As part of our coverage for the 2022 municipal election, The Squamish Chief sent out questionnaires to all candidates running either for council or the mayor’s office. Identical questions were provided to each candidate, who had the chance to send written responses.
What follows are the unedited responses for this candidate. Those who did not respond by press deadline do not have answers to publish.
Furthermore, candidates were also invited to film a short elevator pitch. This candidate’s elevator pitch is embedded in this story.
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Please state your name and political party
Chris Pettingill - Independent/No Party
How do you think council can help with the housing affordability crisis in Squamish?
We can help by expanding on many of the things we’re already doing:
- maintain strong support of the new housing society
- update our Amenity Contribution Policies to request more affordable units, and more public childcare spaces during rezoning
- maintain our growth management boundary to reduce the average amount of new infrastructure (and costs) relative to the number of new taxpayers
- continue working on projects with BC Housing
- continue investing in our active and public transit systems so people have reliable, frequent, more affordable transportation options
Some locals have been calling for a pause on development on private land, but council does not have the power to do that. How will you reconcile that disconnect?
When people understand the tradeoffs and benefits of the hard choices we have to make as a community, and when they understand their input matters, I find that they are usually willing to support the right sort of development. Affordability, livability, and safety are reasonable areas of concern, and more disconnect means we need to do more engagement as a community. When we consider these elements, we need to consider them for both existing and new residents. If there’s still disconnect after active participation in discussions, then sometimes we will need to adjust our course.
The Public Works Funding engagement is an example of this. Once people better understood the tradeoffs and benefits, and could see how we’re balancing things like Brennan Park updates, we found public support for the Public Works funding.
Do you own property in Squamish? When was the last time you were a renter?
My partner and I have been renters in Squamish since we moved here in 2009. We do not own any property. We were fortunate to have great landlords, but recently our landlords' circumstances changed. As a result, we had to move unexpectedly and got a first-hand taste of Squamish’s challenging rental market.
How do you typically get to work? When was the last time you rode a bus?
I ride a bike to work (usually an ebike to help me get back up to the Highlands) and I last rode the bus right before the transit strike.
Have you had to find child care in Squamish?
No, but I do understand that it is incredibly challenging for families right now. This is why I have been supportive of our Squamish Child Care Action Plan.
Our Council has worked hard with others in our region to have the provincial New Spaces Fund updated. As a result, the funding model was updated to better match current construction prices in our area and in April of this year, we were successful in obtaining $2,000,100 to build 36 new fulltime spaces in Valleycliffe.
In addition to this, our Council has successfully negotiated daycare spaces, and affordable units for daycare workers as part of rezonings. The recent Centennial Way project is an example of a development where rezoning included a developer commitment to build space for at least 25 childcare spaces, including dedicated parking for that use.
Do you or have you ever owned a business in Squamish? Do you pay commercial rent?
I joined the founding team of a tech startup in Squamish just before the 2018 election and we lease a space in the business park for our office.
In your opinion, does Squamish have a parking problem? If so, what will you do about it?
The primary issue is finding a space close to your destination when you need or want it, and not simply the number of spaces. Staff are doing a parking review, but I think some opportunities include:
- where existing private buildings have empty parking spaces, permit the buildings to offer them to the public
- adjust reservations for accessibility needs, healthcare, and delivery vehicles, especially during street closures
- more transit system improvements (already in progress)
- zoning that's attractive and suitable to people who generally need fewer cars to minimize new residents adding competition for existing parking spots
- flexible paid parking to manage demand; spend revenue on improving downtown areas/transit
- parking permits for residential streets
- more enforcement of parking rules
- add transit for lower-cost visitor parking options outside of downtown to minimize visitor impacts
- review bylaws for obstacles to private operators of public parking
What ways would you support council addressing the climate crisis?
I’m particularly excited about helping Squamish to be an early adopter of upcoming provincial tools to help people retrofit their existing homes for lower energy costs.
We should pursue low-carbon incentives for multi-family, commercial, and industrial developments, tighten loopholes, and raise the bar for developers hoping to receive the incentives. Price gouging by fossil fuel companies shows that anything we can do to help people reduce their dependence on fossil fuels will help both the climate, and our wallets.
The transition to renewable energy is happening faster than expected. Fossil fuel projects like Woodfibre LNG don’t have a long-term future in the face of advancing climate and technological changes. We do have some authority in relation to parts of the WLNG project, and I think the province understands our concerns. I support maintaining a focus on the new and core economic sectors that are more aligned with our community’s values and a viable economic future.
The municipality has control over passing bylaws, budget planning and approval, committees, board and commission appointments and general oversight of municipal administration. Within those powers, what didn’t the last council do that you want to make a priority?
- We still have work to do on van dwelling, especially in light of worsening housing affordability challenges
- We have been held up as an example for other municipal governments in terms of reconciliation, and we are well-placed to put a larger focus here for the benefit of the District and Squamish Nation
- There’s an opportunity to increase our outward-facing equity efforts so that our communications, grants, and engagement are more inviting to diverse community members
- Traffic calming projects are very much related to livability, safety, and climate action; let's see how we can go further
- Let's look at greater incorporation of “aging in place” in our neighbourhood planning
