ages sport. There’s clearly a demand. It is more of an all-ages sport than say skateboarding or ball hockey. And I think that this is an important consideration as we consider our recreational facility offerings,” he said.
The issue of what will go in the courts for the interim will come back to council for further consideration.
SEA TO SKY SCHOOL BOARD DEBATE TURNS HEATED OVER IN-PERSON WORK
A SD#48 debate over virtual attendance saw trustees clash over medical privacy, fiscal responsibility and expectations of the elected role
LIZ MCDONALD emcdonald@lodestarmedia.ca
Adiscussion about the role of school trustees turned heated during a March 11 meeting of the Sea to Sky School District board, as members debated whether trustees should attend meetings in person.
Trustee representing Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s Area C and D’Arcy resident Rebecca Barley raised concerns she said she has heard while chairing meetings about trustees attending virtually instead of in person.
School board meetings are usually held on the second Wednesday of the month at the School Board Office in Squamish. She said delegations have sometimes presented to nearly empty rooms, while technical issues can arise when trustees participate remotely.
CALLS TO CLARIFY ATTENDANCE RULES
“We’ve had public come to us and ask about trustees who are not in attendance. We’ve had staff comment on [that] they took the time to come to the board to present, and there’s only two trustees in the room, the others might be on Zoom. We have students who take the time to come and present in this room and, and we’ve had a majority of trustees on Zoom. So there are many districts who are going back to the board table and stuff, because Zoom was not a thing prior to COVID and I think that it serves its purpose at times, but I don’t know that a board meeting day is one of those,” she said.
Barley said the district’s policy allows for “extenuating circumstances,” but does not define what qualifies.
“I think there’s a need to review and change or define several aspects prior to going into a new election,” she said, adding candidates may not fully understand the expectations of the role.
Local government elections, which include school board trustees, are set for October of this year.
Before the discussion progressed further, vice-chair Cynthia Higgins asked trustees to follow Robert’s Rules of Order to maintain orderly debate.
“I think this has the potential to turn into a lot of people talking all at the same time,” she said.
TRUSTEES WARN AGAINST ALLEGATIONS
Celeste Bickford, trustee for Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Area D, cautioned that discussion of attendance should not be framed as an allegation against any board member.
“I think that it’s really important that we, in approaching this, don’t frame any issues as allegations and that we remain sensitive to the difficulty that will come in defining extenuating circumstances specially when there may be medical issues associated with that,” she said.
Bickford agreed the board could refine the wording of the policy, but said protecting medical privacy is essential. She also emphasized the importance of making meetings accessible to the public through
video recordings.
“I hear what you’re talking about, and I think we can sort of gently and collaboratively work together towards what you’re hoping for, but just really being grounded in the principles of medical privacy and not framing things as allegations would be helpful. And let’s figure out what some words are that we could all agree upon that can achieve what you’re hoping for, which is what we all, I think, hope for,” she said.
Barley questioned Bickford’s use of the word “you,” saying her concerns were based on broader conversations she has heard around the board table.
“All I’m asking now is we look at this. We have an election coming up, and we look at the role and clearly define,” Barley said.
Board chair April Lowe, the Squamish trustee, said she did not believe the language in the policy required revision.
“Extenuating circumstances are extenuating circumstances, and I think that’s where we are getting hung up. It’s medical, wheth-
SCHOOL DISTRICT: Continued on 7
2026-2030 Five-Year Financial Plan Invitation for Public Consultation
Regional Districts are required to adopt a five-year financial plan, setting out the proposed expenditures and funding sources for each service. The financial plan is to be made available for public consultation.
Accordingly, members of the public are encouraged to provide written submissions and comments on the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s Draft 2026-2030 Financial Plan. Submissions and comments should be forwarded to the SquamishLillooet Regional District by one of the following means:
Mail: Box 219, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0
Email: info@slrd.bc.ca
The 2026-2030 Draft Financial Plan is available for review on the SLRD website at: www.slrd.bc.ca and includes an online page on the Get Involved SLRD website: https://getinvolved.slrd.bc.ca/2026-2030-financial-plan
The SLRD Board will consider a bylaw to adopt the 20262030 Financial Plan at the March 25, 2026 Board meeting.
Thankyou to Squamish foranother
My clientsare having babies andmovingtobiggerhomes andsomehavebecomeempty nesters!! Iloved workingwithall of you thankyou foryet anothergreat year.
Public Notice Notice of AlternativeApprovalProcess (AAP)
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby giveninaccordance with section345 of theLocal Government Actand sections86& 94 of theCommunity Charterthatthe Squamish-LillooetRegionalDistrict(the “SLRD”) Boardhas proposeda newbylaw:SLRDSquamishValleyAgriculturalPlanService Establishing BylawNo. 1946-2026 (the “Bylaw”).The participatingareas of theBylaw areDistrict ofSquamishand ElectoralAreaD (the “ServiceArea”)
Thepurpose of theBylaw is to authorizethe SLRD to requisitionfunds to supportagricultural planning,coordination,and implementation activities that alignwiththe objectives of the SquamishValleyAgriculturalPlan, whethersuchactivitiesare undertakenbySLRD, District of Squamish, external organization(s)ora combinationthereof (the “Service”)
TheBylaw authorizes theSLRDtorequisition annually up to thegreater of $75,000 or $0.00483 per $1,000 of nettaxable assessedvalue of land andimprovementsinthe ServiceArea(not including theprovincialfee applicable to ElectoralAreaD). Thecostofthe Serviceisborne by all taxablepropertiesinthe ServiceArea.
Some maximumannualrequisition scenariosfor residentialpropertiesare notedbelow (Scenariosfor non-residentialpropertieshavenot been developedbecause of thevarious tax rates fordifferent property classes.)
er it’s family, whatever, whether it’s job, obligations, all of the things,” she said.
While Lowe said she does not prefer attending meetings on Zoom, she said she has the ability to attend in person and believes the board should focus more on other elements of the trustee role, such as staying informed about education issues.
Bickford suggested the board could conduct regular reviews of the policy, allowing trustees to reflect on their responsibilities.
DEBATE OVER COSTS AND ACCESSIBILITY
Tension between trustees also surfaced during the discussion. Lisa Turpin, a Squamish trustee, pushed back on Barley’s premise and defended the use of remote attendance.
“As much as someone might like it or not like it, for me, it is medical, but it’s also a very [fiscally] responsible way to conduct business. For some people, our board uses it regularly to connect across the District. And before we throw out access to Zoom or say that this is where we want the meetings to be held, I think we really need to capture those essences of fiscal responsibility,” she said.
