They’re everywhere. They totter on two wobbly legs. Some scurry about on all fours. Many are hauled around in backpack carriers, front pouches, and hip slings. It appears babies are sprouting in Squamish with the same frequency as daffodils and tulips. At the rate we’re going, we may soon become the Procreation Capital of Canada. One reason for this prolific reproductive performance is our large 18-to-39 age demographic. But there are certainly a variety of other factors.
The upgraded Sea to Sky Highway has become a spur to business and population growth. Reasonable housing prices, relative to the Lower Mainland and Whistler, and a more attractive Squamish labour market have also been a magnet for young couples ready to start a family. According to a number of skeptics, rosy forecasts about local employment growth have not borne significant results. Although we still face challenges when it comes to the creation of good-paying jobs, overall that negative perception needs to be re-evaluated.
The opening of the Sea to Sky Gondola next week and the 70 full-time jobs it has already generated, many on the higher end of the salary grid, will be the coming-out party for a new, more self-confident Squamish. Just up the road, Quest University is busting at the seams. After less than seven years in operation that facility has seen a six fold increase in enrolment. With over 100 full time staff on its payroll, Quest is one of our top three employers. The ambitious StartUp Squamish initiative is in the process of encouraging innovative local ventures by providing a stimulating workplace and business incubation toolset.
Last month, Simon Fraser University launched the first Social Venture Accelerator Program at the StartUp Squamish community workspace. Jeff Dawson, general manager of Community Futures Howe Sound, says, “We are seeing a surge in entrepreneurship and new business creation within Squamish and the Sea to Sky Corridor.”
That entrepreneurial eruption has been facilitated by groups like the Squamish Inside Edge association, which has been successfully advancing the local knowledge sector since their inception four years ago.
Downtown business owner Marnie Lett refers to Squamish as an “authentic” destination. She believes that aura of uniqueness has become one of our strongest suits. The organizers of the Squamish Valley Music Festival definitely buy into her assessment. They are anticipating “an unprecedented festival experience” and have announced two of four event designated campgrounds are already booked solid.
Our baby boom is a vote of confidence in this town’s future. In view of the swirl of business activity going on from one end of the valley to the other, it is highly likely a large segment of that youthful cohort will eventually be employed in an array of emerging local industries.
