October 30, 2025

PAGE 16

THEY’RE COMING HOME

A community celebration, recognizing the achievements of local global athletes

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2025

DEAL DONE?

Skaters acutely feeling impact of municipal labour dispute, as tentative deal reached

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

Labour disputes are like marriage separations—painful, confusing and frustrating.

Only with labour disputes, come what may, the two sides have to agree to make the marriage work in the end.

As of press deadline Tuesday, reconciliation is now within sight.

The District of Squamish and CUPE Local 2269 announced on Oct. 28 that they had reached a tentative agreement.

“This has been a difficult chapter between the District of Squamish and their workers,” said Celeste Bickford, president of CUPE 2269, in a news release. “Reaching a tentative agreement is the necessary first step towards rebuilding our workplace culture and improving staff morale, to ensure we can better deliver the vital services residents, business and visitors count on.”

Next, union members will vote on the agreement. Picket lines will stay in place until both parties have ratified the agreement.

While the public has been feeling the effects of the labour dispute since Oct. 2, when the union began rotating job action, the issue has been brewing for a lot longer for those involved.

The collective agreement between the

PAGE 15

LOCAL HOCKEY PLAYER DEFIES ODDS

‘Living with the worst disease you’d never heard of’

District and CUPE 2269 expired on Dec. 31, 2024.

Talks broke down on July 4, 2025. That month, union members voted 100% in favour of job action.

On Sept. 29, the District received strike notice from the union.

The key issues of contention have been wage increases and scheduling related to achieving work-life balance.

After a couple of weeks of rotating job action, the District locked out some of its unionized workers on Oct. 16.

Unless employees were part of the two sides’

essential service agreement, services provided by CUPE 2269’s 250 members stopped that day. Meanwhile, those in the public most impacted have become increasingly frustrated. The arena has been a focal point for many.

STRIKE: Continued on 2

PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

CUPE District of Squamish workers on the picket line on Sunday, during the torrential rain

STRIKE: Continued from 1

Leah Hodges, president of the Squamish Minor Hockey Association has been one of the most publicly vocal, trying to push the two sides to reach a deal

She took to social media before the tentative agreement was announced on Tuesday, with a desperate plea that there be a quick resolve.

“I am pleading, not just on behalf of hockey players, but for every child, parent, and resident who misses what our arena represents. District of Squamish, please, if there is any possible way to resume negotiations and reach resolution so the ice can be reinstated and usable by Nov. 14, we can still recover this season.”

In her presentation to council earlier this month, Hodges had said Oct. 27 was the latest the rink could be off limits to save the hockey season, however, she said the association managed to secure temporary ice time on Nov. 10 and 11, which the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA) opened up, to allow Squamish teams to fill with game slots.

“This has bought us just one more week, but it came at an enormous cost,” Hodges wrote. “The price to rent that outside ice was equivalent to half a month’s worth of ice time at Brennan Park, which is simply not sustainable for a not-for-profit association like ours to continue absorbing in an attempt to save our children’s season.”

She added that if the dispute isn’t resolved by Nov. 14, the association would have to declare to the PCAHA that it won’t be able to host games for the foreseeable future.

“I know these negotiations are difficult, but the cost of continued delay is being paid by our children,” she said.

Skaters, with the Skate Sea2Sky Club, sent council and The Squamish Chief statements of how the disruption to rink access has affected them, through the club’s head coach Kari-Ann MacDonald

“This is a hard situation because everyone in our club has to miss so much school and it’s hard to keep on track. Everyone is so exhausted

from all the driving. We are very tired of this situation,” said Matilda Wight, 14

Another skater worried about competition.

“The arena closer has affected me by not getting enough ice time to practice for my upcoming competition,” said Paityn Jordan, 11

“I am competing in two events and this closure is not helping me to feel prepared If the people in charge could come to an agreement so we can get our home ice back it would be most appreciated.”

Adaline McLaren, 15, said she wants the powers that be to listen to the community voices, including hers, about how important access to the rink is.

“The rink isn’t just a sheet of ice to us,” McLaren wrote. “It is where I spend my mornings before school, evenings before dinner, and even weekends. It is where I learned perseverance, dedication, and teamwork. For me, it’s my second home, which is why it hurts to see not much action being taken place.”

MacDonald, who is also senior director at Skate Sea2Sky also sent along a letter and statement to mayor and council.

Like minor hockey, the club has been working “tirelessly” to secure temporary ice in neighbouring communities, she said

“Unfortunately, the costs are unsustainable, and availability is extremely limited The few ice times that do exist are often during school hours, forcing young athletes to miss classes just to stay active in their sport. The additional travel time required for families to reach these facilities has also created a heavy environmental impact, with countless extra hours on the road contributing to unnecessary emissions something that directly contradicts our community’s shared goals for sustainability,” she added.

She said the club currently has one skater preparing to compete at the BC/YK Sectional Championships next weekend, and 23 others registered for a regional competition in late November “Events they have attended annually as part of their athletic development,” she said

“Roughly 75% of our skaters have managed to find temporary training options, though this has required significant family travel and expense. The remaining 25% have been unable to train at all since this second closure, leaving them without the preparation needed to safely and confidently return to competition.”

She added that ice at facilities such as Harry Jerome, in North Vancouver, and in West Vancouver also comes at a “significant premium.”

“As not-for-profit organizations, we simply cannot continue absorbing these expenses without long-term harm to our programs,” she said.

Both sides have expressed sympathy with the impact of the situation on the public. The District has said it sees the pain of this labour disruption, which would have reached the one-month mark Tuesday.

I know these negotiations are difficult, but the cost of continued delay is being paid by our children.

LEAH HODGES

“To our residents—we sincerely apologize for the disruption to services caused by the labour dispute,” reads a post to the municipality’s website.

The coming days will determine whether the healing for the union members, District non-union staff, and the community, can begin in earnest.

PHOTO BY AAFREEN ARORA

THE BEAUTY OF FALL: Though the rain can be dreary, the colours of

GOT NEWS?

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

INCLUSIVE HIRING PRACTICES BRING JOY AND EFFICIENCY TO LOCAL SHOPS

At

Happimess and Firetail Pets,

embracing neurodiversity isn’t just a policy—it’s a practice that’s paying off in productivity, positivity, and purpose

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

It’s about being less concerned with the disability and more interested in the ability.

For Dalia Shehata of Happimess, having a neurodivergent staff member provided through Sea to Sky Community Services has been a blessing and a huge help. Having Terry Peech join the team in 2024 as part of an employment services program ended up revolutionizing their inventory system, as he meticulously and dutifully keeps track of their paint and craft supplies.

“We never put Terry in a loud studio full of kids because he doesn’t do well in noisy environments, so we accommodate for that but it’s not a huge effort on our part It’s really a mutually beneficial relationship,” Shehata told The Squamish Chief.

“We’re all neurodivergent here at Happimess, though our disabilities may vary and may be invisible but even if you’re not neurodivergent we still have to accommodate you and how you work.”

Along with Cindy Smith of Firetail Pets, Shehata is sharing her story as part of Community Inclusion Month, which is every October. Both are taking part in a community inclusion program through Sea to Sky Community Services that pairs them with an aspiring employee that has a developmental disability.

“Terry has been amazing. He’s done such fantastic tasks that are in his wheelhouse, and it’s funny because his tasks change from week to week and he is so good and meticulous and organized. He’s pretty much organized our

whole studio.”

Speaking to The Squamish Chief, Peech said his favourite part of the job is washing the Lego pieces and cleaning off the whiteboard He makes sure when he’s organizing the markers to test if they’re working before putting them away, and he loves taking out the recycling. He’s proud of the job, and the income he makes from it.

“I save money for my wallet for comic books and movie tickets and action figures from DC Marvel, plus some video game characters,” he said.

A GREAT REFERENCE

It’s not a question of what she does, it’s a question of what she doesn’t do

When Smith, of Firetail Pets, thinks about Hannah Pope, she has a long list of the tasks her employee of two years can do If Pope ever moves on from the job, Smith would give her a glowing reference.

“Sometimes we make little cheat sheets for her for like coding products, and so she can follow which month is which, and a little cheat sheet for sign ins and codes for the recycling centre and things like that but besides that she is a very smart and capable and motivated worker,” said Smith, noting that Pope religiously works every Saturday As part of the job, Pope greets every pet that comes in the door and checks whether they have food allergies. This is Pope’s second job—she also works at Nesters Market

I like getting to interact with customers and pets and getting to know all my staff at Firetail Pets.

