Anyone with ideas for spending all or a portion of the $750,000 sports legacy grant must speak now.
Less than two months to submit a detailed proposal for spending the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) grant, and the clock is ticking for Squamish residents to voice their opinions.
The funds recognize Squamish's support of the 2010 Olympic Games, and are intended to go towards community sport and recreational facilities.
"VANOC has given the community an opportunity to consider how these funds would be best spent in the community," said Mayor Greg Gardner. "The ideas are coming forward already and I am sure it will be difficult for council to decide how it will be spent.
"It's a good problem for our community to have."
Gardner said Squamish more than earned this grant thanks to the "very significant role" played during the Games.
"I believe we have been the most supportive of any non-venue community with respect to these Games," he said.
Residents have until Sept. 30 to fill out and submit the nine-page proposal forms provided by the District of Squamish -and be prepared, the detailed nature of the questions on the form means ideas must be well fleshed-out.
The project must be described in detail with a budget and business plan, examples of similar successful projects in other municipalities, community contributions, required district involvement following completion and more.
It also requires an anticipated timeline for the project's completion and milestones throughout during the progress.
No official proposals have been received yet, but Callaghan Winter Sports Club (CWSC) president, Denise Imbeau, has had an idea in the works for over a year. Imbeau is also president of the Callaghan Local Organizing Committee (CALOC), which supported VANOC with the Nordic sports and the Whistler Olympic Park in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Now CWSC directors are envisioning Squamish as Canada's central Nordic training grounds and the group has proposed the funds for a Squamish Legacy Sports Park.
The club is eyeing a portion of Crown land near Brennan Park between the Squamish Valley Rod & Gun Club and Raven Drive as the site for development ski jumps, paved rollerski trails and a shooting range.
"With the establishment of Whistler Olympic Park, Squamish has the potential to be a key location for developing world class Nordic athletes," said Imbeau. "But athletes need to be provided with the beginning steps to reach Olympic-sized goals."
The club's vision is not exclusive to Nordic sports. The land includes rock faces perfect for climbing and an area that could be constructed into a dirt jump park for bikes. A parkour course, which is a trail spotted with various obstacles for fitness training, could also be created.
"In all of Canada, there's one other location where you can ski jump [Calgary] so every Olympic hopeful we have in Canada comes from Calgary and it's not because they're smarter, better, faster it's because they have a facility," said Imbeau.
"We have the facility right up the road and we'd like to start creating champions, now with the sport legacy park that we would like to build in Squamish would actually address the creation of a Nordic focus training park."
She said the location is ideal because it's central in the community, it's on the bus route and it's close to Brennan Park.
CWSC had already presented the idea to the district before the money was even in the picture and there was unanimously council support.
"We'd like to do this regardless of whether that particular money is there or not," said Imbeau. "Obviously it would be better if we had the support of the community in the way of finances, it is something we've been wanting to do since two or three years ago."
Sealed envelopes addressed to corporate services general manager Robin Arthurs and marked with "PROPOSAL - Use of Squamish Sports Legacy Trust Funds" will be accepted by 3 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 at Municipal Hall.
Further information and the proposal documents may be obtained from municipal hall at 37955 Second Avenue or online at www.squamish.ca.