During the debate, Bickford also noted that boards have limited authority to discipline elected trustees who do not fulfill their responsibilities.
“There’s only so much control that we have if people want to run, like this is democracy. If people want to run and people vote for them or nobody runs against them, that you know, we get who we get,” she said.
“And performance management of elected officials is a different kettle of fish than performance management of employees, and that’s really what we’re talking about here, right?”
Bickford added that even sanctions can be difficult to pursue.
“So at the end of the day, if somebody really wants to not do this job properly,
there is very little that we can do, but we can develop a culture,” she said.
Barley later returned to the issue of financial responsibility, arguing trustees who are paid but fail to attend events are not meeting their obligations. She cited news reports about similar issues elsewhere but did not specify the cases.
Bickford said the caselaw Barley referenced shows actions taken against trustees in those cases were unlawful.
“You can’t strip people of their titles or garnish their money,” Bickford said.
“I’m not suggesting that,” Barley replied.
BOARD VOTES TO REVIEW POLICY
Sea to Sky School District Supt. Chris Nicholson eventually suggested a path forward, recommending staff review how other school boards handle attendance policies.
Lowe also raised the oath trustees take when elected and supported Bickford’s idea of regularly reviewing the policy.
“If there’s not the time to make that commitment and follow that oath, then I think we at least need everybody to be well aware before they take the step,” she said.
Nicholson said gathering information from other school districts should not be difficult, noting artificial intelligence can compile documents quickly.
Barley responded that she could save the district money by simply attending meetings on Zoom. No trustees responded to the remark.
The board ultimately voted to ask staff to review practices in other districts regarding meeting attendance, virtual participation, professional development and other trustee obligations.
Five trustees voted in favour. Turpin voted against the motion and Rachel Lythe abstained.
Lythe said she abstained because she has worked remotely for decades and has not had difficulty fulfilling her role, adding that the current policy allows trustees to attend meetings virtually.
ForDistrictofSquamish, theestimated taxation cost per$1,000,000ofconverted residential assessedvalue of land &improvementsis$3.85. This estimate is basedonthe 2026 Completed AssessmentRolland assumesa 10%residential property classtaxationrate. Some residential propertyvalue scenariosfor District of Squamish arebelow:
Scenariosfor District of Squamish
ForElectoral Area D, theestimated taxation cost per$1,000,000 of convertedresidential assessedvalue of land &improvementsis$3.85 (consistent with District of Squamish as noted above), butontop of this is the5.25% feecharged by theProvincefor collectingelectoral area taxes.Therefore,including theprovincialfee, theestimated cost per$1,000,000 of converted residential assessed valueofland& improvements increasesfrom$3.85 to $4.05. Some residential property valuescenarios forElectoral Area D(includingthe provincial fee) arebelow:
TheSLRDBoard is seekingparticipating area approval of electors in theService Area by wayof Alternative Approval Process(“AAP”).The numberofeligible electors in theService Area hasbeen determinedtobe22,976 andthe numberofelector responsesrequiredtoprevent theSLRD Board from proceedingwithout thefurther assent of theelectorsis2,297 Thedeadlinefor elector responsesfor this AAP is 4:30 p.m. on April27, 2026 TheSLRDBoard mayproceed withthe Bylawunless, by thedeadlinestatedabove,atleast 10%(being2,297)ofthe electors of the ServiceAreaindicatethatthe SLRD Boardmustobtainapproval by assent vote (referendum) Elector responsesmustbesubmittedinthe form establishedbythe SLRD Board. Electorresponse forms areavailableonthe SLRD website(www.slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/current-projectsinitiatives/new-SVAP-service),atthe SLRD office (1350 AsterSt.,Pemberton BC)and at District of SquamishMunicipal Hall (37955 Second Ave.,SquamishBC).The only personsentitledtosignthe forms areelectorsofthe ServiceArea.
Formoreinformation aboutResidentElector andNon-Resident Property Electorqualificationsaswellasthe AAP, please seethe SLRD website(www.slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/current-projects-initiatives/newSVAP-service)orcontact CorporateOfficer A. Belshamat(604) 8946371(ext. 240) or abelsham@slrd.bc.ca.
PHOTO BY SQUAMISH CHIEF STAFF
The school board ultimately voted to ask staff to review practices in other districts regarding meeting attendance, virtual participation, professional development and other trustee obligations.
SCHOOL DISTRICT: Continued from 5
Infrastruc tureUpgrades
•Loggers East StormSewer projec tcontinueson Finch Drive.
•Wastewater system upgradesare under wayalong partsofMadillStreet, GaribaldiAvenue, Britannia Avenue and Buck ley Avenue, replacing an aging sanitar yforcemain. Please be awarethatsinglelanealternating traffic will be in effect while work takes place; from 7a.m. to 6p.m.
•Vic toriaStreet Ac tiveTranspor tation Upgradeswill be resuming shor tly.
squamish.ca/building- our-future
Business Oppor tunities
Request forProposals
•Recreation Facility Needs,Demand, and SiteAssessment
•Depot Road Ac tiveTransportation Upgrades
•Brennan Park Aquatic Centre Pool Deck Upgrades Request forQuotations
Canyou name threedrop-ins programs offered at The55ActivityCentre?
Here’sa little hintfor you…
NEW! Knitting Together: Tuesdays,10 am
Ukulele Beginner Slow Jam: Tuesdays,10–11:45 am
Ukulele Prac ticePer formance: Tuesdays,12–2 pm
Banjolele: Tuesdays,2:15–3:30 pm
Paint&Sketch: Wednesdays,9 am–12 pm
Ukulele Open Jam: Thursdays, 12–2 pm
Crib Club: Thursdays,1–3 pm
Sewing& Quilting: Fridays,10 am–2 pm
CarpetBowling: Fridays,1:30–3:30 pm
Cemeter yMaintenance
Flower and OrnamentRemoval
Required by March31
Agentle reminder thatParks crewswillbe conduc ting annual grounds maintenanceofMount Garibaldi Cemeter y. Please remove anyartificial plants,flowers and ornamentation (suchasstatues, angels and looseobjec ts suchasrocks,glassormetal items)fromthe gravemarker by March31.
Anyitems not removedbyMarch 31, will be placed at the main gatesfor twoweeks.
Pleasebeaware thatconstruc tion work forthe cemeter yexpansion is ongoing
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Housing DesignCatalogue
TheDistrict is nowalocal governmentpar tner with the Canada Mortgage and HousingCorporation Housing Design Catalogue,expanding the rangeof multiplex housingdesigns available forconsideration in the community: squamish.ca/design- catalogue
HeySwimmers!