HANNAH POPE

grocery store—and she’s learned how to be thorough

“She comes in and checks all the treats on the floor to see if they need to be restocked. She fills and cleans the dogs’ water bowls She knows a lot of people in the community so she’s always chatting and she does inventory counts for us There’s a whole list of things she does,” Smith said

“I’m thrilled to be part of the [Community Inclusion] Program and Hannah brings such joy to us She’s always singing and making us laugh and we look forward to Saturdays because she’s coming in.”

Pope has two dogs at home, which gives her insight into how to do her job. She told The Squamish Chief that she likes making money because she can spend it on concert tickets, horseback riding and visiting her grandma.

“I like getting to interact with customers and pets and getting to know all my staff at Firetail Pets.”

Smith said the feeling is mutual

“We love having her here and we hope she never leaves.”

Squamish Curbside Battery Collection

•When: your Garbage service day: November 3rd to 7th.

• How: Collectbatteries in aclear bag. Place the batteries on top of your Recycle Tote on the curbside,theywill be collected by hand.

• Why: The recycle tote will indicate your participation and prevent batteries from being tippedintothe garbage truck.

Squamish is thefirst community in BC to offeraCurbside BatteryCollection Program. In 2024, 1,318 kgs of batteries were collected from the curbside service alone!

PHOTO COURTESY OF DALIA SHEHATA

Terry Peech working at Happimess, which has been part of the Community INclusion program since 2023. Peech has been part of the program since March of 2024

DEVELOPERS TO PAY MORE AS DISTRICT UPDATES GROWTH-RELATED FEES

As housing demand surges, the District of Squamish is turning to newly approved developer fees—ACC and DCC bylaws—to ensure that future residents have access to vital community infrastructure

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

The District has some new and updated tools available in its toolkit to help recover some of the cost related to population growth.

Council passed three readings of new development cost charge (DCC) and amenity cost charge (ACC) bylaws at its meeting on Oct. 21.

These are fees developers pay for their new builds.

While not a sexy topic, it is a vital one, especially in Squamish, in that the money collected from these bylaws goes toward things the community needs as it grows exponentially.

The fees for ACCs and DCCs can also impact the cost of a home for buyers.

After much back and forth and hours of deliberation, council voted 6-1 in favour of the bylaws

“It’s not a perfect tool to recover costs associated with growth It’s just one piece that we’re moving ahead,” said Jonas Velaniskis, the District’s senior director of community development, summing up the overall feeling of the supporters of the new ACC bylaw. “It’s not perfect yet, but we just need something in place now so we can start collecting the money and then come back next year, do an update, and then come back every year almost to do regular updates.”

WAIT, WHAT ARE AMENITY COST CHARGES?

Amenity cost charges (ACCs) are new tools for municipalities that were introduced by the provincial government in 2024 that allow local governments to collect money for amenities—think rec centre, daycares, and library—from new development that results in an increased population of residents or workers.

So, in the example of a new recreation centre, the assumption is that such a new build would cost about $70 million, so an assessment is done to have new developments pay for part of that cost

Being this is a new tool, the District does not currently have an ACC bylaw in place. ACCs are intended to formalize and streamline the current District community amenity contributions (CACs) negotiation practices.

(Remember, CACs are in-kind or cash payments paid by property developers when the District gives them development rights through rezoning. The process in deciding these can sometimes be long and drawn out.)

provincially regulated and also involve a developer paying for new builds.

So DCCs aren’t new, but this council vote was around a new bylaw for them

This bylaw will apply to all applications for subdivisions and for building permits.

The District commissioned the firm Watson and Associates Economists, which is headquartered in Mississauga, ON, to come up with the proposed DCC and ACC bylaws that were presented before council on Tuesday.

The work presumed an increase of more than 11,000 housing units in Squamish from 2026 to 2041

Daryl Abbs, managing partner at Watson and Associates, explained the fundamental intent of ACCs and DCCs.

“The intent of development cost charges and now amenity cost charges are to recover the capital costs associated with growth within the District And so these costs are in addition to what a developer would normally pay as part of their subdivision development through the subdivision servicing bylaw,” he explained. “So the internal roads, sewers, water mains, etc. would be paid for by the developer. The development cost charge and amenity cost charges are for the broader infrastructure that’s required. And so really the intent here is to reduce the burden on the taxpayer for funding growth.”

He explained that for development cost charges, local governments can recover costs for sewage, water, drainage, fire, police, highway facilities, solid waste and recycling facilities, improving parkland and employee housing in a resort region.

For amenity cost charges, it is similar legislation, but local governments can use money collected for them to recover costs related to community, youth or senior centres, a recreational athletic facility, libraries, daycares, and a public square

Below are the approximate ACC rates developers would pay for new residential builds, rounded for ease of reading:

•Single detached housing—low density— $19,000 per lot

•Low density—small lot—$15,000 per lot

•Medium density—townhouse/multiplex—$12,000 per unit

•Medium density—apartment—$10,000 per unit

The new charges for DCCs, on the other hand, range from about $37,000 for a single family home, to about $19,000 for an apartment unit.

CONCERNS OVER COST INCREASES?

that result from the bylaws.

UDI is a non-profit organization that represents the development industry and related professions.

“We are very concerned about the significant increases in DCC and ACC rates, which will severely undermine our ability to build new homes and job spaces in these already challenging times,” McMullin wrote.

“Given the scale of the proposed increases and the current state of the housing market, it is highly unlikely that the District will collect meaningful revenue from these elevated DCC and ACC rates, as many development projects will simply not proceed. This outcome benefits no one.”

The District’s staff report states that an analysis of the charges was done and that they would have an impact, but not be responsible for a development project not being completed.

“The analysis has determined that the DCC and ACC charges on their own would not deter development, but it did show that many of the costs associated with construction and land development have reached a point that projects may not be financially viable,” the report reads.

Abbs said the cost to the developer from the bylaws would be about 3% of revenue, while construction costs for the developer add up to about 70% for low and medium density builds.

“What we saw was even if you remove these charges completely, the average feasibility of development would not change because the component of it is so small relative to the other costs,” he said

ADDED AMENDMENT

Council added the following amendment to the DCC Bylaw:

“The charges in this bylaw shall be increased annually on Jan. 1 of each year beginning Jan. 1, 2027, in accordance with the consumer price index for British Columbia in accordance with B.C. regulation 117 2018 The index shall be calculated based on the year-over-year change.”

Mayor Armand Hurford, who has confirmed he will not be running for council next election, said the addition of the amendment made him comfortable in supporting the bylaw, in that future councils were taken care of in this regard

“It gives me some comfort that if the next council for some reason has different priorities that come up or something else emergent happens that takes some capacity, we have a safety net in there of cost increases over time to ensure that a large gap doesn’t open up if it’s not given the specific attention it deserves.”

COUNCIL COMMENTS

“The cost increases that I’m seeing here, based on feedback I’ve received is just too steep—too high. The change will be particularly painful for small to medium-sized local developers who are in a very difficult position even getting financing,” he said

“What I see here, we run the risk of those projects that do actually get financing will end up with projects that are going to be very expensive and very difficult to reach … particularly for local buyers.”

Coun. Jenna Stoner said that the bylaws provide clarity for developers

“For me, ACCs and DCCs are an opportunity to provide certainty through the development process by being clear on the costs and charges that we expect new development to cover And it’s not about making developers’ projects pencil out or make them work for them or make them more feasible. It’s also not about trying to slow development down,” she said. “It is really about ensuring that new growth is helping to pay for the infrastructure that is needed to make our communities not only work but make them actually really livable and vibrant and thrive.”

She noted these aren’t the only revenue streams council has, but valuable ones.

Stoner added that while grateful the province created the ACC tool, she was disappointed that it did not allow for the funding of affordable housing.

After the bylaws passed third reading, Stoner brought forward a motion that was passed unanimously, involving affordable housing and some feedback for District staff to bring back before final adoption of the bylaws.

“To direct staff to review the affordable housing policy targets in the rezoning application alignment with official community plan policy and conduct consultation with relevant stakeholders including a formal referral to the Squamish Community Housing Society.”

Coun Andrew Hamilton spoke to not letting perfection get in the way of progress where the bylaws were concerned.

