It’s working.
After years of marketing ourselves as the mecca of outdoor recreation, Squamish has finally got the world’s attention: we’re ‘hardwired for adventure’ with some of the best rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking trails in the country, and we want you to visit. Message received.
Penny-pinching campers got the message, too. Yes, there are campsites nearby, and at least one is very low priced – the non-profit Mamquam River Campground- – but with the general influx of tourists, we should expect that some of them won’t be paying for overnight accommodation.
The Squamish Access Society recently released an open letter asking the District to maintain the peace between residents and tourists expecting to find free places to camp or park their RVs. It can be tough to manage complaints because of all the different levels of government involved, and regulations for different areas.
More people are camping illegally, according to the District, and it’s too late to stop it. We’ve opened ourselves up as a tourist destination and are now feeling the effects, both positive and negative.
The Access Society suggested opening up camping space on District-owned land during peak times, and I think that’s a great idea. Council is looking at a piece of land on the Mamquam Forest Service Road, and that’s a good start, but they should consider opening up a spot closer to downtown. Here’s an idea of mine: would providing a space for people to camp for free really be such a bad idea? No, the District doesn’t get any revenue, but having free and accessible areas to camp in town will make it easier to move people along who are camping in undesirable locations.
Take the land owned by CN on Government Road for example, where at any given time you might find an RV or visitors living the #vanlife. Open up an area where RV parking is allowed, maybe even for free, and relocating visitors is much easier. The District is teaming up with the Access Society to create a “values-based” message to get campers to think about the ‘leave no trace’ philosophy: an excellent idea. Focusing on educating visitors about how to be environmentally responsible, rather than enforcement-heavy, overly-strict camping rules is the right move.
People who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a hiking or climbing trip will find a way to do so cheaply, and you might not like their alternative camping spots either.
Let’s not forget that all this tourism is good for the local economy.
Yes, the streets and the trails are busier, but that’s what happens when you become a tourist town. We should be finding ways to welcome visitors, not complain about every minor inconvenience or ‘ugly’ RV we see parked down the street from our house.
Poor and cheap people go on vacation, too. The easier we can make it for them to stay, the more likely they’ll shop in our stores, eat at our restaurants, and maybe even gain an appreciation for the environment.
While they’re here, let’s invite them to be respectful visitors by being good neighbours ourselves.