Thepool schedulewillbeabit different during SpringBreak .
Be sure to check the onlineschedule beforecoming to the pool
Belly
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GARIBALDI PARK SOCIETY OBJECTS TO NEW BC PARKS’ FEE INCREASE
The upcoming Garibaldi Provincial Park fees are too high and work against BC Parks’ own desire for equitable access to nature, the society argues
JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca
It is a hiking boot-clad step too far.
Taryn Eyton, president of Friends of Garibaldi Park Society (FOGPS) says camping fee increases about to be instituted for Garibaldi Provincial Park are too high and work against equitable access to outdoor spaces.
At the end of January, the provincial government announced new camping fees would be introduced this spring.
Fees will be increased as of May 15 in 59 of what the province calls “high-demand” parks and four popular backcountry parks: Garibaldi Park, Golden Ears Park, Joffre Lakes Park and Mount Assiniboine Park.
Garibaldi saw just under 243,000 visitors in 2025, according to BC Parks stats.
Of those, a vast majority (194,000 were day-use visitors) while about 50,000 were backcountry visitors. The numbers at the park have gone up by roughly 10% since 2023, when 223,000 total visitors attended the park. That year, about 46,000 headed into the backcountry.
Beginning May 15, non-B.C. residents will also now pay an additional $20 flat rate for staying in frontcountry campgrounds, trips to backcountry parks, renting a cabin and using mooring buoys and docks.
The last time BC Parks increased fees was 2016.
‘EQUITABLE ACCESS’
On behalf of the organization, Eyton wrote a letter, copied to The Squamish Chief, addressed to BC Parks staff, the Minister of Environment and Parks Tamara Davidson, and deputy minister Kevin Jardine, stating that the group opposes the increase in backcountry camping fees.
Eyton argues raising the per-adult fee from $10 to $25 per night represents a 150% increase.
“While we recognize that backcountry fees have remained static for over a decade and that BC Parks’ budget is insufficient to maintain backcountry facilities, we believe this increase is excessive,” she wrote.
Under the new structure, frontcountry camping fees in high-use parks are capped at $51 per party per night, allowing up to eight people to share a site.
“These fees often include flush toilets, potable water, garbage pickup, daily maintenance, on-site caretakers, ranger programs, and other amenities,” Eyton argues.
“By contrast, backcountry camping in Garibaldi Park now costs $25 per adult per night, with a maximum of four people per tent pad—meaning a group could pay up to $100 per night for a site with no flush toilets, no drinking water, no garbage pickup, minimal maintenance, often no on-site caretaker, and no other amenities. Campers must also hike in on trails that receive infrequent maintenance and rely on volunteer organizations like
FOGPS for upkeep.
The $25 per-night fee also applies to Garibaldi Park’s wilderness zone, where there are no established campgrounds or facilities.
“Charging the same rate in this undeveloped area as in designated backcountry campgrounds with amenities such as tent pads, toilets, food storage, and picnic tables is inequitable,” she reiterated.
“In recent years, BC Parks has emphasized its commitment to inclusion and accessibility, stating that parks should be welcoming and available to all. A significant increase in backcountry fees creates a financial barrier for low-income individuals, students, and families making these public lands less accessible and undermining that stated commitment to equitable access,” Eyton’s letter states.
With so many folks in the Sea to Sky worried about over-tourism and damage to our wilderness locations, aren’t increased fees a good thing?
Eyton countered this suggestion saying that while obviously Garibaldi Park and other parks in the Sea to Sky Corridor are seeing increased pressure from high visitation numbers, that is not an excuse to raise fees by as much as they are.
“It is BC Parks’ responsibility to determine the carrying capacity of the park, including designated backcountry campgrounds. With a low carrying capacity for the park, Friends of Garibaldi Park wants to ensure that the public continues to have equitable access to this limited resource,” she said.
It is the disparity that is the crux of the issue, she stressed, and the fact that the increase is so much, it will likely mean fewer people—at least people without means—will get to be in these spaces.
“It’s also quite telling that BC Parks has really talked a lot about this policy of accessibility and inclusion and giving people access to be outdoors. And given that this is one of the easiest access parks with facilities for backcountry camping to B.C.’s largest population base, it’s kind of crazy to say, ‘Yeah, we’d love to have you outdoors, but it’s going to cost you so much more to access this place than somewhere you can drive to.’ So it’s a real barrier.”
She also noted that the hikes to locations in the park are long, so if people can afford to stay a night or two it makes it more doable for a wider range of people.
“There are challenging day hikes, and they’re long day hikes, and so to be able to visit overnight and take your time and go a little slower is perhaps more accessible for some people. They wouldn’t be able to get all the way to Garibaldi Lake and back in a day, but spending a little over two days makes it possible.”
Finally, she says that the fees paid in Garibaldi Park won’t necessarily go back into that park for maintenance, upkeep or improvements.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment and Parks told The Squamish Chief that all new camping fees will be used for the camping services in provincial parks, though not necessarily at the park where they were collected.
“BC Parks has a large network of infrastructure such as roads, trails, campsites, buildings and water systems worth approximately $1.5 billion,” the spokesperson said. “The revenue from increased fees will directly support sustainability of the services people expect in BC Parks, first helping to address a structural deficit.”
Asked about the assertion by the society that the increase is inequitable, the spokesperson said that for B.C. residents, the average increase for backcountry camping at Garibaldi Park, Golden Ears Park, Joffre Lakes Park and Mount Assiniboine Park is $13.62 per night.
This means nightly fees will range from $17 to $25, depending on the park.
“The new fees reflect the uniqueness and value of these incredible experiences, and remain on par with or below the cost of backcountry camping in other jurisdictions,” the spokesperson said.
SOLUTIONS?
Eyton recommends BC Parks charge per tent pad rather than per person, and cap the maximum fee per tent pad at an amount that is less than charged in high-use frontcountry campgrounds.
“BC Parks could also consider a hybrid model consisting of a flat fee per tent pad combined with
a modest per-person surcharge. This approach would create a more equitable system for backcountry users and would encourage groups to use fewer pads, increasing availability for others. If a flat fee per tent pad is not feasible, we encourage a reduction in the per person fees,” Eyton argues.
In the wilderness zone, Eyton said the organization doesn’t support an increase in fees at all, since “these areas are lightly used and have no facilities or services.”
If BC Parks insists on a fee increase, the organization proposes it be a more modest increase. “This approach would recognize BC Parks’ need to align fees with those in other parks, while maintaining a rate that remains lower than the one charged at designated backcountry campgrounds in acknowledgment of the absence of infrastructure and amenities,” Eyton wrote in the letter.