“I do not firmly believe that these are perfect bylaws that are going to get us to where we need to go ultimately, but they are absolutely progress,” he said, particularly noting the DCC updates made

“Our DCC bylaw update, particularly including active transportation in our DCC bylaw is a critical piece because that is how our transportation master plan is going to come to fruition.”

The bylaws still have to come back to council to be approved.

After passing the three readings, the DCC bylaw goes to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval prior to adoption

AND WHAT ARE DEVELOPMENT COST CHARGES

(DCCS) AGAIN?

Development cost charges (DCCs) are

Anne McMullin, president and CEO of the Urban Development Institute (UDI), wrote letters to the mayor and council strongly opposing the increases in fees to developers

Coun John French, the sole dissenting voice, said the feedback he has received from local developers made it impossible for him to support the bylaws.

Once approved by the Inspector, District staff will bring the DCC bylaw and associated policy changes back for council consideration of adoption.

‘HARDCORE SQUAMISH FISHERMAN’ DEEPLY MISSED

Fundraiser has been set up to support wife and children

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

“Erik was pretty awesome.” That is how the sister of his widow describes Erik Normand, the 46-year-old beloved Squamish fisherman who died Oct. 18 He was found passed away at home, according to his sister-in-law.

“He was a hardcore Squamish fisherman who lived for fishing and his kids. He was a huge river fisherman so he would be out in the river catching coho in the spring and he’d be out every season on exactly what was running at the time. He had horseshoes up his ass because he always caught fish,” said Lisa Lawrence, sister of his widow, Julie Normand.

Lawrence said his favourite spot was where the Squamish River meets the Cheakamus, and that he’d routinely bring his family to enjoy the outdoors Now that a GoFundMe has been set up for the family, raising close to $8,000 so far, pictures of him posing with his giant catches have been proliferating.

“On Tuesday morning a private ceremony [honoured] you, with your best friends on my arms holding me up to see your casket at the age of 46 was not part of our plan and, let me tell you, the pain the body feels through this process is nothing I wish on anyone,” wrote Julie in a Facebook post on Friday.

“You told me you would always go first because you couldn’t face the world without my beautiful face. Well Erik, you left me not realizing I can’t face it either without you.”

These quotes are published here with the family’s permission.

Erik Normand loved fishing, his family and friends, says his sister-in-law.

Normand was well-respected in the community.

NEWS BRIEF

VEHICLE RECOVERED

One person has still not been recovered from a June crash into the Squamish River along Squamish Valley Road

However, the vehicle was pulled from the river on Saturday

RCMP say that Sea to Sky General Investigation Section (GIS) personnel continue to investigate the crash following the recovery on Oct. 18. Officers with the RCMP’s GIS look into serious or complex incidents.

On June 14, a Jeep carrying four people crashed into the river.

Three people were able to get out safely.

One person did not.

Police say the vehicle’s recovery marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation.

“Erik worked tirelessly as the yard manager at Rona, where he was admired not just for his leadership, but his kindness, humour and the way he treated everyone with respect,” the GoFundMe post reads.

“No one should have to choose between grieving their loved one and worrying how they will keep the lights on or put food on the table. This is why we are asking for your help.”

Julie shared photos of a shrine she created on Facebook in tribute to their time together.

“You will never know how it feels to have a broken heart until you are able to see the person you loved for 27 years through photos and memorials. My heart is beyond repair,

the nights are silent and long, you are gone and I am left to keep going when all I want is to be with you.”

Find the GoFundMe campaign at: “ERIK NORMAND deeply missed by all who knew him.”

Sea to Sky GIS is leading the investigation, while Squamish Search and Rescue and the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team were integral in the vehicle recovery, according to a BC RCMP news release.

“Their diligent efforts of monitoring water levels and ultimately locating the still submersed vehicle, led to the successful recovery of the vehicle in challenging conditions,” reads the release.

Recovery had been hampered for several months by the fast moving conditions in the river.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash remains active, police say, and no other information is available at this time.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LISA LAWRENCE

COUNCIL APPROVES TWO NEW BUILDINGS AT WOODFIBRE LNG SITE

District of Squamish council has approved a development permit amendment allowing two additional buildings at the under-construction Woodfibre LNG export facility

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

The Woodfibre LNG site the previous home of the Woodfibre Pulp and Paper Mill site located approximately seven kilometres southwest of downtown Squamish on Howe Sound is set to add two more buildings to its under-construction liquefied natural gas export facility.

At its meeting on Oct. 21, council unanimously passed a development permit amendment for Woodfibre LNG to add two more buildings to its burgeoning site

The original development permit, authorizing five buildings on the site, was approved in 2023

Other minor changes to the original development permit were already granted by District staff, given the modifications didn’t substantially change the original design laid out in the permit, said District planner Robyn Hay.

This development permit amendment proposed modifying the form and character of four of the five previously approved buildings

and adding two new buildings to the Woodfibre LNG site.

Already approved buildings have increased in size and their location and orientations have shifted, but they remain within the same

general area on site, according to Hay’s presentation to council.

“With respect to the two new buildings, it was noted that some equipment was not enclosed when the previous development permit was approved. Since then, WLNG has determined that enclosing this equipment is necessary to meet current design and industry standards,” Hay said

compared with traditional white lighting

Pettingill also questioned if there was an increase in wildfire risk with the instrument air building, which will now be enclosed when it had previously been planned to be open air.

“Is this a building that’s handling possibly combustible flammable gas that’s now enclosed and therefore an explosion in wildfire risk? How have we assessed what an increase in wildfire might be for the enclosure of this particular sort of infrastructure?”

Hay explained that the development permit before council was only to make a decision on form and character and the only assessment criteria is whether the proposal meets the form and character guideline.

“But what I can say is the development will be required to meet the B.C. building code requirements and also there is a registered wildfire covenant on title and the buildings will also have to be designed to comply with the requirements outlined in that covenant,” she said

Pettingill, however, wasn’t satisfied with the overall guidelines.

The equipment falls under provincial, not District, regulators

AT BRITANNIA MINE MUSEUM

The changes proposed by Woodfibre will increase operational efficiency, improve the movement of Woodfibre LNG personnel, and ensure compliance with industry requirements, according to Hay’s presentation

The proposal was published by the District on its website and in its newsletter No public comments were received, according to District staff.

COUNCIL COMMENTS

Coun. Chris Pettingill, who has been very public in his opposition to Woodfibre LNG, asked several questions of staff, including about lighting and what was being done to mitigate the impact of it

Hay said that in the District’s Official Community Plan, under the development permit area (DPA) guidelines, there are requirements for lighting

“I think in the narrow context of our guidelines this does seem generally consistent,” he acknowledged. “[But], I think it flags for me some holes in our guidelines. The nature of this site, it is very visible from key locations in our community and regardless of what it is functioning as, I think we’re not actually capturing some of the things that we would otherwise generally intend to deal with in our DPA guidelines So for me, this is a hole in our guidelines that I would like to see us plug.”

In supporting the staff recommendation to grant the amended development permit, Coun Jenna Stoner said the application was pretty straightforward.

“Our development permit area guidelines especially, in industrial areas, are fairly lean, especially for this particular site, which is more removed from the community and doesn’t have an interface with residential neighbourhoods or other commercial uses,” she said.

“I think that … the guidelines as we have them are adhered to with the application before us.”

Mayor Armand Hurford spoke to the unique situation with the development permit process. With such applications, if they meet the District’s guidelines, council’s support is not discretionary

Meaning, if the application checks the boxes required, council has to pass it

“So, we’ve looked at the lighting under those guidelines in terms of shielding the lighting and directing the rays to reduce the light pollution,” she said, adding that the buildings will be a grass green colour, to reduce impact

The seven buildings also all have matte grass green metal roofs.

Further, the staff report to council says that to minimize potential impacts on local wildlife, the lighting will be green in colour, as green light is generally less attractive to birds

“It is really strange for decisions to come to this table that are ultimately not at our discretion So our job here was to review the documents and ensure that they did in fact meet the guidelines as presented by staff. And I think that what I saw was that this application meets the guidelines. Therefore, the issuing of this permit is beyond my discretion. So I am going to vote in support.”

PHOTO VIA WOODFIBRE LNG Early construction at WLNG began in the fall of 2023. It is expected to be mostly complete by 2027

BritanniaMineMuseum gratefully acknowledges theircommunity sponsors:

SLRD ADOPTS TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION GUIDE

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has reinforced its ties with the First Nations, as they commit

good way.’

