Three years ago, Squamish council took a bold and forward-thinking step. They trademarked the phrase "Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada" for Squamish.
It could have been just another chintzy marketing ploy - after all, it seems every small town in Canada is the national capital of something, from slopitch (Edson, Alta.) to tomatoes (Leamin-gton, Ont.) to lamps (Donalda, Alta.)
But in Squamish, it's taken on much more life than the sign outside the city limits. It's created a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that appears to be driving our community's transformation and growth from its industrial roots. And as our reputation grows and we benefit from the increased spotlight on this corridor, it sets us apart from our heavily-developed neighbour to the north.
It's also become one of the phrases flying like mad in the now-public debate over a proposal to build a $12-million gondola up the Stawamus Chief.
Outdoor recreation is generally accepted to mean outdoor activities that aren't necessarily organized sports. Kayaking, windsurfing, mountain biking, climbing all fall neatly into the category.
But the overall definition of recreation is much broader - in general, recreation is what people do when they don't have to do anything. While to some people, outdoor recreation could involve no more gear than a case of beer and a lawnchair, in the case of creating Squamish's identity of Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada it definitely has an athletic turn.
Would riding a gondola to the top of the Stawamus Chief be outdoor recreation?
Yes: it's an outdoor pursuit that serves no other purpose other than pleasure.
And no. It involves no more effort or individual willpower than reaching for one's wallet.
As we develop our new identity, we will need both types of recreation - active and sedentary. A gondola is a great way to introduce people to the wonders of Squamish and hopefully entice them into spending more time here than they would have.
But it's not the type of outdoor recreation we want to be the capital of - worse still, it compromises the symbol of our new identity. It makes the Chief just like so many other nondescript mountains that can be conquered by anyone with money in their pocket.
We're heartened by the apparent flexibility of proponents Peter Alder and Paul Mathews, who have said that they're interested in alternate proposals by the climbing community to locate a gondola nearby with a similar view.
The concept of a "Chief view" gondola allowing access to the views of Squamish without compromising the Chief lets us develop while staying true to our roots.
