EDITOR,
The Sea to Sky Gondola will be a good thing for Squamish and the Chief. The lift line will pass through Stawamus Chief Provincial Park over terrain that sees almost no user activity and is hardly visible from the Chief. It is a small, people-centred project that needs to pass through the park, not a toxic oil pipeline or a power line from a river-destroying hydro project. For a 20-metre-wide strip to be re-classified wilderness instead of Class A park is a small price to pay.
The gondola will give Squamish a spectacular tourist attraction to draw the world and allow people who are not mountain fit to enjoy the high country. It will also be a catalyst for mountain bike access between Britannia and the Stawamus valley, likewise foot access into the Shannon Creek valley and the surrounding alpine ridges. Goat Ridge to the south and Habrich's high western ridge to the north make a spectacular alpine circuit. Sky Pilot is a fine, glaciated peak in Squamish's alpine backyard, but it suffers perennial road access problems. If the gondola becomes a springboard for more people to reach them, that's surely a good thing.
Cash-starved B.C. Parks have some serious problems in the Chief area which the gondola can help resolve. The rising popularity of hiking up Squamish's greatest economic asset is putting a severe squeeze on parking at the Chief itself. The gondola's lower terminal can become the gateway to the Chief Trail and draw both hikers and cars away from the overcrowded front country area. That's good for the Chief.
The heavy use of the Chief trails is not sustainable. Annual growth is high, space is limited, and B.C. Parks have no way to improve the situation. The STS Gondola can help address the long-term need for more day hiking trails in the high ground of the ChiefShannon area. Study the terrain, and the benefits of the gondola become pretty obvious. That's also good for the Chief.
No development comes without the price tag of change, but this gondola has about as low an impact as can reasonably be asked. For the collective benefits of jobs, recreation, health, fitness, and tourism, the STS Gondola will be good for Squamish.
Kevin McLane
Squamish