INA PACE

ipace@lodestarmedia.ca

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Board (SLRD board) is reinforcing its ties with the First Nations and Indigenous communities.

The SLRD is home to the Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), St’át’imc Nation and Líl’wat Nation. Parts also overlap with the traditional territories of the Stó:lō, Tsleil-Waututh, Nlaka’pamux, Tsilhqot’in, and Secwepemc Nations.

The SLRD formally endorsed the SquamishLillooet Regional District Indigenous Relations Truth & Reconciliation: In Practice: A Guide for Working in a Good Way during its Oct. 22 board meeting, as a means of strategic co-ordination and engagement.

This “roadmap” will be used by elected officials and SLRD staff to direct their work moving forward.

“Today marks an important step forward on the path of truth and reconciliation, which demands honesty, courage and a willingness to

confront the hard truths of our history and our present, ” Board chair Jen Ford said in the SLRD’s press release, issued on Oct. 23

The SLRD, which became a Regional District of Reconciliation in 2016, developed the guide last year

According to the guide’s summary notes, the SLRD had shared the first draft of the guide with local First Nations to invite their feedback

The guide’s summary notes explain, for example, that Indigenous communities will be involved in decision making that affects them.

The guide will also be adaptable in order to best respect Indigenous rights and develop a mutual understanding, in building a “resilient region.”

“We are not claiming that this work will be simple or easy, but it is necessary. We are going to stumble along the way, but we will learn and adapt as we go,” Ford said

“We understand that a commitment alone is not enough, and that thoughtful and consistent action is needed to demonstrate our resolve,” she also stated within the guide.

“We support the vision of this guide not just because it is the right thing to do, but because if it is done well, we can see a more prosperous and just future for all—a region where everyone thrives.”

ExploreCapU OpenHouse

Squamish

Nov. 8, 2025

10:30 am–2:30 pm

3200 University Blvd.

RSVP at CapilanoU.ca/explore

•Discoverprograms and tour on-campus studenthousing

•Connectwithdedicated faculty,staffand students

• Experiencecampus life just stepsfrommountains, trails and everything Squamish has to offer

The guide outlines its commitments, grounded in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action

These commitments include:

• Enhancement of organizational readiness, and building relational capacity;

• Support of ongoing cultural awareness, learning and education;

• Strengthening of relationships through effective communication, and collaboration; and,

• Commitment of sustained efforts. Furthermore, five key roles of the regional district are also listed to direct the implementation of these commitments:

• Supporter (respecting Indigenous protocols);

• Partner (fair and inclusive collaboration);

• Listener (to actively listening and continuously learn);

• Aligner (to champion Indigenous Rights and promote systemic change); and,

• Connector (to build relationships, and amplify Indigenous voices).

“Recognizing and addressing truths [about colonialization] is not about taking anything

to ‘working in a

We are not claiming that this work will be simple or easy, but it is necessary.

JEN FORD

away from anyone—it’s about building a more just and respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Reconciliation is not about division—it’s about honesty, equity and shared responsibility,” Ford said

According to the SLRD’s press release, it will also be providing Indigenous-led training to its elected officials and staff on an annual basis, and as part of the staff onboarding process.

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.

10-Year Financial Plan

Available Online forPublic Review

Browse what’sincluded in thislongterm plan thatconveys howthe Districtwill managefuturegrowth, continue to upgrade facilities and infrastructure, and create complete neighbourhoods to meet community needs,all while ensuring thattax increases to residents and businesses aremanageable.

View the online budget tool and share your feedback:

Organics CollectionUpdate

Weekly organics collection has ended forthe year, biweekly collection will beginNovember 3.

DevelopmentReview

• OcreanfrontAreaAand Area D DevelopmentPermit squamish.ca/review

Business Opportunities

Requestsfor Proposals

•Annual SanitaryMain Upgrades squamish.ca/doing-business-with-the-district

Infrastructure Upgrades

•Sanitaryliftstation rehabilitation on Pia Road continues

•Construction of anew chlorine injection chamber near Powerhouse Springs is underway.

•Xwu’nekwPark SeaDike upgrades continue.

•The Garibaldi Cemeteryexpansion upgrades areongoing

VICTORIA STREETACTIVE TRANSPORTATION UPGRADES

•Installation of anew transit shelter on DiscoveryWay is underway.

•EVCharging Stations installation work at Brennan Park and Junction Park continues.

•Loggers East Storm Sewerproject continues

•Paving work is nowfocused between Second Avenue and ThirdAvenue.Please be awarethere will be road closures and traffic impacts as work continues.

squamish.ca/building-our-future

LetsTalkSquamish.ca/budget-2026

ToteExchange and Selection

Areyou interested in alarger or smaller garbage tote?The deadlinetorequest to change your garbage tote sizefor 2026 is October 31.SolidWasteUtilityfees will varybased on the garbage tote sizeyou choose.A$50 exchange feewill apply. squamish.ca/garbage-tote-size-selection

Give Space

Accessible parking is vitalfor people,includingthose with invisible or hidden disabilities. Theimpacts of parking forveminutes in an accessible parking stall could result in aperson not being ableto access avenue,amenity or facility.

Please thinktwice, and leave room forsomeone who needs it.

Curbside BatteryCollection

Curbside batterycollection is happening the week of November 3-7!

Take advantage of this earth-friendly programtorecycle your batteries responsiblyand help keep harmfulchemicals out of the landfill.

To prepareyour batteries forcollection followthese simple steps:

• Placeacceptable batteries into clear,sealable plasticbags.

• On your regular collection day, placethe sealed batterybags on topofyour recycling tote.

NEW! Cell phones,tablets,laptops,and video games will also be collected–please put e-wasteitems in aseparatebag next to your batteries.

Batterycollection will take placeonyour regular garbage and organics collection daythatweek

COMMUNITY BAND ACTIVELY RECRUITING PLAYERS

Sea to Sky New Horizons Band seeks new members of all skill levels

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

There’s just something about playing music with other people

No matter what you play, being surrounded by fellow musicians playing their instruments and all working towards the same common goal is a sensation that not everybody gets to experience. But it’s intoxicating and life-affirming in a way that’s difficult to put into words.

So what if you could play alongside not five people, or 10, but 10,000? That’s the attraction of getting involved with the New Horizons International Music Association, which has chapters all across Canada, the U.S. and Europe—and now they’re opening their latest chapter right here in Squamish, thanks to director Debra Breuer.

“I moved here two years ago from London, Ontario where I was a member of a concert band called New Horizons,” she told The Squamish Chief.

“It’s a really great organization and I had this dream of starting a band here because this is a very musical community. There’s a jazz band and a string orchestra and there’s

always music playing at venues around town, so I joined the Sea to Sky Singers. That’s where I met Jennifer Beliveau, and when I mentioned I was in a band back in London she said ‘Well, I was in something similar in Whistler,’ and it turns out she’s a conductor.”

Thrilled to make this musical connection, the two women steamed ahead and founded

the Sea to Sky New Horizons Band. They connected with people from New Horizons, who arranged for them to be mentored through the creation process, with Beliveau as conductor.

“Right away we got a lot of responses and we now have 17 people who have signed up for our free practices and it’s been a lot of fun.

We know this will be a long journey, and it’s going to take time and we’re going to have obstacles, such as people coming from all different levels of musician-ship,” she said.

“The motto of New Horizons is ‘Your best is good enough’ and that is what we go by.”

Breuer said they’re looking for people who play woodwinds, brass and percussion, the drummer being a crucial piece of the equation they’re currently hoping to solve. And once they find the right people, the next step is the right music—and it turns out Beliveau and Breuer are on the same page, musically, seeking out show tunes and movements you might hear a high school band play

“A lot of our musicians, most have learned to play the instrument somewhere and typically you’re going to learn when you’re in school and then let it go You haven’t had a chance to play? Well, now you do have an opportunity and even if you are rusty if you’ve played before it’s like riding a bike,” she said.

“Often, it’s not what you do but who you do it with. There’s something about playing music together When you play with others it’s fantastic and everybody is so happy they have the opportunity to get back into it That’s what we’re providing here, for free.”

To get involved email debrabreuer28@ gmail.com.

NEW LOCAL RED CROSS TRAINING PROVIDES PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID EDUCATION

The UNLimited Worth project is partnering with the Canadian Red Cross this fall to bring essential psychological first aid training to non-profit workers, volunteers, and the public

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

Many people know how to support others, but struggle to take care of themselves.

