A recent problem with allegedly shady driveway pavers in town has highlighted a symptom of Squamish's construction boom - grifters could easily discover that the area is ripe for the picking. Ads for workers in Squamish and throughout B.C. have peppered newspapers and media outlets across Canada and throughout the world. The town is buzzing with tales of woe over finding enough labourers, skilled or unskilled.As the Olympic countdown rushes ever closer to zero, there is a bit of a stench of desperation in the air around projects meant to be completed in time for an anticipated population boom. This has created a climate where even the most reputable companies hire almost anyone to capitalize on the rush to build. It provides a great opportunity for the young hoping to launch into their careers, and for the not-so-young hoping to change careers. But it leaves the little guy - say the one wanting his driveway repaved, or his roof repaired - at a significant disadvantage. This gap provides an opportunity for scammers to prey. Many residents are fully aware of just how hard it's been in recent years to get help with minor home repairs. So it's no wonder some are sorely tempted to believe that not only is a company available to do a job, but they've just knocked on your door offering an amazing deal. Of course, stories of construction scams are almost as old as the trades themselves. And some conmen have gotten away with much more than a few hundred dollars.Most recent stories in the news include a Texas contractor who double-charged both the client and his mortgage bank for building materials - including pavement for a driveway that didn't exist - performed shoddy plumbing work without a license, and left the job incomplete. In the end, the contractor got about $10,000 more than the $75,281 agreed upon in the contract - a sum the client would be paying off in his mortgage for the next 30 years.Then there's the New York City "rogue builder" who's wreaking havoc throughout the burrough of Queens. "Every piece of property he develops turns into a nightmare," Queens councilman Tony Avella was quoted as saying. But like many dubious developers cashing in on the city's record construction surge, he continues to obtain permits to build.There's not much governments can do in these situations. Here in Squamish, district staff can insist outfits get permits, but there's little to be done with fly-by -nighters. The one recourse is to issue fines, but these cost municipalities money to process and pursue, and are easily ignored -especially if the workers leave town.So it's left up to residents to be vigilant. And remember the old cliché: "If it's too good to be true, it probably is."
