There are only two in North America and Squamish has one, boasts the Sea to Sky Forestry Society president.
The steam crane used by lumberjacks in the early 1900s currently sits at the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival grounds off Loggers Lane. But by this summer, Mike Wallace hopes it will be a part of a historical trail the forestry society is working on from the Squamish Adventure Centre to the festival site.
“We have 25 to 30 pieces of various sizes and various vintages,” he said.
The idea is to display the forestry pieces along a route that will eventually run from the Squamish Yacht Club past Brennan Park Recreation Centre to Brackendale and back downtown. Each artifact will be accompanied by an interpretive sign about its past uses.
The project is a part of Squamish’s centennial celebrations, Wallace said. The society has been busy gathering the old equipment from around town,
he noted.
“Some of the stuff we are collecting from the forest,” he said, adding some items were long forgotten.
At the same time, former Squamish councillor Meg Fellowes is creating signage for a nature walk that will run from the Adventure Centre to Brennan Park. The signboards will provide information on the plants and animals that call the area home, Wallace said.
The forestry society is also in the process of creating an online virtual museum.
The forestry society was slated to present its work to date to the District of Squamish’s Economic Development Standing Committee on Wednesday (April 9). Coun. Ted Prior has been helping the group with the project. In an effort to get the wheels rolling, he said he advised the society to take the proposal out of district planners’ hands and place it on the economic development committee’s table.
“We have to be able to make some better and faster decisions on these things,” Prior said.