If you think of it like being swept downriver, attempting to rescue someone else makes it more likely that you’ll drown yourself—unless you have the training necessary to keep you afloat

That’s where a Red Cross course being offered in Squamish comes in, offering certification in psychological First Aid.

Offered by the UNLimited Worth project, it aims to give people the mental tools necessary to help yourself and others

“There’s an unwritten culture that suggests you just suck it up and move through mental health challenges, and there’s still a stigma that keeps us from seeking the help that we need,” local Mike Skrypnek, UNLimited Worth Project CEO and founder, told The Squamish Chief.

“The key is we can avoid or prevent the worst outcomes, which is suicide or harm to oneself or harm to others and harm to the organizations we serve every day if we are able to cope, build

resiliency and know that there is support out there.”

One in five Canadians will experience a substantial challenge to their mental health this year, and half will experience mental illness before the age of 40, Skrypnek noted.

This is a figure supported by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

The course they’re offering is committed to preventative and actionable upstream solutions—because trauma tends to happen when you least expect it

“Negative events in life that create and cause trauma are often unexpected and inevitable What matters is how we respond. Strengthening resilience through self-care and capacity to care for others is foundational to Canadian Red Cross Psychological First Aid programming,” Skrypnek said

The venue for the course is provided by PearlSpace, and they received funding from the Squamish Community Foundation to train 12 local non-profit employees and community volunteers.

Those 12 will only pay a nominal admin fee

for the course The public can also register for the course, with a cap of 25 seats.

The Canadian Red Cross Psychological First Aid (PFA) course uses the Look, Listen, Link, Live model as core to PFA training Important resilience-building skills for managing stress, trauma and grief are offered in the program which consists of self-guided online courses and additional in-depth, in-person classroom training with qualified professional instructors.

“As highlighted by the World Health Organization and Canadian Mental Health Association, $1 invested in upstream support for mental health saves approximately $4 in downstream clinical costs. Crisis-driven mechanisms are expensive for businesses, communities, and taxpayers to absorb. We can all do better,” Skrypnek said, in a news release.

The course will be held on Nov. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pre-registration is required

Local non-profit employees, or community volunteers, are to contact UNLimited WORTH for a discount code

Find out more at www.unlimitedworth.org.

PHOTO VIA DEBRA BREUER

Local members of the New Horizons International Music Association.

PHOTO BY SDI PRODUCTIONS/ E+/GETTY IMAGES

The venue for the course is provided by PearlSpace Funding was also received from the Squamish Community Foundation to train 12 local non-profit employees and community volunteers

LOCAL

FASHION

ICON OPENS THE SOCIAL LINE IN DOWNTOWN LOCATION

After a short break from retail, beloved local entrepreneur Trish James is back with a brand new boutique, The Social Line, located in the heart of downtown

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

She’s back!

Trish James, whose former store

Stylezone, in Chieftain Centre Mall, was a staple for decades in many locals’ shopping habits, is back with a new location and outlook.

In mid-August, the current owners of Stylezone decided to sell the business.

This gave the popular well-known local entrepreneur time to come up with a new plan.

The Social Line is her new shop, located at the front of Empire of Dirt and F as in Frank at 38066 Cleveland Ave., right downtown.

The six weeks between the two endeavours taught her she isn’t the type to not work, she said, with a laugh.

“I know, after having that time off, this girl can’t retire I really enjoy the interaction with other women, and clients I’ve been waiting on for 37 years,” she said

Her time away from the woman’s retail world also allowed others to show her what she meant to them

“The amount of messages that I got was beyond heartwarming I was shocked,” she said, adding that local business owners also reached out to her at that time

“It was funny how you don’t even really realize it. You know, this is what you do. This is your community. But oh, my God. It’s amazing how we really rally [for each other].”

The new location is open seven days a week. In addition to James, she just hired someone to staff the store on her days off, she said, adding she loves being in the same building with other businesses.

She opened at her new location on Oct. 1, and commented that with the three businesses in one and being downtown, the store is

very busy

The Social Line is James’s line of clothes.

“I do not design it, but I do pick the styles, fabric and colours,” she said proudly.

As for the clothes currently in stock, it is what local women have come to expect from James—comfortable, fashionable clothes that can be dressed up or down

“A lot of joggers, so trendy, but not over the top,” she said of her current pieces for sale

“This is something you could totally dress up or just lounge around in. So a lot of casual.

Definitely doing Sherpa jackets. They’re really big. Tons of sweaters.”

There are also accessories, such as purses.

That isn’t all she has going on. With the help of her youngest son, and supporter, makeup artist and hairstylist Christina Petry, owner of Red Carpet Ready by Christina, James is launching an online store.

“She has built her business these last 14

I do not design it, but I do pick the styles, fabric and colours.

TRISH JAMES

years alongside raising her two boys, and with so much passion for everything she does, and so I’m proud to have her represent my brand,” James said of Petry in a statement sent after her interview.

Petry is the face of her brand, James said, adding that earlier this week there was a photo shoot for The Social Line at House of Lager. The website will be up and running in the next few weeks at thesocialline.ca

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 While funding for this coverage was provided, The Squamish Chief maintains full editorial control over all content.

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.

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Trish James in her new store inside Empire of Dirt downtown

INSPIRING STORIES AND DARING FEATS AT THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

There will be talks, screenings and social events in Vancouver and Squamish from Nov. 12 to 19

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

She had to go north before she could go south.

When Claudia Bastien was first introduced to the concept of bike packing, she found herself itching to hit the open road solo But instead of heading straight south from Squamish on the coastal route down to Mexico, she decided to take a meandering route through the Rockies first.

“I left my front door in Valleycliffe and started cycling with no end date in mind, and I just went. I had never done a bike packing trip before. I’d done like a two-day tester about a month before just to make sure my bike was good, I liked my panniers, that everything fit inside my bags,” she told The Squamish Chief.

That was the beginning of a six-month trip that would take her through Alberta, then down into Montana and Wyoming before she headed to Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and finally California, trying her best to hit as many national parks as possible Along the way she amassed over 30,000 followers on Instagram with her handle @wandering_claud

“As I found out pretty much my first week of

getting into bike packing, it has this whole different community with different roles and ways of doing things It was an interesting experience to just delve completely into a new sport that I really wasn’t familiar with and now I am.”

She learned there are the purists, who don’t believe in accepting help or meals from anybody else during a trip, and others who think interruptions or detours are sacrilege. She decided to live by her own rules, and her own logic, at one point

biking in a large geographic circle

She was intent on doing her own thing, just like Forrest Gump, right until the moment she quoted him: “I think I’m going to go home now.”

EXTREME SPORTS AND EPIC STORIES

Now that Bastien is back safe in Squamish, she’s had time to reflect on her experiences and will be sharing them as part of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF)

Fall Series, alongside many other athletes and adventurers who are featured in the films being screened from Nov. 12 to 19 in Vancouver and Squamish.

On Nov. 15 she will give a talk at Bike Night at the Kay Meeks Art Centre, focused on “the highs and lows of bike packing.”

“There’s a lot going on with this festival. It’s kind of crazy,” said Bastien. “We have some crazy mountain athletes coming to join us, which I find astounding.”

One highlight will be the Ski and Snow Show on Nov. 14, which will include a live Q&A with Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger and Guillaume Pierrel, and films that take you to Mongolia’s remote Altai to Norway’s jagged fjords, capturing skiing’s wildest frontiers.

The festivities come up the Sea to Sky on Nov.

18 for the Squamish Mountain Mixer, which will be held at The Backyard From Bhutan’s trails to Alaska’s chaos, the night will focus on ski expeditions and climbing’s lighter side

Another Squamish athlete participating in this year’s VIMFF is mountain climber Bronwyn Hodgins, who will be speaking at the Big Walls Climbing Show on Nov 17

“She’ll be talking about burnout within that community, and what that looked like for her, and her return to climbing which pretty much just happened this year.”

For Bastien, she believes the films and talks being featured this year showcase a breadth of experience—not just the first, biggest, and best.

“There’s this idea that it needs to be a first descent, or fastest, or purest mentality for you to be able to talk about it and take space as an athlete, to talk about your feats. But what my presentation is about is taking space in that meandering, because that’s what I did,” she said.

People questioned the route she took on her journey, and the choices she made, but she stands by them For her, those six months were a perfect spiritual journey.

