Ten years ago, shortly after the announcement of the 2010 Olympics, we bought a house in this unassuming town. It was overwhelming at the time to spend several hundred thousand dollars on a domicile that looked like every other one on the street, aside from the variation of two-tone siding and placement of a carport.
For an added kick in the pants, we found out the previous owners, who had only lived here for a couple years, were making off with a sizable 100 per cent profit on their investment. The house certainly didn’t turn heads – in fact, it was what I would describe as, at best, “meh.”
But this run-of-the-mill house has truly become a home over the years, and one I’ve grown to love, particularly since it was painted one colour. The “home” aspect of this house extends far beyond its four walls. This virtue comes from our community: the people, access to nature, spectacular panoramic views, funky shops and galleries, and jewels of restaurants one hopes can survive the grind it takes to keep a business going in this crazy market.
Yep, the secret is out: Squamish is a great place to live.
And if you happen to own a home here, you have received official confirmation of this by way of your recent 2016 property tax assessment. I sort of feel like I won the lottery but the payout is in Monopoly money.
And it’s going to cost a lot more for a seat at the table if we want to keep playing. To wit, our property taxes have doubled in the past decade. Our salaries, however, have not. Nor have services and amenities.
Buying into this town has become prohibitive, but there is a gross lack of affordable rentals. Part of my day job at Cedar Valley Waldorf School is to build enrolment. Every week I engage with families interested in moving here, but the lack of affordable housing has caused multiple families to change plans.
Friends are also speaking of cashing out. Selling, taking the profit or paying off debt, and moving to a more affordable town – possibly mortgage-free. I have no doubt that I will be saying goodbye to some of these bright and industrious folks in the coming year. It’s a sad thing for our town, because incredible people make incredible things happen. There is a cost to our prosperity.
Squamish is relishing an upswing, and it’s great to be a part of it. I just hope that we are filled with the kind of vision it takes to sustain such spectacular growth and balance it with a healthy dose of livability.
