This letter was sent to Graeme McLaren, project assessment director of the EAO, and copied to The Chief.
I'm writing to convey my strong opposition to the Garibaldi at Squamish development proposal. I hesitate to call it a ski hill development as the ski lifts are simply there to acquire valuable real estate 13 km north of Squamish. There is no need for the 25 ski lifts, two golf courses and 12 subdivisions of houses, condos etc. that this project proposes.
I hope that the Environmental Assessment Office will live up to its name and make the obvious assessment that this project is not good for the environment and stop this project in its tracks, or send it back to the planning process in which there would be some measure of public input.
The proponents have almost completely ignored the concerns of a variety of groups who recreate in this area or who simply have environmental concerns.
The proponents, with virtually no consultation with local groups or the people who come from all over the world to recreate here, plan to eliminate the trails in the Brohm Demonstration Forest and those in and around Cat Lake.
In their planning documents, I have seen nothing that replaces what will be lost. The encroachment of homes to within 100 metres of the lakes will permanently alter these ecosystems.
New development in B.C. should aspire to the level of environmental awareness that we're seeing with the Dockside Green Project in Victoria.
The proponents of GAS are promoting urban sprawl in the form of yet another car dependent community along the Sea to Sky Highway. Irresponsible. Impractical. Greedy.
Please, if it is in your power to do so, stop this project as it is presently planned and send them back to the drawing board or scrub the entire plan completely.
The present public comment period regarding the Garibaldi at Squamish proposal closes July 19. If you feel strongly one way or the other I encourage all citizens to send a letter to the Environmental Assessment Office or email eaoinfo@gov.bc.ca with Garibaldi at Squamish in the subject line.
Matt Parker
Squamish