“It was a really beautiful experience, and definitely a different story than the ones we normally hear about.”

Find out more details or get tickets at vimff.org.

Construction Progress at WoodfibreLNG

TheWoodfibreLNG site is taking shape.Onland,crews are progressing on foundations afterplacing the pipe rack modules.Offshore, piling hasbegun forthe first permanent supports forthe floating storage tank —amajor step in marine construction.

Allmarine work is supportedbymarine mammalobservers and hydroacoustic monitoring.These safeguards pause work ifunderwater sound nears regulatory limits or if marine mammals enterexclusion zones

We’reproud to be building the world’sfirst net zero LNG exportfacilitysafely,responsibly,and under the oversightof the Sḵwxwú7meshÚxwumixw (Squamish Nation) —follow us to see how it’s taking shape righthereinSquamish.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAUDIA BASTIEN

Claudia Bastien on her bikepacking trip

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EDITOR

JENNIFERTHUNCHER jthuncher@ lodestarmedia.ca follow @thuncher REPORTER INAPACE ipace@ lodestarmedia.ca

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CATHIE GREENLEES cgreenlees@ squamishchief.com

MULTI- MEDIASALES REPRESENTATIVE KIMBOATMAN kboatman@ squamishchief.com

CIRCULATION MANAGER DENISE CONWAY dconway@ squamishchief.com

PUBLISHER SARAHSTROTHER sstrother@lodestarmedia.ca

EDITORIAL

WHAT YOU THINK

Inanotherinstallment of reflecting local sentiment, some recent Squamish Chief pollresults providefascinating insightinto whatsomeresidents think.

Let’slookatthe topanswerfor some of our mostrelevantrecentquestions.

With Halloweenthisweek, let’sstart with a relatedpoll, whichasked “Doyou supportthe new Squamish banonpossessingfireworks?”

Some locals maybe surprisedtolearn that of the560 votescast,56% said “Yes.”

Asked, “Willthe fireworksban change your Halloweenplans?” of 326votes,68% answered“No,Inever celebrated with fireworks.”

Thus,itmustbesome of theother 30%who have been settingoff fireworksall monthin town.

Asked, “Whatchange wouldmostimprove driving on theSea to SkyHighway?” thetop answer, with 27%ofthe poll’s 370total votes, was “Nothing,itis drivers—not theroad— that arethe problem.”

Seemslikely BC HighwayPatrolofficers, taskedwithstoppingthose baddrivers, wouldagree.

Sometimes, lookingatthe secondmost popular answersshinesalight on thetop one.

Forthe question,“Whichsidedoyou supportinthe Squamish municipallabour dispute?,”35% of the194 votessaid“The union.”

Thesecondmostcommonanswerwas “I don’t know enough to say,”at23%.

TheSquamishChief is amemberof theNationalNewsmedia Council, whichisanindependent organization establishedtodealwithacceptable journalistic practicesand ethical behaviour. If youhaveconcerns abouteditorial content, please contactEditorJenniferThuncherat jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca.Ifyou arenot satisfiedwiththe response andwishtofilea formal complaint, visitthe websiteatmediacouncil.ca or call toll-free1-844-877-1163for additional information

Reproduction of anymaterial containedinthispublicationis expressly forbiddenwithoutthe prior writtenconsent of thepublisher.

Asked, “Did youreceive awageincrease this year?,”40% of the176 totalvotes answered“No.”

Theseonlinepolls,found at squamishchief. com, areafunand interactiveway forour readersto tell us what they think.

Onerecentpollthatdoesn’t have enough votesinyet to determineatop answer is: “Whatchangewould make thebiggest differenceinreducinghuman-bear conflicts aroundtrash/organics?”

It is basedonanew District-commissioned reportthatofferssomesolutions.

Weigh in on thatone if youhaven’t already.

The newest poll question is,“Howmuch hasthe municipallabourdispute impacted yourlife?”

We have anew poll each week.

We wouldloveitif youtolduswhatyou think.

THE SQUAMISH CHIEF NEWSPAPER, PRINTED EVERYTHURSDAY BY LODESTAR MEDIA

SKI-TRIP PLANNING TAKESWORK

GUESTCOLUMN VINCESHULEY

After 20 wintersofskiingWhistlerBlackcomb (WB),Ican confidentlysay Iknowthe mountain pretty well.Ihavemypow-day routines,mytime-saving shortcuts, my classic-yetcan’t-miss lines, my stashes, my easy wins andmy bigger gambleswhenthe crowds motivate me to get more creative.Every ski-town localpridesthemselves on beingabletoshowout-of-town friendsthe time of theirlifeonthe mountain

Thecoolest thingabout WB is that even after20 years, Istill occasionally stumbleupona pocket of terrainIhaven’t puttracksthrough before Hometown advantagegives us certainty. Skiing the mountain regularlykeeps us in sync with coverage andconditions, so when theright stormdoescomeoff thePacific,we’re readytopounce. This dedicationand patience canberewardedwithsomegloriousdays, but theterrain doesn’tchange(glacierrecession notwithstanding). That doesn’tmeanitgetsboring—farfrom it.But to trulyappreciateyourhometownhill, sometimesyou need to step outsideofyourroutine andsee howthe rest of theworld skis.Wemight be blessedwitharguablythe best skiinginNorth America, butifWBisall youknow, it’s allyou know. Travellingfor skiing is oneofthe best experiences thesport canoffer.Itletsyou exploredifferent

mountains,après in differentski townsand if you travel farenough, it canbeadifferent cultural experience altogether

Hittingupother popularski resortsisa greatfirst step into skitravel. It does take an investment of time andmoney,vacationfromyourworkand agambleon conditions,but fewskierscomehomefromaroadtrip wishingtheyhadn’tgone. I’dwager themajorityof Whistler locals have nevertaken advantageoftheir Epic Pass access to otherVailResorts properties (avoidingU.S.traveldue to currency disparityand politicalclimate is more than understandable right now),but hittingupInteriorresorts KickingHorse and/or Fernie with sevenfreedaysofliftaccessisa no-brainer.Ifyou don’tmindcrossingthe border, MountBaker is as legendaryasithas ever been,and hasa reasonably-pricedday ticket in 2026 forwhatyou get, even with thecurrencyexchange. If youcan travel with someonewho knowsthe area or connectwitha local, you’ll have an even better experience Wherethingsget interestingiswhenyou start lookingatthe more offbeatski locations. Thesewill have little to no mechanized access,sologistics and backcountryroute planning areessential.The internet hasplentyofresources from others who’ve explored before you, butthe more remote andoffbeat youget, thequicker theGoogleresources dryup. Andnoone wantstoput twoweeks of time,money andtravelinto afailedski trip.

Researchingski tripsisn’t just findingblogs or scrollingthrough YouTubechannels, it’s connecting

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)

SKI: Continued from 12

with locals on the ground This is how professional media crews do it, because their paycheque often hinges on the success of the trip Your two-week vacation should be treated with the same importance. Finding new ski contacts on the other side of the world isn’t easy, but it is possible

Years ago, I wanted to explore skiing in Italy’s Sibillini Mountains. I had a loose media assignment and I had done some homework on which areas I could ski and the towns where I could stay But for my story, I needed a local. Not just for guidance on where the good skiing was, I needed someone to tell me stories about the region, the history, the food, the culture and the people I found a skier on Instagram who seemed very active in the Sibillinis and I threw out a long shot DM to see if he could be a resource for me during my week of skiing in Italy. Lorenzo ended up organizing us on multiple ski-touring missions, slashed turns for my photos, showed me his favourite dining spots and with the help of his partner, I got to interview the people that made my story happen. He’s now a contact who can connect me with people all over the European Alps, and more importantly, a friend who I want to ski with again.

Finding Lorenzo was a stroke of luck, but it also took time. Planning complicated ski trips sometimes means playing the long game, making sure you have your ducks in a row, ensuring your timing is right and having a backup plan if the primary goal falls through at the last minute. While we’re all patiently waiting for snow to fall, why not spend the time to research your next ski trip?

Vince Shuley is due for an international ski trip. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail com or Instagram @whis_vince.

SAY WHAT, COUNCIL?

Can someone please explain why, in 2025, our local “not for profit” golf course continues to enjoy some kind of ill-defined special property tax treatment. [“Seven Squamish groups granted property tax relief for 2026,” published Oct. 16.]