Asked if the ministry would consider the society’s suggestion, the ministry said it will continue to evaluate the performance of fees and adjust as required to “ensure costs are managed and recreation experiences remain accessible.”
“The updated camping fees are being implemented following broader engagement with park visitors and partners about how to improve camping and park experiences,” the spokesperson said.
1. Foster curiosity. Encourage your child to ask questions and explore their interests. Provide opportunities for hands-on learning experiences and expose them to various subjects and activities.
2. Lead by example. Demonstrate your love for learning by sharing your interests, hobbies and experiences with your child. Let them see you reading books and pur
Cultivating passion for learning: 8 ways to encourage your child EDUCATION FEATURE
Instilling a love for learning in children is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Parents can empower their children to embrace education by nurturing their curiosity and enthusiasm. Here are eight ways to encourage a love for learning in your child:
vities into learning experiences. Use games, experiments, puzzles and hands-on projects to make learning engaging and enjoyable.
6. Encourage exploration. Support your child’s curiosity by allowing them to explore new interests and pursue their passions.
Did you know that healthy lifestyle habits have a positive impact on children’s academic success? Staying active is one of them.
The brain benefits from physical exercise in several ways. Activity optimizes brain oxygenation, which helps maintain proper function. Additionally, it delivers a steady supply of glucose to the brain, which is essential to concentration. Physical activity also stimulates areas of the brain linked to memory and learning, making it absorb new concepts more efficiently. In short, it ensures the brain is fully prepared to learn.
Playing sports also has a positive effect on physical fitness, like increased strength and improved motor skills and coordination. Playing sports can also increase feelings of well-being and improve mental health by reducing stress and
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anxiety. Additionally, staying active helps your child develop a sense of belonging in school activities.
Studies show that regular exercise has a positive impact on school performance. Consider registering your child in an activity of their choice to increase their motivation.
PUBLISHER SARAH STROTHER sstrother@lodestarmedia.ca
The Squamish Chief is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Editor Jennifer Thuncher at jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.
Reproduction of any material contained in this publication is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publisher.
EDITORIAL
HEARING CHANGES
A shift is underway in the way residents in Squamish—and in most B.C. communities—can engage on certain land-use decisions that come before council.
Going forward, locals can likely expect to have chances to give their opinion much earlier in the process than previously, when public hearings were more the norm.
With Bill 44, the provincial government ordered municipalities to phase out public hearings for rezonings for housing projects consistent with official community plans (OCP), which already had a public hearing during the OCP’s creation, and for small residential multi-unit buildings.
The province argued that public hearings were a part of the reason for long delays, higher costs in getting housing built.
The topic arose at the Squamish committee of the whole meeting on March 10, when muni staff asked elected officials to provide feedback on proposed Land Development Procedures Bylaw amendments.
While the discussion at times gave watchers (and maybe some on staff and council) bureaucratic vertigo due to the administrative jargon, and verbal circles some comments took, it also spoke to the growing pains and complexity around the legislated changes the province has imposed on local governments.
Staff told council that since some public hearings are prohibited, public comments received before a council vote may be considered equal to a public hearing, putting the muni at risk of being sued over a lack of procedural fairness.
Staff is working on a clearly defined process where input can be received prior to a vote, but doesn’t create a legal challenge for the municipality—or confusion all around.
Staff also said that while hearings are typically held for development variance permits and temporary use permits, they aren’t legally required. Some municipalities don’t have them at all. Staff asked for council’s feedback on discontinuing them.
Committee of the whole meetings are for discussion and direction, so nothing has changed yet, but there are two high-level takeaways from the chin wag.
One is that engagement will likely be much earlier in the process than residents are used to.
If you see a development sign go up on a property, pay attention then, in other words.
Two is that council members, despite what some may believe, do really want to offer as many clear opportunities for residents to provide feedback to their local government.
Council talked quite a bit about making sure that whatever changes happen, people can know when to speak up and that folks are given as many chances to do so as possible.
“I hope the main question we’re asking is what can we do within the current legal framework to receive as much feedback in as many ways as possible,” said Coun. Chris Pettingill, summing up what most on council said. So, stay tuned, change is afoot in some ways folks can get involved and voice their opinion about what gets built or doesn’t in town.
THE RISK IS NEVER ZERO
that the cliff edge can crumble and the open sky can unleash torrential rain. Sometimes risk comes from user error. Other times, it’s simply the luck of the draw.
It takes a certain level of risk tolerance to live in a mountain town. In the vast geography of the Sea to Sky, adventure is never far away. Step off the beaten path and the thrill of the unknown is just around the corner. But that unknown can quickly turn deadly. Sometimes it’s something mundane—a traffic accident on Highway 99 while driving to ski at the resort or heading into the city. Other times it’s less common but no less real: the sudden, concrete wall of an avalanche pulling someone into the abyss. Then there’s the simple reality of getting lost on a trail as dusk settles in.
If you spend time in the wilderness, as many people do in this old logging town, your risk from the outdoors is never zero. I’ve come to see it as a sort of agreement with the ever-changing world. In return for experiencing the natural wonders of coastal British Columbia—the goosebump-inducing, heart-racing moments under expansive skies or on the edge of a cliff—you accept
The more time I spend backcountry skiing, highlining and covering local news, the more I begin to recognize that these risks are an inherent part of life in the Sea to Sky. Take the recent rockslide at Whistler Blackcomb. That was never on my bingo card for inbound ski hazards. But after seeing the scar it left on the landscape, it’s hard not to add another item to the mental list of possibilities.
To be clear, I don’t think it’s likely that I— or anyone else—will be caught in a rockslide at the resort. But the risk isn’t zero. That’s why liability waivers exist, and why many of us still seek out these challenging spaces. The benefits of spending time outdoors far outweigh the potential consequences. Staying inside, watching a streaming show day after day, carries its own set of slower health risks. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would much rather live an extraordinary life that carries some risk than risk living a small, fearful life indoors. The risk may never be zero. But neither is the reward. And for many of us who choose to live here, that trade-off is exactly the point.
(We have good feelings that we live, we work and we play on the lands of the Squamish Nation)
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PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
LET’S START THE CONVERSATION!
If you hate winter, you might want to skip this… or maybe not.
After living in Whistler for years (and growing up in Quebec), moving to Squamish in the winter felt… a little depressing. A grassy Christmas was never on my bingo card.
But eventually you start appreciating the upsides. No digging your car out after a storm. Although, if you live in Valleycliffe, scraping frost off your windshield quickly becomes your morning upper-body workout for a few months.
