If all goes according to plan, traffic to the Squamish Valley Music Festival (SVMF) should flow smoothly, says the event’s executive producer.
Last August, Highway 99 was packed with bumper-to-bumper traffic past Murrin Provincial Park as festival-goers rushed to set up camp at the opening of the three-day festival. What is usually a 45-minute commute from Vancouver to Squamish turned into a painful four-hour crawl for residents returning home.
That’s a part of history, Paul Runnals told those who attended a meeting on the festival’s camping plans on Thursday (March 27).
The first 1,800 campers’ vehicles will check in at the 50-acre gravel pit on what was formerly known as the Makin Lands site, before being directed to the former 2010 Winter Olympic parking lot on Queens Way.
From there, festival-goers will be shuttled to one of three camping areas — in the Squamish Business Park, and at Squamish and Mamquam elementary schools.
Those arriving after the first 1,800 vehicles will remain at the Britannia site, with shuttles bringing them to the Squamish campsites. SVMF organizers anticipate 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles full of just festival campers.
“When the tickets are going out, they include a parking and campsite voucher,” Runnals said. “The idea being that they are going to filter people out.”
André Duguay and Jenny Pedersen live directly across from the festival’s camping site at Squamish Elementary School. While Duguay predicts festival traffic in the neighbourhood is going to be “tremendous,” he’s concerned about festival-goers filtering onto the CN Rail right-of-way that runs behind Dentville houses.
That area is “incredibly dark” and allows for access into people’s backyard, he said.
“That really concerns me from a safety perspective,” Duguay said.
Pedersen questioned how illegal camping will be dealt with. She was concerned homeless people would be targeted along with festival participants.
“These people usually have less of a voice and need to be protected,” Pedersen said.
SVMF organizers are surveying Squamish residents and highlighting possible problem areas, such as places in which illegal camping could take place, Runnals said.
Before the festival, organizers will take notes on where people are living, he said, adding that will prevent harassment during the event.
Ticket sales are up, he said, noting SVMF has already sold close to 28,000 tickets.
“We learned a bunch last year,” he said.