“Lease payments” and “permissive tax exemptions” aside, I think Coun. John French said it best. The golf club

LETTERS POLICY

BE BEAR AWARE: Have a photo to share with our readers? Send it in to jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca.

“got a pretty sweet deal.”

At a time when there are myriad local infrastructure demands on the District’s limited public purse, why the ongoing trepidation over including, at minimum, an annual consumer price index (CPI) element to the arrangement.

In no particular order, and not an exhaustive list, you can pick your file: public transit, affordable housing, sewer, water, road maintenance, traffic

control, employee payroll increases etc. etc. I’m assuming the golf course requires the same garbage pick-up, sewer and water services, and fire, police and ambulance assistance like any other business

As a non-golfing, property tax paying resident of this wonderful town, I feel there is something wrong with this picture.

Tom Bergen 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

Monday to be considered for Thursday’s edition. Full names and neighbourhood will be published with the

and edit letters for length and clarity or to address legal concerns Email letters to: editor@squamishchief.com

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

How much has the municipal labour dispute impacted your life?

Have your say at squamishchief.com

(Top 3 answers) LAST WEEK’S QUESTION

What change would make the biggest difference in reducing human-bear conflicts around trash/organics?

Squamish letter: Regulators under scrutiny as fuel prices remain sky-high MOST READ STORY

This week, Ina Pace did some “window shopping” for the best Halloween display downtown Watch this and many other videos on our TikTok channel, @squamishchief TOP TIKTOK OF THE WEEK

PHOTO BY AARON BROWNS PHOTOGRAPHY

MEET PUZZLE, THE RODENT-SNIFFING K9

A former rescue pup turned professional pest detector, Puzzle now spends his days tracking down rodents and his nights cuddling with his handler’s kids

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

It isn’t every co-worker who comes home with his workmate and requires care 24 hours a day, but then every co-worker isn’t as cute and snuggly as Puzzle.

That’s because Puzzle is no ordinary colleague—he’s an Orkin Canada working dog.

The one-year-old German short-haired pointer is trained to sniff out rodents for the company.

His handler, Jesse Emmerson, says that it is also Puzzle’s natural instinct.

“The person who we have in charge of the canine program for Orkin Canada, he looks for dogs that have a certain kind of drive and like abilities, and all of our dogs are rescues. So, he came from a family that wasn’t prepared for this kind of dog. So we got a hold of him, and he just had the right personality, the right drive and instincts that he could be trained very easily to do this kind of job.”

The close co-worker relationship developed quickly, Emmerson said.

“We definitely bonded very fast. He’s very

Meet Jade!

much my dog now. It didn’t take long, and we have a great deal of respect for each other, which helps when we’re at home. He’s a snuggly, loving family pet.”

Emmerson has two sons that Puzzle gets along great with, he added.

“My six-year-old just crawls all over him, and he loves the attention.”

An example of a job for Emmerson and Puzzle would be a large site like a warehouse that is having trouble dealing with rats or mice

“I can come in and help do a search and narrow down and help focus the areas [to look],” Emmerson said, noting that the first location where the pair went together, Puzzle marked five locations, and three of them had active nesting.

Puzzle finds the nests so that the human exterminators can do their jobs.

For training purposes, Emmerson uses live rodents placed safely in ventilated tubes, allowing Puzzle to practise scent detection without harm to the animals.

The rodents for training aren’t harmed. In fact, Emmerson built them a whole maze at home.

As for why rodents can become such a problem, especially for commercial clients with large warehouses—is how quickly they can reproduce, according to Emmerson.

“Mice can start breeding as early as six weeks, and they have litters of six to 10. Rats can have litters of six to 12, and it just can be

exponential growth, especially when they find a good warm environment with food and water,” he said.

Another characteristic of mice and rats is that they can be suspicious of new things.

“You have rats and mice that are neophobic. They get very cautious of new things in their environment. So even if you put out 20 or 30 traps in an area, if they’re just going around them back and forth, you’re not going to be able to keep control of them easily.”

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.

Jade is afemalebudgiewho was found as astray in Burnaby. Sheisa sweet bird whochattersand singstothe staffand volunteerswho take care of her, butshe is nervousof hands.Jadewas astray,soweknowvery littleabout herpastand thankgoodness agood Samaritanwas able to catchher safely andbring herintothe care of the BC SPCA.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF Jesse Emmerson and Puzzle in Squamish.

LOCAL HOCKEY PLAYER DEFIES ODDS DESPITE SKIN DIAGNOSIS

Doctors said he would never walk, now he’s on the ice with his team

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

Doctors said Nash Smillie would never wear shoes, let alone skates

For the first 14 months of his life, the Squamish youngster’s feet were completely bandaged due to his diagnosis of epidermolysis bullosa, or EB, a rare genetic disease that makes his skin fragile. There were painful scabs all over his body, and nobody could say for sure whether he would see his fifth birthday It was a harrowing time for his family

But fast forward, and the nine-year-old is the right wing defenceman of the Squamish Eagles, careening around the ice in full gear and perfecting his shots on goal.

“I like it because I’m a big tall guy and I’m pretty fast. It’s hard on my skin, but I push through the pain,” he told The Squamish Chief.

Some of his fellow players know about his condition, and many don’t, considering him just another player on the team—which is how he likes it He gets blisters and wounds on his feet and on his body due to his gear, but he has special cream and bandages that let him keep going.

For his mother, Emily Tomlinson, seeing her

son on the ice is nothing short of a miracle.

“It is one of my favourite things to do is watch him. I think the first time he went on the ice and actually skated with all his equipment I broke down into tears, completely overwhelmed with joy, and I love to see him on the ice beating the

odds,” she said.

She knew nothing about EB when Nash was born, but had to get a quick education to help take care of her son. The Squamish community rallied around her family, dubbing him “Baby Nash,” which was crucial in helping them get through the experience

“EB affects one in 20,000, approximately. Our family knew nothing about it so we didn’t know what was to come You do your research online and read up on it There are more severe types where they’re confined to a wheelchair or unfortunately there’s a fatal type where they don’t live to see their fifth birthday,” she said

“Thankfully, Nash was able to receive all the medical care treatment and bandages he needed for his feet to heal. So that he could take those bandages off, put shoes on, walk and then eventually put skates on was something we never thought he would be able to do.”

Epidermolysis Bullosa Awareness Week runs from Oct. 25 to 31 this year, and Tomlinson’s advocating for more education and funding to seek out a cure.

“Our goal is to educate all the people that surround Nash about EB because right now it’s considered an orphan disease which means there’s not a lot of funding or medical research available to find a cure for EB right now. There’s currently no cure for this disease so he will live

with it for the rest of his life and that’s why we as parents are doing whatever we can.”

As part of the awareness week, people are encouraged to wear their clothes inside out—like those who suffer from EB often have to do, to avoid getting irritated by seams and tags They’re encouraged to use the hashtag #insideoutforEB. DEBRA Canada is the charitable organization running the campaign Nash, who now goes by the nickname Nasher, feels grateful for the support he’s received His mother couldn’t be more effusive about it

“Squamish really showed up for Nash and they still do today. In the beginning they rallied around with community support when we didn’t know what to expect We didn’t know the financial implications this would cause, but they set up a GoFundMe and all these years later people still want to know how Nash is doing,” she said.

“People reached out when they learned Nash is playing hockey, they wanted to know when his home opener was so they could come and watch. I think it’s rewarding for the community to see how far he’s come.”

It’s important for him to be a part of a team.

“Squamish Minor Hockey is a family and it’s been amazing. The coaches, the people, all the friends he’s made You know those are lifelong friendships he’ll always have,” she said

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY TOMLINSON

Nash Smillie, shown here when he was MVP at a game in Richmond

GLOBAL BIKING ATHLETES RETURN TO CELEBRATE AT HOME

They were literally raised on our trails; now these riders are back in Squamish for a community event, celebrating their achievements

INA PACE

ipace@lodestarmedia.ca

Every success has a story, and often that story starts close to home.

A community celebration, recognizing the achievements of Squamish’s global athletes, will be hosted by Squamish BMX at the BMX Track on Nov. 2.

The event, aptly named Raised by the Trails, will pay homage to the global riders; ranging from BMX to freeride, enduro, XC and downhill

Folks can get their posters signed, which will be provided on site, and watch the riders take a lap round the BMX track.

Each athlete will be introduced by local emcee Todd Pope at the start line, who will list highlights of the riders’ careers, and personal reflections, before they ride the lap.

