Cameron Chalmers, our general manager of community services, and I were just on a business development initiative in Shanghai. Upon return, the thing that struck me is that accolades for the accomplishments of our community keep pouring in.
We left just as the positive media coverage of our Live at Squamish music festival was circulating the province. I got back to three more accomplishments being acknowledged.
First, our request for the province to recognize Dr. LaVerne Kindree was realized with the naming of the new emergency centre at Squamish General Hospital after him.
I must admit I chuckled when I heard that locals took the opportunity to lobby the Minister of Health for a CT scan machine. Dr. Kindree, who never stopped working to improve our hospital, would be proud.
Second was the announcement of the Malamute climbing area being added to the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. This resulted from a complicated transaction made possible by years of hard work by many and protects an incredible community climbing asset.
Finally, last Saturday Squamish became only the second community in B.C. to be certified a Bear Aware community. This is a very significant accomplishment made possible only through the work of local businesses and residents under the leadership of our Bear Aware co-ordinator Meg Toom and with the support of our local conservation officers.
The success of those efforts, including bear locks on garbage totes and reduction of other attractants, can perhaps be best summarized as follows: In 2004, it was necessary to destroy 27 bears in Squamish. Last year, the number was four.
But now back to the Shanghai trip. We were there with a delegation representing the Sea to Sky Corridor including our MLA Joan McIntyre.
The initiative was well timed as the 2010 Olympics had already highlighted our area and our highway upgrade was often noted.
The five days were a whirlwind of meetings. We met with government and business organizations including the Consul General, three federal trade commissioners, two B.C. trade commissioners, and people from the Canada China Business Council and the Canada China Chamber of Commerce.
These meetings not only allowed us to establish valuable contacts for local businesses but also gave us a better insight into business practices and opportunities in China.
We also had the conference space at the Canada Pavilion at Expo for a day we called Sea to Sky Day. Our presentation on Squamish to about 35 Shanghai business people was well received.
It was made particularly effective by the involvement of Kin Leong from the local high tech company Echoflex who spoke Mandarin. Finally, we had a series of one-on-one meetings with individual Shanghai businesses, which I found the most useful for identifying opportunities.
More information on this initiative will come. But keep in mind as details unfold that this is just the start of the hard work.
This will only become a Squamish success story like those referenced above if local businesses can find ways to take advantage of opportunities in China.
