TOP 10 STORIES OF 2018

It was quite the year in Squamish. The editorial team at The Chief has compiled a list of the Top 10 newsmaking events of the year. This is #10.

Transportation from Squamish to the city or toward Whistler has become a more difficult matter.
Greyhound announced this year it would be discontinuing transit throughout the country, with the exception of Ontario and Quebec.

As a result, what has arguably been the closest thing to a stand-in for public regional transit in the Sea to Sky has been eliminated.
In the aftermath, there have been concerns that this would affect vulnerable people in town.

Certain medical treatments are unavailable in Squamish, and require a trip to the city, for example.
Squamish also lacks a courthouse. Anyone needing to appear for a court date also requires a southbound trip on the highway.
The sudden absence of Greyhound has forced locals to come up with solutions.

Several companies have stepped up and applied to the province for licences that would allow them to fill in the gaps left by Greyhound’s departure.
For its part, the province announced that it would be fast-tracking the application process.
Meanwhile, the call for public regional transit has become louder than ever.

Local municipalities and First Nations in the Sea to Sky have been meeting in the past months and are hoping to sway the province to support the idea.
However, how the costs will be split remains an ever-present stumbling block.