There will be opportunities for group photos, and the chance to participate in a community “celebration lap” after the athlete’s performances.

According to Squamish BMX Racing Club’s Facebook post, “The Squamish BMX Crew is all about celebrating local riders, community, and the trail culture that makes Squamish such an incredible place to ride.”

Squamish BMX president and event host Vraidy Frail described the riders as “the future,” and shared her sentiments about the potential expectations of the fans.

“[The fans] could end up on the world stage in the future They’re all mostly school aged kids who look up to these riders who are all just one generation above them, essentially. So this is a really cool opportunity for our younger, up and coming riders to meet these athletes in person, and hear their stories.

“It’s just going to be really inspiring and motivating for them. Seeing riders of all ages improve, gain confidence, and chase their passion is what makes the Squamish BMX community so special. That’s why I was really honoured when they asked us if we wanted to be a part of it.”

Raised by the Trails will be co-hosted by Tourism Squamish,The Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA), Squamish BMX and BMX Alumni.

According to a press release issued by Tourism Squamish on Oct. 22, over a dozen global riders have RSVP’d to the event; including, but not limited to, 2025 World Cup Champions, Elly Hoskin and Jackson Goldstone.

Lesley Weeks, Executive Director of Tourism Squamish, shared her sentiments.

“Raised by the Trails is about celebrating success and reminding young local riders that these incredible athletes all started right here in Squamish This event is both a thank-you to the community that makes it all possible and a moment to inspire the next generation to dream big,” she said Ian Lowe, Executive Director of SORCA, described how the Association is proud to advocate for the network of mountain bike trails in Squamish.

“Seeing our local riders succeed on the global stage is a real reflection of the hard work of our volunteers, trail crew, contractors and the passionate culture of the Squamish riding community,” he said Frail explained that BMX alumni will be organizing the event, and that while this is an open community event, a range of people involved in the biking industry, besides the

riders, are likely to attend.

Those involved in the industry may include rail builders, bike mechanics, bike shop owners, brand representatives, and their parents.

“These athletes didn’t do this on their own. We are celebrating the success of these athletes, but we’re also celebrating the community as a whole,” Frail said Frail confirmed this is the first year of Raised by the Trails, and the first cycling event of its kind on a large scale in Squamish.

“It’s not just downhill mountain biking or just BMX. Anything on two wheels is the theme,” Frail said Raised by the Trails is free for all to attend, and will take place 1 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the Squamish BMX Track (42099 Loggers Lane).

We are celebrating the success of these athletes,

but we’re also

celebrating

the community as a whole.

VRAIDY FRAIL

Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief’s Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter This reporting was produced through the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) which supports original civic journalism across Canada.

PHOTO BY INA PACE/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF Raised by the Trails is free for all to attend, and will take place 1 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the Squamish BMX Track (42099 Loggers Lane).

Deanna Lynne Larsen (neeRussell)

May 31, 1954 -October18, 2025

Deanna Lynne Larsen (nee Russell) wasborn and raised in Vancouver and spent her family lifefirst in Squamishand then enjoying “Islandlife” in Nanaimo. She worked as an education assistant at Stawamus Elementaryand Howe Sound Secondary.

Deanna willforever be rememberedbyKarl, her husband, as theperfect lifepartner They enjoyed abeautiful family,together,withson, John(Janice), daughter,Alanna (Keith), and their grandchildren, Levi, Havanah and Jordan

Deannaembraced love, kindness, warmth and family.Her gentle ways,intelligence and wit combined to make her aunique and beautiful woman. Shealways created special memories for her family;weare thankfulfor moments catching falling maple leaves andwishing forcandies thatappeared in our hands. Deanna’spassion for cookingand baking meant her kitchen was always filled with our favourite foods. Deanna and Karl shared manyadventures, from treasure hunting to perfecting hobbies and skills, to their latest favourite pastime of road trips and camping. Together,there wasnot anything that they could not make or do.

Deannaleft us too soon. She will be incredibly missed by her entire family. Everyone is welcome to attend Deanna’sCelebration of Life, held 1:30-3:30pm on November 14th,2025 at Cedar Community Hall in Nanaimo (proceeding to Cedar Valley MemorialGardens whereshe lays at rest).

ss condolences, share memories and photos,please visit: www.sandsdu Sands of Duncan, 250-746-5212

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CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Health facility

4. Catholic service

8. Snout

12. Pull behind

13. Pokerbeginning

14. Acorn bearers

15. Monkey’s relative

16. Matinee hero

17.Pupil’ssite

18. Varnish ingredient

20.Some domesticated animals

22.Dawndrops

24.Swissexport

28. Makedirty 31. Pinch 33. Through

Amusement

37.Perfect serve 38. Division word

40.House of worship

42. Young louse

44.Remains

46. African animal, forshort

50.Computer input

53. Epic tale

55. Grownboys

56. Household appliance

57.Movie-theater sign

58. Buddy

59.Nerd

60.Sup

61.Dirty place

DOWN

1. Night sight 2. John XXIII, e.g 3. Amazes

4. Down East 5. Also 6. Cease

7. Choice

8. Roar

9. Rower’sneed

10.Taketothe slopes

11. Curvy turn

19.Unused

21. Word of comparison

23. Saw

25. Dusks

26.Basin

27.Noshes

28.Couch

29.Fairy-tale start

30.Bit of info

32. Cereal type

35. Provoke

36. Schoolsubject

41.Playful trick

43. Fittobetied

45. Checkered vehicle

47.Scamps

48. Nifty

49.Solely

50.Unearth

51.Exist

52. Stocking tip

54. Rummygame

Crossword puzzle answers use American spelling

LASTWEEK’SANSWERS:

HOROSCOPE WEEK OF OCT 30,2025-NOV 5, 2025

ARIES March21-April 19

You’ll find yourselfatthe heart of an excitingexperience this week,and youractions will leadtosignificant progress. At work,you’ll find you have everythingyou need to secure fundingornegotiateapay raise.

TAURUS April 20-May20

Getready for abusyweek ahead! Youmay need astrong cupofcoffee to help you avoid procrastinating. However, don’t be afraid to let yourmind wander from timetotime; it could sparkyourcreativityand lead to fresh ideas

GEMINI May21-June 20

Your colleagues or friends may be countingonyou to organize mostofactivities this week, even though you would prefer to be on the sidelines.However, yourskills will help you shine brightly and surpriseeveryone

CANCER June21-July 22

If yourworkplace is goingthrough aperiodof organizational change,you maybeworried aboutyour future. However, thesechanges could benefit you and open doorsfor career advancement.

SUDOKU

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

Youmay be suddenlyinspired to sign up for atrainingcourse that sets you on amorefulfilling career path.Ifyou lean into your spirituality, you’ll feel astrong urge to explorethis path more deeply.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept.22

Youmight feel moreemotional than usual this week.Changes in yourlife could causesome anxiety. Embrace these changes, as theywill be liberatingfor you.You’ll also takesteps toward buyingreal estate

LIBRA Sept.23-Oct. 22

Beforemakingafinaldecision, even if you’rebeingrushed, make sure you have all the information you need.Take the time to carefullyevaluate youroptions beforesharing yourthoughts openlywith others

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

You’ll have aheavy workload this week.Aminor cold could setbackyourproductivity. Youmustfocus on conserving yourenergy by making your sleepand well-beingyourtop priorities.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Youwon’t go unnoticed this week! Your lightheartedspirit and witwill ease anytensions in yourenvironment. Additionally, you may hear asecretthatleaves you feelingconfused.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Don’t putoffrepairsthat need to be done around the housebefore winter arrives. If you plan on movingsoon,organizeeverything to make the transition smoother Concerns abouta familymember maycause you worrythis week

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb.18

Beforehittingtheroad,make sureyourphoneandGPSare fullychargedandsetupcorrectly. Thispreparationwillprevent possibleconfusionandkeep youconnectedwithcolleagues orclientsforwork-relatedor personalmatters

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

You’ll finallyreceive money that’s been owed to you for quitesome time.You’ll also be morethansatisfiedwith arepaymentorinsurance claim.Justice will be on yourside!

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: youmust not repeat the numbers1through 9in the same line, column or 3x3box

10am on our website and Facebook Live 2262ReadCres. 604-898-3737 www.squamishbaptistchurch.org Exalting Jesus,Equipping His Followers,Engaging theWorld