It's gone from rumour to fact. The hitherto-faceless proponents have come out from the shadows and they're ready to put their plan in the open.
So why is the provincial government still acting like nobody knows about the proposal to build a gondola up the Stawamus Chief?
The provincial Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection (WLAP)'s decision to delay the start of the public consultation process for Peter Alder and Paul Mathews' proposal is utterly senseless.
Generally, such delays are at the request of the proponent, who either wants more time to assemble a case or to wait for some of the heat to blow over.
But in the case of Alder and Mathews, they're ready and willing to open their plan up to public scrutiny.
They already have an idea of what to expect. The climbing fraternity, not just in Squamish but across Canada and North America, will be sure to come running to the defence of its rock - as will recreational purists who believe that the view up the Squamish Valley and down Howe Sound should be earned in sweat, not paid for in cash.
Those who believe Squamish's future lies in tourism may be more conflicted. There's no question of the value of the Chief as a climbing mecca - but that value can't be measured in dollars quite as easily as the ticket sales from a gondola can. The tempting prospect of turning some of the hundreds of thousands of stopped vehicles along Hwy. 99 from spectators to paying customers will cause many to ask if the benefits of opening up the mountaintop to the masses outweigh the risks.
The gondola debate may shape up to be the most divisive development proposal in Squamish since the infamous wood chip debate of 2000-2001. More significantly, it moves the fault line from between tourism and industry to between recreation and tourism.
Where one stands on the issue may depend on one's relationship to the rock. Those who have expended the effort to ascend the Chief, either as a hiker or a climber, are more likely to oppose the idea of a gondola. Those who have never been able to (or dared to try) are likely to be more accepting of the idea.
Whatever your view, it's time to express it. Let's get the public process rolling and see what this community - and that community includes those who play here, too - really think.