Over time, you accept that not living in a winter wonderland isn’t so bad, as long as the mountains above town are getting the snow. That’s the bubble
LETTERS POLICY
many of us live in here. If you don’t head into the mountains often, it’s easy to miss what’s happening. Winter is changing… fast.
Winter shapes more than recreation.
It shapes our economy and our communities. Protect Our Winters Canada recently released a report showing outdoor recreation contributes to Canada’s economy at a level comparable to forestry. If something this fundamental to how our communities function is becoming less reliable, shouldn’t that be front-page concern, not background noise?
Because changing winters don’t just affect skiers. They also shape wildfire season, and that affects everyone.
Snowpack acts like a giant natural reservoir. When there’s less snow, the
landscape dries out sooner. By the time spring winds arrive in Squamish, forests become the perfect fuel.
If last year’s wildfire near Debeck’s Hill wasn’t a wake-up call, it should have been.
We should be making sure our elected officials know this matters. Winter and outdoor recreation form a pillar of our local economy, even if they rarely get the same attention as Canada’s other major industries.
The real question isn’t whether winter is changing. It’s whether we’re willing to talk honestly about what that means, and what needs to be done about it.
Let’s start the conversation!
Anne-Fred Grenier
Protect Our Winters, Squamish
The Squamish Chief welcomes letters to the editor of up to 400 words. Letters should be exclusive to this publication and are meant to respond to a local story in The Squamish Chief or raise an issue happening in town. Please include your name, neighbourhood and daytime phone number. The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for Thursday’s edition. Full names and neighbourhood will be published with the letter. The publisher reserves the right to refuse and edit letters for length and clarity or to address legal concerns. Email letters to: editor@squamishchief.com.
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LAST WEEK’S QUESTION
Do you support the shift to permanent, year-round daylight saving time? (Top 3 answers.)
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Squamish firefighters rescue four people and a dog from sinking vehicle in icy water
TOP TIKTOK OF THE WEEK
This week, reporter Liz McDonald attended the release of Maple, the injured eagle. See this and many other videos on our TikTok channel, @squamishchief.
TRANSIT: Continued from 2
stalled without provincial approval.
“If I was to sum up where I feel the conversation is with the province, we get these strong signals that, ‘Oh, this is a no brainer’… followed by more roadblocks and complications.”
Hurford said launching a standalone Squamish-to-Whistler bus route would also be challenging because of the scale of service required compared with the smaller Pemberton commuter line.
He added local governments have already done significant groundwork studying regional transit options.
“The [regional transit] committee has done a tremendous amount of work, including modelling all sorts of scenarios and discussing with the province ways that this could move forward. I think we’ve gone nearly as far as we can without the important step of the province striking a Transit Commission, which is what is required to collect the motor fuel tax.”
Regional transit commissions are created through provincial legislation and allow regions to govern transit service and collect a regional motor fuel tax to fund operations. The Victoria Regional Transit Commission is currently the only such body in B.C., giving that region a dedicated funding mechanism for transit service.
The ministry called it “a clear example of how a region can govern and fund its own transit system, using fares, property taxation,
and
a regional motor fuel tax.”
PROVINCE SHOULD LEAD, SLRD CHAIR SAYS
SLRD chair Jen Ford said local governments in the corridor have been advocating for regional transit through multiple provincial administrations and questioned Farnworth’s assertion that responsibility lies with local governments.
“The municipalities in the regional district will participate and contribute what we can, but we see this as a provincial jurisdiction when it comes to other models around the province. So Victoria, for example, their transit service through Saanich and all of the smaller municipalities around the island is, you know, they all contribute, but the majority of the funding comes from the province and from a motor fuel tax,” she said. “We need the province to step up.”
She also pointed to infrastructure upgrades completed ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics, which widened the Sea to Sky Highway but contributed to increasing congestion.
“When you build more lanes, you only build more traffic and congestion. You don’t actually move people any faster.”
The ministry said discussions with regional partners about possible governance models are ongoing.
“The ministry will continue to work collaboratively with all partners, including First Nations, as discussions evolve and next steps are identified.”
RINK: Continued from 3
in-house and there was no performance data to look to prior to the event. It would have been visual inspections mainly at that point.”
Council voted to receive Ellis’s report—a procedural step acknowledging it was presented—without further action at that time.
SAMPLE COUNCIL COMMENTS
Coun. John French said that the report made him think the District’s focus should shift to getting a second rink.
“Some of the big issues that [were] identified are the product of design choices that were made for the arena back in the early 1970s, when the building technology that we had was way less sophisticated than what we see now and energy efficiency was not nearly on the radar and the way that we value it today,” said French.
“For me, this report tells me that some of the challenges in the existing rink likely aren’t worth ‘fixing’ because of how outdated or how far back that technology reaches. I’d rather see us focus on a second rink and a second pool and invest in that future. And once we’ve got that infrastructure, take a look back at, do we need to make changes to those older technologies that are in the existing rink.”
French also gave a shout-out to District employees for dealing with all the issues they faced.
“One of the things I’m impressed with is that the crew at Brennan Park has proven that
when there’s a challenge, when the building is working against them, the team rises up, comes up with solutions, gets it sorted, and gets the arena open and allows people back into our facility to enjoy recreation.”
Coun. Jenna Stoner didn’t agree with French’s suggestion of focusing on a new rink rather than fixing up the current one.
“I think we’re kind of down the rabbit hole of investing into Brennan Park as our core infrastructure or core recreation facility, and we are pouring $30 million into a renovation to resecure the core of that building so that it can continue to serve our community in the long-term,” she said.
“Part of that decision process that we made was so that it could be used while we did renovations, we knew that that was going to be a bumpy road, but it was better than taking it offline entirely for two to three years and bulldozing what was there and trying to build new, let alone having the financial capacity to do so, but just the impact that that would have had on our community,” she added
“I think that will be a future council discussion, financial planning, where we feel comfortable continuing to invest in improving, definitely what is an outdated building, but we have already put a lot of time and energy into that. I think as we continue to learn lessons of how we renovate an active facility and try to minimize the disruption to our community is important, and the reality [is] that disruptions will occur—that renovations are difficult.”
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POUR PRE-MADE COCKTAILS THIS SUMMER, NOT FROM A CAN
Two former bartenders are preparing to open Glass Half Full in Squamish this summer, pitching an ‘everyday’ cocktail bar where customers can shake and pour their own drinks from refrigerated glass bottles for $8.95
“Crafting the right flavour profile is fun for us.”
PRE-MADE COCKTAIL “FRESH?”
