Wet spring
It wasn’t your imagination – this spring was wet and cold. According to Environment Canada, this was the wettest and coldest March, April and May on record in Squamish. In total, 796 millimetres of rain fell at the Squamish airport this spring. That is compared to a normal rainfall of 475 millimetres each spring.
“We almost doubled the normal amount of rainfall,” noted Environment Canada meteorologist Matt MacDonald. The average temperature for the three months of spring was 9 degrees Celsius compared to a normal of 10 C.
“We have had continued snow pack in the alpine through March and April, which is a good thing from a drought perspective,” he said. “The rivers and the creeks will be running rather healthy for at least the next month or so.”
Chili Thom Experience
Squamish Arts Council has teamed up with the Squamish Connector bus to bring Squamites to Whistler to celebrate the legacy of Chili Thom, a renowned Sea to Sky artist who died last year after battling cancer.
Arts Whistler is honouring Chili by having a month-long event called the Chili Thom Experience. The bus leaves Squamish on June 2 at 4:10 from the Squamish Adventure Centre for the opening of the event. Departure from Whistler is at 8 p.m.
To buy tickets, search “Chili Thom Experience” at www. eventbrite.ca.
Hope for renters
Purpose-built rentals are another step closer to being a reality in downtown Squamish after council accepted the request for proposal submission by Victoria-based consultants M’akola Development Services for $100,000 at a special business meeting last Tuesday, May 23. The goal of the consultancy firm will be to work with BC Housing to initiate two purpose-built rental housing projects and to develop an affordable housing policy for the District.
Bike to donate?
It is that time of year again. The 2017 Bike to Work and School Week is on May 29 to June 4. As part of the initiatives, safe routes to school program HASTe BC, Squamish Helping Hands and the District of Squamish are hosting a bike drive to collect used kids and adult bikes on Saturday (June 3) at Brennan Park from 9 a.m. to noon.
The donated bikes will help support future bike-programming for local children and youth.
One Ocean
Squamish-based One Ocean Expeditions, which operated expedition cruises in polar regions’ and Canada’s Atlantic Coast, is supporting The Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s with its Canadian Geographical Challenge by taking the finalists on a 10-night Fins and Fiddles adventure cruise to explore the east coast of Canada. The top three finalists will each receive prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. Geography whiz students in Grade 7 to 10 compete in the National Championship that take place in Ottawa from June 3 to 5. “There is no better way for kids to learn and appreciate their country than exploring it first hand,” said Andrew Prossin, executive director at One Ocean Expeditions, in a press release.
Help the Coop
The Grandwall Bouldering Cooperative, a member-owned and operated indoor climbing gym in downtown Squamish that is volunteer run, is raising money to help it stay open next year. The Coop’s member base has dropped significantly, prompting the group to make changes and improvements to the facility and is hoping to raise $15,000 through www.generosity.com (search “Help the Grandwall Bouldering Cooperative!”). Things once frowned upon, like route-setting, are now the norm. An old rule of needing two years climbing experience was banished, thus welcoming beginners and children alike. It opened its doors to dry toolers and training clinics, while modern training equipment such as an LED MoonBoard were installed and the campus board upgraded.
Public Works Week
Around 200 local Grade 4 students took part in Public Works Day on May 25, an annual day of learning and exploration at the District of Squamish Public Works Yard. Students took part in 12 interactive stations throughout the Public Works facilities, learning about all aspects of Public Works, from maintaining flower boxes to running the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Public Works Week helps to showcase the people and services that maintain our community, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to ensure we have clean water when we turn on the tap, or a safe road to drive on, for example. They also work to ensure that our community is a highly livable one complete with well-maintained parks and green space.
