There was a time when life in this valley was similar to a casual excursion down a tranquil river in the middle of summer. Although a bit of paddling and steering were required to stay off the rocks, you knew the current would safely take you to your destination.
These days, that river is becoming more turbulent and unpredictable and will necessitate extra concentration and adroit manoeuvring with less room for error.
Over the next decade, our population could easily increase by 50 per cent or beyond. For the most part, there is still a friendly, small community ambience in our neighbourhoods, and that is one of the main reasons why Squamish has become the destination of choice for families looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland.
But that atmosphere of conviviality is showing signs of fraying. All the adventure branding and references to our spectacular natural beauty does not preclude a growing level of social friction and political polarization.
Differences of opinion about the future of this community are not necessarily a negative development. In fact, a broad spectrum of competing views is a sign that residents care enough to make their voices heard. That being said, we need to reel in the growing level of rancour and get better at the process of disagreeing.
Newcomers and long-time residents realize this municipality has what amounts to limitless potential. Our task now is to guard against squandering all that upside. Let’s remember, potential by itself has no currency – it has to be activated and once the genie is out of the bottle, the situation can degrade in a hurry.
We need to be prepared to anticipate the consequences of the catalogue of big-ticket ventures about to be launched from one end of town to the other.
Accelerated change will take us out of our comfort zone. It requires managerial agility and flexibility in real time. If our administrative framework and social institutions are not up to the challenge, the Shining Valley’s lustre will be significantly tarnished.
When noted American novelist and playwright Gertrude Stein reflected on the loss of her childhood home to rapid urbanization in Oakland, Calif. during the 1930s, she said, “There is no there, there.”
Squamish will soon also reach a tipping point. In the best-case scenario, we will be transformed into a truly exceptional, diverse and vibrant place to live and work. Conversely, we could continue on the road to becoming a sprawling, traffic-congested, bedroom community situated amidst a series of destination venues along the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler.
