Well folks, the proponents of the Garibaldi at Squamish mega-project slated for Brohm Ridge are back for another kick at the can, or as the case may be, another kick in the can.
A smorgasbord of promoters have been at this shtick for the better part of four decades, only to be thwarted by successive provincial governments, a cadre of vocal opponents, and at times, by their own fumbling and lack of due diligence.
The folks up in Paradise Valley, whose aquifer the proponents intend to tap into for their water supply, are hopping mad. If GAS gets the green light, they threaten to protest in a way British Columbians have never witnessed.
Critics of the project say the snow levels on Brohm Ridge are sketchy at best. Yet for the past 45 years, that location has been the cat’s meow for Squamish snowmobilers and backcountry skiers. The Black Tusk Snowmobile Club’s website claims the area “offers a wide variety of terrain; large bowls for hill climbing, challenging creek and treed routes, breathtaking peaks, endless powder, and amazing meadows and groomed trails for novice riders and children.” A recent post on its Facebook page shows a photo of a member of the club measuring a snow depth of 350 centimetres in mid-April of this year, along with a note that it was “still pretty sweet up top.” That robust snow pack measurement flies in the face of the ragged Les Misérables conditions described by the area’s detractors.
Whistler’s Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden told media she is “very concerned” about a proposal she calls a “significant threat” to her bailiwick. Whistler Blackcomb’s CEO Dave Brownlie says the project will be “a disaster” in the corridor if it goes forward. But what appears to be of paramount importance for the powers-that-be in Whistler is the perpetuation of the lucrative resort monopoly they hold in this neck of the woods. Touting strong growth in summer operations, Whistler Blackcomb reported a revenue boost of 5.7 per cent to $254.5 million in the last fiscal year.
Meanwhile, a 2010 consultant’s report estimated GAS will eventually generate $5.7 billion in expenditures, resulting in $2.3 billion in additional GDP in B.C., 38,331 person-years of employment, and government revenues totalling $462 million.
So far a majority of the online respondents who shared their thoughts about GAS with the provincial Environmental Assessment Office have disapproved of the project. But nearly half of the submissions were not from Squamish residents.
In other words, many of the negative responses came from out-of-town commentators who are not subject to annual District of Squamish double-digit combined municipal tax/utilities hikes, have not been relegated to a career in the burgeoning local low-wage service sector, and appear to be unreceptive to new recreational and property investment opportunities in this town.
