In response to John French’s Dec. 23 column about Garibaldi at Squamish, “Hardwired for skiing,” I must add that “a vision” is still more than just a dream…
My partners and I appreciated the opportunity to bring the new Mayor Patricia Heintzman and council up-to-date on the master planning, environmental assessment and public approvals status of the development at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Dec. 16. We drew attention to the design modifications we had made in response to public concerns that the proposed development of Garibaldi at Squamish was not clustered enough on the mountain as originally conceived. We also wanted to assure the community that the development will not only create a construction boom, but also a permanent employment-generating business which will add new diversity to the variety of outdoor recreation product available for the tourism market travelling the Sea to Sky Corridor.
With a resort serving one mountain instead of two, Garibaldi at Squamish will be “smaller” than Whistler Blackcomb. It will not necessarily remain small at build-out, but to differentiate it from Whistler, will be designed as a “boutique” mountain resort community. In addition, it will be an on-mountain, slopeside resort community. With its primary base area at 3,600 ft., compared to the 2,200 ft. elevation of Whistler, it will designed to optimize its phenomenal view potential, with a maximum of ski-to, ski-from, ski-through resort properties.
Driving north toward Squamish at night you can see the lights of the new Sea to Sky Gondola high up on a mountainside. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future, you will also be able to see the lights of the Garibaldi Mountain Village on Brohm Ridge 10 miles as a crow flies north of Squamish and, as you continue towards Whistler, it will appear above you like some medieval Italian hillside fortress-town.
Another distinction of our new mountain resort will be that, after a six-mile Cypress Bowl-style mountain highway sweeps you up to your slope-side home, transportation systems throughout the resort’s communities, as well as down to Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler, will be designed to make the need for a car redundant.
Garibaldi at Squamish will be master-planned as a “community” showcasing British Columbia as a beacon to the world in terms of energy efficiency, environmental responsibility and sustainable technology. That’s been the vision all along.
And we now look forward to our friends in the community to help make 2015 the year this dream comes true.
Wolfgang Richter
Founder & Vice-Chairman
Garibaldi at Squamish Inc.
