Anybody who leafs through our municipal council’s most recent strategic plan will be impressed by its scope. It promises to be “future-focused” while providing “clear direction” and “nimbleness to respond to emerging needs and opportunities.” But what happens when we subject those ambitious pledges to the litmus test of reality?
According to the plan, the district will promote “a balanced and resilient economy by encouraging diverse well-paid jobs.” We know two major publications consider Squamish to be one of the 20 best places to do business in Canada this year. Whether that translates into top drawer jobs is anybody’s guess. The booming construction industry is providing a dash of decent wages for skilled trades, but work in that sector tends to be sporadic. And despite a proliferation of service/tourism jobs, most are low wage and many are part time.
The authors of the plan claim that “land use planning decisions need to be carefully considered, as they can positively or negatively impact business growth.” The Business Park is expanding exponentially. Numerous storefront operations are being launched alongside a couple of anchor car dealerships and big box retailers. There will be a smattering of commercial space available when the Squamish Oceanfront Development gets up to speed. For the most part, from one end of the valley to the other, the rest of the land use event horizon is primarily residential.
The document says “a diversity of housing, for all stages of life and income levels, is encouraged and planned for.” Although there are a few pockets of affordability, they are being submerged rapidly under the rising tide of high-end housing configurations in this red-hot real estate market. Rentals are nearly non-existent and many people in lower income brackets have pulled up stakes because they’ve been priced out of the market.
Council also envisions “a diverse tax structure.” Meanwhile, the combined municipal tax/utilities tab has more than doubled for homeowners since Woodfibre’s three-million-dollar annual tax infusion dried up 10 years ago. And the bad news is massive infrastructure costs are looming. Look for that robust tax hike pattern to continue unless some sugar daddy commercial venture rolls into town.
According to the plan, residents will have “a choice of transportation options.” As Squamish continues to spread out in all directions people are becoming more dependent on personal vehicles to get from A to B, especially if we factor in inclement weather, a sketchy transit system and the fact that many wage earners are holding down jobs in other jurisdictions to pay off those whopping mortgages on their recently purchased homes. With all of those considerations in mind, let’s keep our fingers crossed this municipal council’s twin promises of nimbleness and clear direction materialize sooner than later.