INA PACE ipace@lodestarmedia.ca
Former bartenders and co-owners of an emerging cocktail bar, Yano Janssens and Logan Paolini are all about quality, but at convenience.
“You don’t have to know too much about cocktails. You definitely don’t have to have the equipment, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on all the full spirits. We’ve got a cocktail that’s bartender-quality, ready to go,” Paolini said.
Paolini and Janssens are looking to launch their new bar Glass Half Full (1141111 Pioneer Way) this summer, where customers can come to shake and pour their own cocktails straight from a refrigerated glass bottle, for $8.95.
“We want to make it as easy as possible,” Paolini said.
Customers can also order boxes to take home (for example, a box of five for $44.75), with free delivery across the Lower Mainland.
The name Glass Half Full, Paolini explained, comes from the requirement to have a little empty space in the bottle for expansion when you shake it, an element he and Janssens leaned into.
Of course it also means “looking at things in a bright light,” he said.
HOW ARE THE COCKTAILS MADE?
All the cocktails, a mix of gin and whiskey sours, as well as an espresso martini, are pre-made by Paolini and Janssens.
According to Paolini, the two enjoyed experimenting by mixing flavours whilst bartending together, and always wanted to have a beverage brand that focused on collaborating with other local brands. Their ideas started as carbonated pop drinks, which pivoted into ready-to-drink (RTD) drinks.
Paolini and Janssens source local ingredients around the Lower Mainland, and use B.C. syrups (Frostbites mostly).
You could say they are passionate about, well, being passionate.
“[We source ingredients according to] the passion that you see from the people you find,” Janssens said.
“If someone really loves their product, that’s gonna be good, and that’s gonna match well with what we do.
Paolini said much the same.
“We’re very passionate about cocktails. We’re very passionate about local spirits. We’re very passionate about the beverage space, the RTD space,” Paolini added.
Folks may wonder just how fresh a premade cocktail can actually taste, especially if it has—as is the case here—a shelf life of up to a year.
Not everyone finds canned cocktails out the fridge of the liquor store so appealing afterall.
Paolini and Janssens explained their “nitro-charged” mixes are made with natural preservatives: Nitrogen of course, as well as a vegan foam (as opposed to egg whites)–to be “inclusive” Janssens said–and citric acid, depending on the flavour.
“We don’t use any juices in our cocktails,” Janssens clarified.
“Juices go bad quite quickly, and it can lead to that sugaring and oxidizing taste that’s quite stale.”
“We’ve been making these [mixes] for a little over a year now, and we’ve had zero problems with freshness,” Paolini added.
WHAT’S
THE VIBE?
Paolini and Janssens plan on having a tasting room in their mezzanine, along with “build-your-own” charcuterie sets, the ingredients for which will be locally sourced as much as possible, Paolini said, commenting on what he perceives as a gap in the cocktail bar space.
He explained that whilst breweries and wineries touch on providing locally sourced food in tasting rooms, that is not often seen
in cocktail bars.
Despite some eloquent touches, the duo want to keep a casual vibe.
“We don’t want to have a pretentious cocktail bar, where you feel like you need to show up in a fancy dress. It’s just an everyday cocktail bar,” Janssens said.
“If you’re in the mood to have a high quality cocktail, and some snacks. Come in, hang out with your friends. Have it nice and simple.”
Glass Half Full is set to open in Squamish this summer.
This reporting was produced through the Local Journalism Initiative, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.
The Squamish Business Beat was developed in response to local demand for more business-focused news. To be considered, please reach out to news@squamishchief.com.
Brought to you by Community Futures Howe Sound, The Sea to Sky’s resource for financing and free business support to help local businesses and entrepreneurs in the area. Connect with them directly and learn more at cfhowesound.com or email Kieran at kieran.hale@cfhowesound.com.
PHOTO BY INA PACE/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF A Glass Half Full package set for purchase.
PHOTO BY INA PACE/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF
Yano Janssens and Logan Paolini of Glass Half Full.
CHERRY ONTOP RETURNS AS HEADLINER FOR VANCOUVER’S INTERNATIONAL BURLESQUE FESTIVAL
Cherry OnTop still remembers her first time stepping into Vancouver’s burlesque scene—an invitation from a roommate, a nearby club and an unexpected call to take the stage. More than two decades later, she will headline the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival as it celebrates its 20th anniversary from March 31 to April 5
WILL JOHNSON
For The Squamish Chief
She heard about it through her roommate.
It was over two decades ago that burlesque performer Cherry OnTop was invited to a performance at the Anza Club in Vancouver, which was a block away from her apartment.
“I’ve loved dancing and dressing up my whole life, but didn’t immediately think that I would do it,” she told The Squamish Chief. Then she was invited to take the stage, and the result was cathartic. She was drunk off the audience’s appreciation.
“My first gig was the Gold Gym Christmas party and we did who knows what silly number but I got off stage and just thought ‘OK’, I’m going to do that forever.”
Now she’s the headliner at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, from March 31 to April 5. Designed to be radically
Squa mish Transit
inclusive, it embraces performers of all backgrounds, identities and body types.
Burlesque has a rich history in Canada, evolving from early 20th century cabaret and vaudeville. It began in the Yukon during the Gold Rush and was also big in Montreal before becoming an entertainment scene in post-Second World War Vancouver and Toronto.
At first it was faced with tight morality laws, with performers like Judith Stein shepherding a resurgence in the 1990s.
Over the years, Cherry OnTop’s essential energy has remained the same.
“I consider myself punchy with a lot of energy. I’ve been teaching burlesque for 14 years so my style has evolved and changed, but it’s such a great way of getting better as a performer,” she said.
“It pushes me to never be lazy.”
She’s proud of her burlesque “babies,” some of whom will be performing alongside her.
Joining her onstage will be Aquarius Moon from Washington, D.C.: reigning 2025 Sin
City Queen of Burlesque and Monarch of Imperial Burlesque Canada. Known for her fearless artistry and cosmic theatricality, Aquarius Moon blends sultry seduction with magnetic stage presence, transforming every performance into an unforgettable experience.
Featured performers include Luna Yen from Victoria, B.C., the Inaugural Monarch of SHADE Burlesque Festival, bringing a masterful blend of slow burn seduction and high-energy artistry to the stage.
Also featured is Nami Flare from Miami, who is ranked #14 Most Influential in Burlesque Top 50 and crowned Grand Master Funk 2025. This award-winning “Shimmyin’ Nomad” carries forward the legacy of melanated performers with grace, power and undeniable heat.
