Squamish is a work in progress and that state of affairs comes with a growing assortment of rough-edged issues and concerns.
Generally, newcomers are well received, and most will tell you how easy it is to connect with this community. But a few residents who participated in the mayor's ongoing drop-in events asked if it was possible to put a halt to so many people coming here.
In 2017, close to 500,000 visitors used the Brennan Park Recreation Centre. That facility is bursting at the seams and is in dire need of upgrades and repairs. Two schools, Garibaldi Highlands and Squamish Elementary, have space issues. And when it comes to health care, the big question is how equipped is Squamish General Hospital to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population in the Sea to Sky Corridor?
Although many people enjoy a substantial level of financial security, not everyone in town is riding the gravy train. The recent Vital Signs report, sponsored by the Squamish Community Foundation, revealed that in 2016 a quarter of all workers in Squamish were earning less than a living wage. In other words, their annual income was under $20,000, and thirty-seven per cent of all wage earners had an income below $30,000.
Based on community survey results, the greatest area of concern cited in the report was housing affordability. And the number of available rental accommodations was referred to as "alarmingly low." That situation may be yesterday's news, but it could become even more extreme in the future. Thousands of housing units are slated for construction over the next five years. The emerging worry is that too many cash-strapped locals will be priced out of the homeownership market. Another challenge will be mining affordable rentals from that pending real estate mother lode.
In a recent interview with The Chief, incumbent councillor and mayoral candidate Susan Chapelle said as much as we need a housing authority "It's almost too late, we should have had a way to manage housing that did not strain our resources that need to be focusing on other community needs."
Mayor Patricia Heintzman told The Chief a housing oversight body would be a step in the right direction, particularly when more purpose-built rentals are made available. But she added, "There's no point having a housing authority until you have the units to manage…We currently have zero, though some have been promised."
Noel Koehn, the owner of Newport Auto, is frustrated with this community's affordability impasse. After a prolonged search for a qualified mechanic, he finally hit the jackpot. Regrettably, once the prospective employee got wind of the high cost of living in Squamish he bolted to Chilliwack. Koehn now wonders if he may have to mothball his shop in the near future. He says a number of other businesses are facing a similar fate.
With a municipal election on the immediate horizon, the above index of concerns should provide ample fodder for online discussion forums, coffee shop pundits, and all-candidates meetings.
