It's the issue that just won't die.
Making a good first impression is an issue that has dogged the community for years, and it has often culminated in the concept of "gateway" signage.
Some people may remember 11 years ago the seemingly endless controversy over a sign project directing people to downtown Squamish - an effort that resulted in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it-sized sign, long since removed, that satisfied nobody and cost some $60,000 in the process.
The current locator sign, which went up in 2003, is large, colourfully-painted, wooden, and has a prominent spot leading up to the downtown. Yet it had its own set of drama attached to it.
Now, the Sea to Sky Cultural Journey monuments along the Sea to Sky Highway have reopened the old can of worms.
As we recount in today's Chief, the Ministry of Transportation consulted with Squamish on where to locate the community's sign, with council endorsing a location recommendation by the district's Advisory Design Panel (ADP) over another location suggested by the Squamish Arts Council (SAC).
The sign is now in place, but in true Squamish fashion, the issue still isn't settled. SAC, with the backing of District of Squamish community development director Mick Gottardi, is still trying to get the sign relocated to the north.
The whole issue has some councillors, including Doug Race and Patricia Heintzman, shaking their heads about all the fuss over what they both called a "faux rock" - and we're shaking our heads along with them.
We appreciate the desire to present our community in the best possible light. But to be honest, there are plenty of other issues that require our municipal officials' time and taxpayers' dollars more than moving a sign that's already in place, especially in these challenging economic times. To a degree, it's like worrying about the colour of the front gate when the roof of the house might be caving in.
And in the end, this sign is not the only "gateway" to Squamish. The Adventure Centre presents a much more important and impressive introduction to our community than any sign could - even if it took nearly four years after it was built for that particular gateway to have a door installed in the form of a direct exit off the highway.
In short, it's time to let this issue go. Let's worry a little less about our front gate and worry more about the rest of the house.
