Downtown businesses are doing everything they can to reap the benefits of 6,000 plus festival goers who will be descending on Squamish this weekend for the much-anticipated Live at Squamish music festival.
Once such initiative is providing transportation for those wishing to visit the downtown's myriad attractions.
"We'll be transporting people between the grounds and downtown as often as necessary," said downtown Business Improvement Association (BIA) president Eric Armour.
"It's the perfect opportunity for the downtown businesses to get exposure."
A shuttle bus, donated by local resident Ted Prior, will stop in three downtown areas - the bus stop outside the Grilled Fromage on Cleveland Avenue, the Farmer's Market area on Cleveland Avenue and the corner of Second Avenue and Pemberton Street.
"You're allowed in and out of the festival but if you don't have a bike it's a long way to get anywhere," said Armour, "so we'll be running the shuttle to get the connectivity alive."
On site parking is $20 per vehicle or $10 for those carpooling with four or more people, so the BIA's request to lift the two-hour parking limits downtown has been authorized, meaning visitors can park downtown for free and use the shuttle to reach the grounds.
Armour said the bus will "all deckled up with the driver on the megaphone trying to get people super pumped up," so it will be hard to miss.
"I think it will be a real bonus having this service going," he said. "People need to be able to find the real downtown and see it for themselves."
Fire ban lifted
As of Wednesday (Sept. 1) campfires are permitted in all B.C. parks and Crown land due to a decreased risk of wildfires, according to the Coastal Fire centre and the Squamish Lillooet Regional District (SLRD).
However, the District of Squamish has not lifted their campfire ban so anywhere within municipal boundaries campfires, fireworks and tiki torches are still not permitted.
Open fires are still prohibited in the entire coastal fire centre area and campfires must be kept small and controlled - smaller than 0.5 metres wide and 0.5 metres tall. Anyone who lights a campfire is also required to have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water nearby to extinguish it.
Fines of $345 will still be levied for open fire offenders and causing a wildfire has severe repercussions.
"If your recklessness causes a wildfire, you could be fined up to $1 million or spend three years in prison and be held responsible for fire suppression costs," said Minister of Forest and Range, Pat Bell.
