Sylvie Paillard
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The District of Squamish may soon be in a better position to "control its own destiny" if an application for the acquisition of numerous tracts of Crown Land is approved.
"We'd just like to have it under our own ownership so we control our destiny a bit more," said Mayor Ian Sutherland.The district is applying for 19 pieces of Crown Land from the Windsurf Spit to the landfill site that the town has wanted for many years. The deal seems very near to being closed now that the Ministry of Transportation has sponsored Squamish.
"When Crown land is given to local governments, they have to come off the budget of some [provincial] ministry," said Sutherland. "There are some pieces of land that historically we've been interested in, in the community and we've been fortunate to get the attention of the Ministry of Transportation and they've agreed to sponsor the acquisition."
Many are "common sense" pieces of land, said Sutherland, such as right of ways and cemetery and landfill sites necessary for future expansion. The acquisition of six Crown diking areas will allow the district to continue accessing the diking system without fearing that the province will sell the land to a private party. The district also intends to acquire the Youth Centre property, the Smoke Bluffs, the Windsurf Spit, the Railway Heritage Park and the Brackendale Fairgrounds as a boon to the community and to tourism (see story page A4). Two water towers and a highway storage area are also on the list. The cost of the acquisition will total $1.
The district hasn't considered the revenue that would be generated from the properties, according to Sutherland. The cost of maintaining the properties may be offset through a combination of general taxes and user fees, but that has yet to be decided, said Sutherland.
"The simple fact of the matter is down the road, we have to find a way to pay for the infrastructures in the community. That applies to everything. That applies to playing fields, it applies to everything we do," he said. "It's on-going discussions."
Although the district was obligated to advertise the intended acquisition, it's under no obligation to hold a public hearing. But community feedback is always welcome at municipal hall, said Sutherland.
