SVMF ‘not financially viable’
The Squamish Valley Music Festival organizers, Brand Live, sent a letter to the District of Squamish on March 2 stating that after six years, the festival had to be cancelled because it was not “financially viable.”
Cancellation of the festival has cost the district more than $125,000 in revenue, according to district documents.
The letter from Brand Live officially requested cancellation of its agreements with the district. The agreements included the Brennan Park licence agreement, a road licence agreement and the campground licence agreement; it is the campground agreement that cost the district the most at $125,000 in lost revenue. The road agreement equates to a loss of $1,251. The Brennan Park agreement was for cost recovery for additional field maintenance.
Minister in town
The provincial Minister For Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, Shirley Bond, was in Squamish April 20 to speak at a luncheon for the BC Liberal Women’s Network.
The $25-per-plate lunch at the Howe Sound Brew Pub was attended by roughly 50 people, according to MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky Country Jordan Sturdy, who was at the event.
Attendees also included Mayor Patricia Heintzman, Councillor Susan Chapelle, Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, and Suzanne McCrimmon, executive director at Squamish Chamber of Commerce.
Sturdy said Bond spoke about women and leadership.
The general public and media were not notified of the event, but instead heard about it from a tweet by Pamela Martin, BC Liberal Party director of engagement, who was in attendance.
Bond’s office said it could not comment on the luncheon as it was not a ministerial event.
The Women’s Network did not reply to a request for comment.
$10K toward biking study
The District of Squamish is partnering with the Western Canadian Mountain Bike Tourism Association (MBTA) on a study of the impact of mountain bike tourism in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
At a special meeting Tuesday, council approved the use of $10,000 from council’s contingency to contribute to the study. Squamish, the North Shore, Whistler and Pemberton will be included in the study. Data gathered will be used to generate economic impact estimates at the regional and community level, district staff said.
New Cap U leaders
Capilano University’s announcement of a new president last week was quickly followed by another announcement this week: a new chancellor.
The University’s Board of Governors appointed David T. Fung as new chancellor on April 19, according to a news release. The chancellor is the ceremonial head and ambassador for the university. Fung replaces Ken Haycock, who resigned in June of last year. Fung will be formally installed during the 2016 convocation ceremony on June 6.
The new president is Paul Dangerfield, who will be Capilano’s seventh president and third vice-chancellor. He will officially take over as president on Oct. 1, according to a news release. Current president Kris Bulcroft will retire in July and will be replaced by an interim president until Dangerfield begins in the fall, the release said.
Dangerfield is currently the executive director and campus dean at the Vancouver campus of the New York Institute of Technology.
Bike to the rescue?
The district is hosting Rob Johns, bicycle enthusiast, emergency manager and initiator of the City of Victoria’s ‘Tour de Disaster’ tour tonight (Thursday, April 28) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Squamish Adventure Centre.
At the event, Johns will be giving a presentation about how bicycles were used in disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and the 2011 Japan Tsunami, and how they could be used in Squamish. Go to Squamish.ca for more information about this free event.
Naloxone in Squamish
Naloxone, the life-saving drug used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, is now available in Squamish without a prescription. Two of the major drugstores in the district, Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs, have the drug in stock, pharmacy employees told The Squamish Chief.
Health Canada revised the Federal Prescription Drug List on March 22 to make a non-prescription version of naloxone accessible to help combat the growing number of opioid overdoses in the province.
On April 14, provincial health officer Perry Kendal declared a public health emergency due to the number of overdose deaths in the province. The number of deaths linked to the opioid fentanyl has drastically increased. Of the 201 deaths by overdose in B.C. so far this year, 64 were linked with fentanyl, according to Kendal.
Where to put the signs?
The District of Squamish is asking for the public’s input on where to put new wayfinding signs. Poster boards featuring the signs and proposed locations are on display at Brennan Park Recreation Centre and the Squamish Adventure Centre until May 6. Comments can be made on comment cards at each location or online at fluidsurveys.com/surveys/district-of-squamish/wayfinding-project-survey/.
Installation of the complete wayfinding system is planned to roll out over the next five years.
