Local business owners were encouraged to step up and start taking action in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games at the Squamish Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Nest Restaurant on Tuesday (Dec. 15)

Christine McLeod, the owner of Impact People Practices and sponsor of the luncheon, said the future of Squamish is dependent on good leadership both in the short term and in the long term. The locally-based human resources expert said Squamish has the opportunity to start taking leadership roles during the Olympic torch relay ceremony on Feb. 4.

After passing around an Olympic torch, McLeod said she's genuinely surprised at how few businesses are planning to change their business strategies during the winter games.

"If there was a tour group of 2,500 people in our community, what would we be doing to get ready for that?" she asked.

"It's time to act and to think about your business and how you can help your staff really get ready to welcome the world – even though we're not actually hosting of the events."

McLeod is aiming to do her part to prepare the community for the influx of visitors by hosting several World Host workshops. The sessions focus on delivering top-notch customer experience during the Olympic and Paralympic Games and accommodating individuals with special needs. McLeod is offering the Friday workshop to local business owners, free of charge.

She explained she chose to sponsor the luncheon, which featured a presentation by the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation (SODC) because superior leadership skills will be required, if the waterfront develops as versioned which she called amazing.

"If we're going to get to what [the SODC video shows], I believe that current leaders and future leaders are going to need some extraordinary skills."

Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation CEO Drew Stotesbury showed lunch-goers the promotional SODC film and briefly explained the 20-year oceanfront development project.

"We want to help revitalize downtown and not crush it," he said. "And a lot of our work is to make sure what we're recommending is financially viable."

Stotesbury highlighted various land-use plans for the municipally owned land, including space for residential town houses, commercial retail space and a performing arts centre for community use.

Luncheon attendee, Paul Hudson said he's pleased to see the SODC is taking the local art community into consideration when planning the oceanfront.

" I'm really happy that they've observed what we've done and included us," said the promoter for the Squamish Equinox Rock Festival.

The next luncheon will be held on Jan. 19 will feature Mayor Greg Gardner as the guest speaker. For additional information on the Squamish Chamber of Commerce and its upcoming events, visit www.squamishchamber.com.