An organization calling for a plan to govern Howe Sound's economic growth and protection is hoping for some big news early this year.
On Tuesday (Jan. 14), the region's political bigwigs will gather in Britannia Beach for the annual Howe Sound Community Forum. The forum was established in 2002 as a way to extend cooperation between the regional districts, municipalities and the Squamish Nation.
This year, the Future of Howe Sound Society has a vested interest in the upcoming meeting. Last month the District of Squamish backed the society's call for a Howe Sound management plan, making it the final municipality neighbouring the waterway to endorse the idea. Three months earlier, the society sat down with Steve Thomson, B.C.'s Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, in an effort to convince the province to lead the charge.
Now the group is ready to hear what the province has to say, the society's executive director Ruth Simons told The Chief. West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy and West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP John Weston are scheduled to attend the meeting.
The call for a Howe Sound management plan is old news to provincial officials, Simons said.
"They have been hearing about this since we started last year," Simons said.
The society's backers want the province to move the initiative forward. They're eager to hear the province's take on what format such a plan should follow, she said.
The meeting will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone interested in attending must email HoweSoundCommunityForum@gmail.com.
