Some years slip by uneventfully and mostly unnoticed. But every so often 365 days roll around that are destined to be special. 2010 is shaping up to be one of those transformative years.
Let's talk about the Big Show in February. To be significant, an event needs to radiate beyond the moment; it has to create long-term legacies. The Games will do that in spades. On the heels of CALOC's groundbreaking work, enthusiasm for Nordic sports has already snowballed, in terms of spectator attendance and youth participation. VANOC's $750,000 sport and recreation facilities trust fund will further fuel that interest.
With the eyes of the world fixed upon us, the Olympics will give us the confidence and experience to kick start our journey towards becoming a profitable destination venue.
Ultimately, since many residents commute to work, one of the principal Olympic bequests for Squamish will be the Sea to Sky Highway upgrade which has already improved safety and shortened travel time to out of town destinations.
Beyond the five ring spectacle soon to mesmerize us, after countless studies and nonstop public input, the Oceanfront development project will finally venture past the draft proposal stage into the rarefied air of the concrete planning phase.
In terms of resident engagement, communication, and vision, the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation crew have become masters of due diligence. What was viewed by many as more pie-in-the-sky has become an achievable enterprise.
According to CEO, Drew Stotesbury, "This is about connecting people to the water for the first time in many people's lives. And in doing this, we've created a plan we think really embraces the core elements of work, learn, play and live."
Another undertaking is also ready for take-off. Sometime in 2010 the Garibaldi at Squamish proponents will finally get the green light from the powers-that-be to connect all the dots.
Looking back from the year 2030, we will identify GAS as a change agent that literally redefined this community. In terms of local job creation, investment opportunities and overall benefits, this ambitious recreational development will surpass anything that has come before it.
GAS will not only compete with Whistler, in many ways it will eclipse the ski mecca up the road. It will offer an unrivalled, easily accessible, four season mountain experience, right in our own backyard.
Mark Andreassen, the former kingpin at Downtown Toyota, in Vancouver, believes the Sea to Sky Corridor "is the pulse of B.C. right now It's the place to go."
His son-in-law, Mark Lightheart, the general manager of the new Toyota dealership in town, is bullish on our prospects. He is convinced the Olympic boost and the Highway 99 upgrade will give us the necessary energy to move to the next level.
Historians will one day look at 2010 as the year Squamish reinvented itself. It will be the year we went from endless speculation about our future prospects to actualizing our potential.
Is there any place in B.C., and possibly in the whole country, with more upside than we have here at the moment?
Not likely.
