Remembrance Day Ceremony
The community will be gathering to honour those who served on Nov. 11.
This annual ceremony will take place 10:45 a.m. at Stan Clarke Park, downtown Squamish.
RCL Diamond Head Branch 277 Squamish Legion, Canadian Forces members, Cadetes and dignitaries will honour and remember our veterans.
The stone seats surrounding the Cenotaph will be reserved for veterans and the elderly, as available.
A note on traffic — Cleveland Avenue will be closed from Victoria Street to Main Street from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Funds for econ development
The District of Squamish, Squamish Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Squamish are set to receive $116,500 in provincial funding to support local economic development initiatives. The BC Rural Dividend Fund grant will result in data and skills enhancement initiatives.
The data initiative will allow information to be collected and used for decision making by local stakeholders. “Examples of data that could be provided include: industry/sector-specific data, business climate, demographic, and data to support community priorities such as housing and transportation,” read the District release.
Eventually the information collected and analyzed will be available “to the local business community through an improved economic development portal at squamish.ca and project partner sites.”
In terms of the skills initiative, details or sketchy, but the District says the grant money will help fund a training and education program for employees designed for “all levels of employees in the community including front-line customer service staff, trades, managers and executives.
The total for the initiatives will be $194,500: the grant from the province will contribute 60 per cent, while the District, Squamish Chamber and Tourism Squamish will contribute the remaining 40 per cent. The project is expected to last until 2019.
RIP Fred Beckey
Climbing icon Fred Beckey died last week, at the age of 94, bringing the end to a celebrated career of first ascents in Squamish and beyond.
Beckey frequently visited Squamish to climb, even into his final years. Megan Bond, a close friend who managed his affairs, told The Associated Press that he had finished a half-pitch in Squamish during a trip just weeks before his death.
He was also in town last year during the filming of a documentary about his life titled Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey.
At age 93, he was still taking on some of the area’s local crack-climbing routes for the film.
The documentary was screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival in September and October. A local screening of the film for Squamish and Whistler is being organized for the spring.
A legendary climber and alpinist across North America, Beckey is credited with the most first ascents in the continent, and he also has a long history in Squamish.
He established Squamish Buttress route in 1959 and Angel’s Crest in 1962.
He was born in Germany, but his family settled in Seattle and he was raised in the northwest. Beckey died on October 30 of natural causes in his home in Seattle, according to The Seattle Times.
Powwow time
The 15th Annual Squamish Valley Siyam Powwow fills Squamish Nation Totem Hall next Saturday, Nov. 18 with music, dancing, food and fun. Dancers of other Nations come from far and wide to this Squamish Nation hosted event. Everyone is welcome. If you have never been, the Nation invites you to come out this time. Events get underway at noon.