The two-night showcase will be held at the Vancouver Playhouse, and promises a theatrical performance that covers more than just burlesque—there’s live vocals, comedy, and boundary-pushing storytelling. It honours the legacy of burlesque while mapping out
It pushes me to never be lazy.
CHERRY ONTOP
its diverse future.
Part of the event is called Tit Talks, which engages audiences into conversations about burlesque’s cultural significance. This will be followed by the Buffies, with celebrates excellence in the community and the Virtual Vaudeville, which ensures global audiences can take part in the celebration.
“I am very excited to be representing as a headliner and it means a lot also that it’s the 20th anniversary. I’ll be doing a Tit Talk, they just asked me to do that, and teaching a workshop. There’s a bunch of exciting things happening that weekend. I think the biggest change for me personally is pushing myself to do bigger and bigger acts all the time.”
Find out more on the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival on its website.
Rolo the Rabbit
Rolo arrived in care as a young stray, unsure of people and overwhelmed by the big, noisy world. But just like the caramel candy she’s named after, patience and kindness helped her soft center shine through.
Today, Rolo has blossomed into a gentle, curious rabbit who has learned that humans can be bringers of good things—especially when those humans come bearing fresh greens, veggies, and the occasional tiny piece of fruit. Offer her a leafy treat and she’ll gladly take it right from your hand, making it a perfect way to build trust and a special bond with her.
Rabbits like Rolo are wonderfully unique companions They’re not quite like cats or dogs—no couch-snuggling or TV-watching required. Instead, they offer something quieter and deeply comforting: calm company at floor level, a peaceful reading buddy, or a sweet, soft presence nearby as they explore their space at their own pace.
Rolo is an exceptionally tidy girl who uses her litter box faithfully Hay is her main food source, and she also enjoys her young rabbit pellets Although she’s under a year old, she’s already reached her adult size—petite, perfect, and ready for her forever home
With her gentle nature, clean habits, and growing confidence, Rolo is well on her way to becoming a delightful companion for someone who appreciates the special magic rabbits bring to a home She’s sweet, she’s soft, and she’s ready to learn what it means to be loved.
NON-PROFIT LAUNCHES
$50,000 DRIVE FOR TEMPORARY
INDOOR SKATE PARK AT OCEANFRONT SQUAMISH
After years of rainouts, Squamish Skateboard Association is moving closer to an all-weather solution: a temporary indoor facility on Squamish’s oceanfront
JENNIFER THUNCHER
jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca
As beautiful and outdoor recreation-oriented as Squamish is, most folks agree there are two downsides to living here—the weather is unpredictable, meaning a shift in it can stymie outdoor fun, and there aren’t a ton of things for teens to do here, especially when it is awful out.
The non-profit Squamish Skateboard Association is three-quarters of the way to tackling both challenges with a collaborative solution—an indoor skateboard park.
Standing at the outdoor skate park in Valleycliffe at McNaughton Park, Alex J Fowkes, vice-president of the association, said he has a group chat with other skaters where, before they head out to skate, they talk about whether the weather conditions are good enough.
“We have this space here that we’ve been working on for the past five years that’s outdoor, and we’ve, as an organization—there’s five of us—we’ve been trying to run events,
but those events are often rained out. It’s a struggle. We don’t have anywhere we can build momentum, and skateboarding becomes very much a seasonal activity, and we want to change that,” he said.
“I have a thread where we’re talking to [fellow skaters], we’re like, ‘Will it be dry, will it not be dry?’ We bring leaf blowers down, we’ve been known to bring roofing torches during events … to try and dry features out, do that kind of stuff. We do all we can, but it’s very hard to beat the rain in Squamish. We need indoor for sure.”
And, as luck and generosity would have it, the organization has secured a five-year agreement with Matthews West Developments for land to put a temporary indoor skate park at Oceanfront Squamish.
What the organization needs now is some help raising $50,000 toward a structure.
“The biggest thing we want to provide with this place is that it’s free for the five years, so there’ll be no fees to enter and use the location. We’re going to try and use a member-based system,” Fowkes said.
But let’s back up a bit.
What originally happened was Polygon
Homes donated a covered structure to Squamish ReBuild, which flagged the association.
“We then tried to scramble to find a location for that tent, and then we ended up stumbling, talking to Matthews West. Matthews West offered us a five-year lease on some land at the Oceanfront location in between their development projects and part of a pop-up village that they’re trying to do down there right now,” Fowkes recalled, noting everyone was excited about the plan.
However, they soon realized the donated structure was not going to be up to the job.
“It needed more work than what we could do to bring it up to code,” he said, noting how windy it can be down at the oceanfront.
Thus, the association is launching a fundraising campaign to help get a new structure—that will be 12 by 24 metres (40 feet by 80 feet) for the indoor skate park.
Fowkes, who is also a well-respected local artist, said there has been a lot of buy-in for the project already, with local companies eager to help out.
“We’ve got Van Urban Timber that are
going to help us with wood, a bunch of different companies with electrical, all the kinds of other things we need. So everyone’s kind of already banding together through the skate shop at Stuntwood.”
‘CANADA NEEDS MORE INDOOR AND COVERED SKATE PARKS’
The Squamish Skateboard Association is a sanctioned community skateboard group under Canada Skateboard, the national governing body for skateboarding.
“Canada needs more indoor and covered skate parks, even temporary ones,” said Adam Higgins, executive director of Canada Skateboard.
“Canada Skateboard’s mission is to support, promote and grow skateboarding, and whenever opportunities arise and we can support initiatives of skateboard community organizations we do so. Canada Skateboard is in full support of this initiative and would love to see this come to fruition. The biggest challenge for skate parks is typically land,” he added.
“With the land already taken care of and
if the remaining funds required to obtain a structure that meets the safety requirements can [be] found from grants and donations, the local skateboard scene will benefit incredibly from this opportunity.”
‘SPARKED A CREATIVE PROCESS’
“When Alex and his team approached us about space for an indoor skateboard facility, it sparked a creative process around what else the site could become and how it could bring energy to the area,” said Carlos Zavarce, director of development at Matthews West Developments.
“With Together Architecture Studio, we— Matthews West—developed a concept that integrates a covered skate park with a mix of temporary structures and outdoor gathering space.”
According to Zavarce, the plan includes wrapping portions of the site in scaffolding to create visual interest, define the space and provide wind screening.
The scaffolding would be repurposed from materials currently used at the Cheekeye Debris Flow Barrier project.
The oceanfront concept draws inspiration from temporary event infrastructure seen at festivals such as Crankworx in Whistler.
Public art is also being explored as part of the concept, including the potential to display murals from Squamish’s annual Mural Walk Festival, which Matthews West sponsors.
