More than a few local residents wake up every morning wondering whether we’re heading to heaven on the wings of angel investors, or in the opposite direction to the sweltering precincts of Beelzebub’s subterranean stronghold.
In the not-too-distant past, Squamish garnered a reputation as a redneck, lowbrow mill town. It was the birthplace of the “Think Fast Hippie” bumper sticker slogan that struck fear in the hearts of tree-hugging environmentalists. As recently as a decade ago, the prototypical Squamish experience for most visitors was limited to a pit stop at a fast food emporium on the way to Whistler.
These days, high-profile events and new attractions, like the Sea to Sky Gondola, are drawing unprecedented attention to what was once a sleepy, out-of-the-way backwater. The town is being transformed into a must-see destination for travellers and the preferred location for wannabe homeowners who just can’t cut a deal in the hot-house Lower Mainland real estate market but have cobbled together enough capital to buy here.
All this effervescence has created challenges. Rapid population expansion and growing traffic congestion have lead to a decline in common courtesy and civility. And it is no secret that the members of our understaffed protective services department are getting run ragged. The aging Brennan Park recreation centre is busting at the seams, with both the pool and ice rink at capacity.
Last year that facility had a 40 per cent participation rate increase and hosted more than 500,000 visitors.
This community is well on the way to two-tiered society status, as the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ widens. The Squamish Helping Hands Society has counted upwards of 200 homeless people in town. Housing prices continue to spiral out of reach for the average wage earner employed in the burgeoning retail/service sector. Rental vacancies are at or near zero.
During a meeting of the Squamish Housing Task Force, our mayor said she was concerned the lodging shortage could lead to missed opportunities because prospective businesses are reluctant to locate in a jurisdiction where employees will be hard-pressed to find accommodations. Significant constructive input has come from that committee, including the possibility of establishing a permanent Housing Authority, but the problem remains far from solved.
According to our Liberal MP-elect, Pam Goldsmith-Jones, “the distance between the wealthy and the people really struggling has never been greater.” Throughout the recent federal election campaign, she underscored her party’s unwavering commitment to leveling the economic playing field and addressing simmering municipal issues, including social infrastructure. The time has come to make good on those promises.
