TV listings in the newspaper were still a thing and Squamish phone numbers were six digits long.
A four-bedroom house on a large lot, in "sunny" Brackendale was listed for a whopping $192,500.
It was 25 years ago — and the year Garibaldi Woodworks opened.
Only about half of small businesses in Canada survive even 10 years, according to January 2019 Stats Can data.
But Garibaldi Woodworks is still going strong, specializing in custom stairs, railings, and finishing millwork.
The Chief caught up with the company's owner, Cam Cairns for a chat about surviving and thriving for a quarter century in the district, and changes in Squamish over that time.
Cairns says he ended up in Squamish all those years ago because he could afford to buy a lot and build a house in the district, unlike in other Lower Mainland locations at the time.
The father to champion elite sit-skier Alex Cairns, started his business at the end of his first year in town.
Carpentry was not something he had imagined for his career when he was young, Cairns acknowledged.
Instead, he was trained as a mountain guide.
But, he took a different fork in the trail and pursued sailing, which is what inadvertently led to a career and business in woodwork.
He first got into boat building through the man who would eventually become his father-in-law (that is another story!) and when he moved to Squamish, he met a local man who built wooden stairs.
"We did a few jobs together and he liked the way I worked and I liked the way he worked and we started a company together," Cairns recalled. Six months later, his partner left the business.
"So, I took the business over and started building stairs in Squamish," he said.
The rest, as they say, is history.
"We've done a little bit of everything,” Cairns said, noting that in addition to stairs the company has crafted other woodwork over the years.
Customers have included Gem Jewellers, for example, which is another long-time Squamish business.
Renovating the Stong's Market in Vancouver was another job for the company.
"But our forte is stairs," Cairns said, adding that he still enjoys the work, even all these years later.
"The designers now are coming out with some pretty unique stairs — the steel and glass and wood combinations are really attractive," he said. "They are a little more difficult to engineer and work with, but it creates another set of issues that has to be dealt with and I like to solve issues."
Meeting and working with many different people is a big plus, he added.
With the ups and downs in the economy in Squamish, Cairns said he has been able to continue for so long thanks to his simple philosophy of doing right by people, he said.
For example, during the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics — when some businesses saw an opportunity to gouge customers — Cairns vowed not to raise his prices for the five years building up to the Games.
"Then after the Olympics, when we had the little slump, I was busy like mad," he said. "Just being fair and honest is what we have based the business on and that is what people really want."
Asked about the changes he has seen as a resident and business owner in town, Cairns said Squamish's attitude has changed.
Back in the day, there was more of an understanding of who built much of modern-day Squamish, he said.
"All the history of how the [sports] fields were built and that sort of thing, we got to see that in our early years in Squamish," he said. "And you got to meet some of those people. We met some of the Barrs and people like Rick Hunter... It was nice to meet some of those people and work with them a little bit."
The appreciation for some of the old-timers is not as prevalent now as it used to be, Cairns said.
"You weren't afraid to mingle with old-school Squamish. By doing that, you got a real feel for the town and you got a real feel for what they had been through in the past."
With the boom in the last 10 years, so many people are commuting and too busy to learn much of the history, he said.
But, the town is still growing and will remain vibrant, Cairns added, and it will eventually find a new identity.
"That will all fall into place," he said. "Growth and change are always a good thing. There's always something neat and cool that comes out of it."
Editor's note: About a local is a regular column that highlights Squamish residents with an interesting backstory. If you have an idea for someone who could be featured in an upcoming column, write to [email protected].