Other planned elements include a tem-
Canada
needs more
indoor and covered skate parks, even temporary ones
ADAM HIGGINS
sional snowboarders, we’re not far from a really high-profile surfing location in Tofino. There’s a lot of board sports enthusiasts in the area, and skateboarding is one of those ones that joins in, and it’s just really sad that it becomes a seasonal activity, or you have to pay, or you have to go into Vancouver to try and find an indoor, but there’s only an indoor in Tsawwassen, so that’s too far for everyone,” he said.
Once Squamish has a consistent indoor facility, the sky is the limit, according to Fowkes.
porary sauna and spa experience and some open space will also function as overflow gathering space for House of Lager during summer months, with opportunities for temporary food and beverage offerings such as food trucks as well as a space to host outdoor events, according to Zavarce.
Fowkes said the ultimate goal of the temporary skate park is to show the District of
Squamish and surrounding communities the interest in skateboarding and an indoor space.
“So that then we can go from this temporary structure to a permanent one,” he said.
He said he knows the community needs it as there are a lot of folks who are drawn to the sport.
“We have so many board sports, profes-
Squamish OnDemand
ive Marc h 30, 2026
“And then from there, we can cultivate up-and-coming skateboarders with Canada Skateboard, and start running events with more trust that we can just keep getting the ball rolling, and keep going.”
A big step toward that future is the fundraising campaign. They hope to get $10,000 in donations from the community and get to $50,000 with sponsors and grants. Check out the community fundraiser on Charitable Impact website at “SSA Indoor Skatepark in Squamish.”
OnDemand is BC Transit’s modern on-request transit option that offers transit riders the convenience of booking trips using a smartphone app, or by phone, for transit service.
OnDemand service offers more direct trips, quicker commutes, and shorter wait times.
How to Ride with OnDemand
It’s your choice how to book – app or phone. OnDemand transit is available in the downtown Squamish, Oceanfront, SEAandSKY, Redbridge and St’á7mes areas, Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Download the OnDemand App from the Apple Store or Google Play Store OR Call the OnDemand call centre at 1∙855∙995∙5872
Regular transit fares and payment options apply to OnDemand trips. OnDemand is not available for trips that start and end entirely within the downtown core
For more information about OnDemand, please visit bctransit.com/ondemand or call our transit info line at 604∙892∙5559.
PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF
Alex J Fowkes, vice-presisent of the non-profit Squamish Skateboard Association, speaks with The Squamish Chief at McNaughton Park about the plan for an indoor facility.
Sandra Haffey
Passed, peacefully at home on Quadra Island, Sunday Februar y 15th, 2026 comfor ted by loving family Sandra was born April 29th, 1958 in Princeton BC then moved to Squamish BC in 1965 and graduated from Howe Sound Secondar y 1976.
Sandra spent her formative years as a Longshoreman working in the office at Squamish Terminals for 37 years. She was ver y involved in the horse community in Squamish spanning 50 years.
Sandra was a loving par tner to Peter Leveque, mother to Christa & stepdaughter Karina. She will be long remembered for her strong work ethic throughout her life and her great smile.
Celebration of Life
April 29th, 1 - 3pm, at the Squamish Valley Golf Club, 2458 Mamquam Rd Squamish | All are Welcome
604-898-2333
The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company.
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38. Flock mother
39. Go on stage 40. Curvy shape 41 Sound of a punch 43. Street name
Occasion 49. Woke up
Almost
Curiously
Fender-mishap marks
Uptight
1. Food for dipping 2. Gibbon or gorilla 3. Permit 4. Without moisture 5. Computer input 6. Metal thread
Motor 8. out (make do)
9. Commotion
10 As of this time 12. Upper House 13. Fruit part 18. Destiny 19. Breathing
20 Cut wood, again 22 Songlike poem
24 Extremely serious 25. High-test et al. 27. Behold
28. Bear’s cave 29 Longings 32. Trainee 35. Be off 39 Askew 42. Greases 44. Treasure
45. Ponder
46. In addition to 47 Fixed charge
48. Blow upon 50 Vice
51. Subways’ kin
52. Change color
Crossword puzzle answers use American spelling
ARIES March 21-April 19
Your honesty will bring hidden issues to light but may also cause some tension. An unexpected revelation will prompt reflection and doubt The new moon’s influence will cause a truth to be revealed, opening the path toward greater clarity.
TAURUS April 20-May 20
Even if your finances are strained, solutions will appear. You’ll have the chance to revisit a pet project or redecorate your home, rekindling your motivation and sense of hope.
GEMINI May 21-June 20
This week promises to be lively and full of twists and turns. You may need to confront certain people to restore harmony. Even if you value peace, clear boundaries will help you rebuild trust and respect.
CANCER June 21-July 22
Your intuitive and creative abilities will grow this week, giving you a more spiritual outlook and fresh perspectives Your empathy will intensify. Your artistic or inspiring side may start to shine
LEO July 23-Aug. 22
You may be unexpectedly inspired by a social media message that opens up new perspectives A supportive friend will play a crucial role in helping you achieve something great, boosting your confidence and driving your pursuit of happiness.
VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22
Your schedule may become overwhelming if you take on too much Space out your appointments to avoid stress and last-minute chaos. Treat your time like a precious resource Use it wisely to regain balance and peace of mind.
LIBRA Sept 23-Oct. 22
You’ll have the sudden urge to radically transform your life. A return to school or a career change could bring you closer to your true calling and pave the way for a more fulfilling, purposeful future.
SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21
Your emotions could overpower your logic this week, influencing your decisions even as you try to stay rational. Accepting your feelings and daring to step outside your comfort zone will guide you toward change that aligns with your path
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21
This week will highlight the need for balance in all your relationships Whether at work, in love, with relatives or friends, you’ll need to negotiate skillfully, make compromises and adjust your expectations to preserve harmony and happiness.
CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19
A disagreement or confusing situation at work could spark thoughts of a career shift Before making a move, take a step back, weigh your options carefully and seek advice from loved ones.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18
You’ll shine brightly this week, attracting the recognition you deserve This recognition will boost your confidence, selfesteem and self-worth, setting the stage for meaningful change in your future.
PISCES Feb. 19-March 20
A move may be on the horizon, especially if your current home feels too big. This change could mark a new chapter in your life In romance, positive changes could strengthen or rekindle your relationship
The Parish of St. John the Divine, Squamish
Holy Communion and Morning Worship Sundays at 10:00 AM Rev Cameron Gutjahr 1930 Diamond Road 604-898-5100
