Two years after its opening, some local artists are questioning whether the Squamish Store at the Squamish Adventure Centre store is fulfilling its promise to promote local businesses.
Woodworker Martin Thorne said that although residents are very fortunate to have the building, he is growing tired of seeing items such as T-shirts and baseball caps fill up the store.
"I know tourists like that stuff but I think they could try a little harder to show what local artists do," he said.
The store carries a few of Thorne's vases alongside many other local items, but he said these pieces could be better displayed.
"It's kind of overshadowed by cheap tourist junk," he said.
Thorne has tried to draw attention to Squamish artisans by crafting a unique stand formed around an old saw blade that holds a binder with write-ups on local artists.He said he was disappointed to see the piece set against a row of newsstands.
Ideally, he said he would like to see the store turned into a high-end world-class place to shop and visit.
Deanna Wampler, operations manager for the Squamish Sustainability Corporation (SSC), which operates the Adventure Centre, said 95 per cent of the store's stock comes from the Squamish and Vancouver area. Walking through the small shop, she pointed to pottery, postcards, maple syrup products, magnets, soap and several other items made locally.
She said when she took on the job in the summer, she regularly attended the farmers' market to make contacts with local artists and crafts people.
"We really like to support local artists any way we can," she said.
The store has eight display cases for businesses around town to display their products. When local creations are sold in the store, they are accompanied by short bios on the person behind the product.
Still, Wampler said the store would likely never reach the point where it felt like a gallery for artisans.
A lot of tourists enjoy finding Olympic memorabilia, she said, adding that many customers are looking for something that's easy to ship like a Squamish magnet or sticker.
"We are finding that we are getting a lot more local shoppers who want to buy gifts to send them home," she explained.
Toby Jaxon, president of the Squamish Valley Artists' Society, said that it may be time for the store to go beyond the traditional stock found in visitor shops.
"Maybe they are going about it the wrong way and just looking for the same old kitschy stuff instead of looking for something that is new and unique and made by local artists," she said.
