The following letter to Squamish's mayor and council was copied to The Chief for publication.
Mayor and Council,
I am writing to you in response to your calling for final comments on the draft OCP. I am a horse enthusiast and enjoy arena riding as well as riding many of our local trails and in the backcountry. It has just been called to my attention how the new OCP could affect our sport. I understand the proposed OCP does not mention horses, or a place for them in the future plan for Squamish.
I feel council may be unaware of the potential riding community and what that riding community could bring to Squamish in terms of jobs and sheer diversity of sport.
For the new plan of the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada to be silent on the issue is an incredible oversight. The horse industry could generate many times the economy biking and rock climbing currently do. People are nuts about horses and they do not take them home with them and put them in a closet when they are finished riding.
I know some of you were not elected when the public hearing on Paradise Trails took place. About 25 people spoke in favour of the project because people want to see a place made for horses in Squamish.
I understand they now have about 300 written expressions of support. Many citizens of Squamish are angry that we are getting squeezed out of Loggers Lane and nothing has been done to help us promote or keep our sport alive.
I would highly recommend council go to Langley to see what could happen in Squamish with a little bit of encouragement and forethought.
It is my understanding the OCP is all about looking ahead to what we want Squamish to be like in the future and how that vision fits with some kind of local economy. I can assure you horses fit right in.
I know there are many people that would like to help Squamish develop a horse economy if you would be interested in working with them.
I have lived in the Squamish area for over 23 years and have thought about what is available for developing an equestrian industry/community here. I would also like to preserve what we have and see Paradise Valley in general promoted in the OCP as the place for horses.
In particular, I would call your attention to the trails that are already there, and the Crown lands which are across the Cheakamus River. There are many miles of logging roads there, which backcountry riders could recreate on if we could only access them with some kind of bridge.
The camping and hiking possibilities alone fit right in with developing another leg of potential tourism revenue for Squamish. I noted at the October 2008 public meeting that you have given third reading to Paradise Trails, and am anxiously awaiting the outcome of final deliberations. This development could be the spark that actually gets the economy around horses started.
Jeannie Bardach
Paradise Valley
