EDITOR,I have never felt compelled to write a letter to the editor before but my many recent conversations with friends, news from the community and other letters propelled me to it this time. Born and raised in North Vancouver, I now proudly call Squamish home. And why not? It comes with a skateboard bowl and other abundant action from kiteboarding to mountain biking, all taking place in a stunning natural setting. Most importantly, I have great friends in this active community and I could just afford a home here, too.
So all's well, except for one thing: I have to earn my living in Vancouver. Yes, I am one of those people making the daily trek to the city and let me assure you, I would take a pay cut to reduce my over two-hour daily commute, never even mind reducing my living costs and carbon footprint. The problem is that there is next to nothing on offer for work or business opportunities in Squamish, not even for a skilled trades guy like myself.
Don't kid yourselves: We are already a bedroom community to Vancouver and Whistler. All those commuters would be first to tell you that we have less time and energy to engage in community activities along with being forced to leave our meager shopping dollars in the city to save time. Sure, I moved up here knowing that was my lot, but I was also hopeful we were in the midst of developing our own thriving economy with jobs to match the great lifestyle that it offers.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am usually pretty anti-development. But even I know that a balance must exist. With many communities eagerly competing for new and existing businesses, Squamish seems to do very little and worse yet, makes it lengthy and challenging for any development to proceed in a timely manner. If even I hear the common joke and snickering about Squamish being closed for business, I get worried about our future. It's time to abolish the paradox that exists between the enthusiastic and active residents of this community and the leadership in our District. Let's agree on a vision now and start actively working. Time to cut the crap and the endless research and consulting. It's simple: We need to show what we are - capable, skilled pool of labour, who embraces an exceptional recreational lifestyle and cares deeply about our natural environment while welcoming and friendly to new ideas and endeavours. We are an active bunch; let's use that action to our benefit and build a truly sustainable community.Donald Wilson
Garibaldi Highlands
