John French
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The long anticipated funding from the provincial government for the Sea to Sky Adventure Centre was finally delivered this week.
A cold wind whistled through the partially constructed skeleton of the new building as MLA Ted Nebbeling presented a cheque to Mayor Ian Sutherland in a late morning informal ceremony.
The cheque Nebbeling gave to Sutherland on Monday (April 4) was for $900,000 and comes following a federal commitment of the same amount.
Nebbeling said the time is right for Squamish to build the Sea to Sky Adventure Centre. He told the small crowd gathered at the construction site for the announcement of how people in Squamish asked over and over for funding to build such a centre. In particular he said former Squamish Chamber of Commerce manager Wendy Magee kept reminding him of the need for Squamish to build a tourist information centre closer to Hwy. 99.
"Now I can finally get Wendy Magee off my back," Nebbeling said.
The MLA says Squamish is now in a position to keep tourists in town to do things instead of sending them out of town for activities.
After accepting the cheque Sutherland said the adventure centre is going to be a facility the entire Sea to Sky corridor will benefit from.
And, he feels the building is going to be the "coolest" on the highway in Squamish.
Nebbeling and Sutherland spoke over the sounds of construction as the crew working to open the facility by May 6 continued their tasks undisturbed by the gathering of politicians and local officials. The words delivered by Nebbeling and Sutherland were nearly drowned out a number of times by the high-pitched whine of a saw.
The cheque presentation by the West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA was his second in Squamish in the last two weeks. On March 18, Nebbeling gave the West Coast Railway Heritage Association a provincial cheque for $2 million to help construct a roundhouse and conference centre at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park.
Both announcements were also attended by Joan McIntyre, the Liberal candidate for the riding of West Vancouver-Garibaldi.
The day after the cheque presentation, District of Squamish Council voted to direct DOS staff to finalize agreements to partner with Pause Café and the Squamish Chamber of Commerce to provide three of the services the Adventure Centre will offer.
Pause Café responded to a request for proposals to operate a food and beverage facility inside the centre. Only two proposals were submitted from businesses interested in operating the coffee shop. Owners George Chang and Karin Tosolini plan to start the new venture and keep operating their present café on Cleveland Avenue.
"The staff will be trained to direct the tourists to the downtown," said Chang.
The Squamish Chamber of Commerce is getting the contracts to provide visitor information services at the new building and the accommodation and activity booking services.
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale isn't on side with the rest of council and voted against the idea of allowing DOS staff to negotiate final agreements with the Chamber of Commerce and Pause Café. She doubts the Adventure Centre will generate enough revenue to cover its operating costs.
Lonsdale asked a series of questions about the operation of the centre and learned from the mayor that the tourist information centre component will be open for more hours than the current facility and will cost more to operate than the current centre near the end of Cleveland Avenue. Lonsdale said she is unhappy with the fact the Adventure Centre will compete with businesses downtown.
Coun. Dave Fenn countered Lonsdale's position by the community is trying to bring attract more tourists.
"In order to get an appropriate return for the community we need to invest the resources," Fenn said. "Other communities have done it."
"The building is being built using 33 cent dollars," said Coun. Jeff Dawson. "For years the entrance of this town has been on par with the entrance to the landfill."
Dawson feels the new building is changing the look of the entrance to downtown.
Sutherland said depending on how negotiations progress with the Chamber of Commerce, that organization may opt to operate the gift and souvenir shop proposed for the new centre.
