I've lived in Squamish for a decade or so, been editor and a writer for its award-winning community newspaper, as well as its tourism bureau - but I still never really know what to call the people who live here.
OK, I totally know what to call the bad drivers in town, but you can't use those words in an award-winning, family community newspaper.
People who hail from New York are called "New Yorkers," those from Philadelphia are called "Philadelphians" and folks who live in Washington are known as "Washingtonians."
Those are pretty well known.
But I've heard those in Squamish referred to alternately as "Squamishers," "Squamishites," "Squamishians" or intriguing and jaw-breaking varieties thereof.
The Chief's esteemed editor Dave Burke even likes to affectionately refer to locals as "Squamoleans" when writing his editorials or columns.
But if you look everywhere else, from The Chief's news stories to documents from the District of Squamish and Tourism Squamish, we're mostly referred to as "Squamish residents."
I know, because every time I've had to write a story, article, marketing piece or column about this town, I fall back on the old, boring and bland "Squamish residents" descriptor. If I'm feeling the need for diversity, I may write "the Squamish community," or just "locals," but shouldn't we have a cute little nickname for ourselves, too?
I'm not too sure I like Squamishers.
It sounds too much like the name of a sports team - The Fightin' Squamishers, Go, Team, Go!
Squamishites is just joining the club with the Whistlerites and Vancouverites - and there's nothing wrong with that - but with all the creative folks living here, I thought we'd like to be different.
Besides, Squamishite sounds like an undiscovered element, or maybe the substance that makes Sasquatch lose his bigfoot powers.
Squamishians is just ridiculous sounding, and I spit a little when I say it, so it doesn't really get my vote assuming I'd get to vote on such a thing.
I kind of like Squamoleans, and not because Mr. Burke pays me as a writer, but because at least it's original. Although, it does kind of sound like a slang word for currency.
"Hey buddy, I'm broke until Thursday. Could you lend me a couple of Squamoleans?"
But perhaps the thing that actually sets us apart from other communities is, in fact, our multiple pet names for ourselves. Maybe it represents the diversity of our community, and the freedom locals have to recreate any way they please. Maybe folks would rather be identified by what they do - climber, skier, or mountain biker - than where they're from. Perhaps nobody really cares if they're called Squamishers, Squamoleans, or Squama-lama-ding-dongs.
So, I guess I'm content to continue my use of the standard and bland "Squamish resident" moniker until this top priority and contentious issue is finally resolved.
Now if we could only do something about the bad drivers!
