Happy Tuesday, Squamish.
Environment Canada says today will be cloudy, with periods of rain beginning this morning.
We will see a high of 9 C and an overnight low down to 3 C.
The sun makes an appearance in the forecast on Thursday and Friday before we return to clouds and rain.
Sunrise was at 6:50 a.m.; sunset is at 6 p.m.
Island work to note
Starting Monday and lasting through Friday, the District's public works crews will remove the landscaping on the island on Cleveland Avenue off of Highway 99, according to a District post.
"Vegetation will be removed and replaced with compacted gravel for this season. The basalt columns will be remaining," reads a muni Facebook post.
More parking
• Parking on select streets in Squamish is no longer restricted to one side only to make way for snowplows. That ended on March 1.
Highway issues to note
• Highway 99, in both directions, watch for road sweeping between Inglewood Ave and Brunswick Beach Rd for 12.8 km (Lions Bay to West Vancouver). The work will continue until Friday, March 7 and takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The shoulder is closed. Watch for traffic control.
Gas prices
In Squamish today, regular gas is going for 181.9 cents per litre at Squamish Valley Gas Bar, located at 9001 Valley Dr. That's the cheapest in town.
The least expensive gas in Whistler is 182.9/L at the Co-op, located at 2101 Lake Placid Rd.
In Pemberton, drivers will pay 179.9/L at AC Gas at 7432 Prospect St.
The cheapest gas in B.C. can (again) be found in Vernon, where you can fill up for 151.9/L at the Super Save Gas at 3603 32nd St.
Still need those winter tires on
Don't forget, since Oct. 1, winter tires or chains are required on the Sea to Sky Highway. It is the law.
"Passenger vehicles and light trucks need to use tires that have the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol or 'M+S' on the sidewall. This applies to two-wheel, all-wheel, and four-wheel drive vehicles. The tires need to be in good condition and have a tread depth of at least 3.5 mm (5/32”)," reads the 4 Road Safety at Work site.
The tires must stay on through to March 31. Not having proper winter tires or chains can earn drivers a fine of $121.
Mount Garibaldi Cemetery
More room is needed at the cemetery, therefore, an expansion program is underway.
Beginning March 3, there is forest and vegetation clearing, followed by construction expected from July to December 2025.
"Once complete, the expansion will provide additional burial options, including green burials and a scattering garden, ensuring long-term cemetery services for Squamish," the District says in a post on its social media.
"Cemetery access will be reduced, and there will be temporary cremation delays until March 17. Nearby residents and visitors may experience noise from chainsaws, tree felling, and trucking, as well as increased truck traffic on Government Road.
Additionally, the Zombie Crawl Trail will be temporarily closed, with signage posted to indicate the closure."
Got construction?
If you have moseyed on down the west side of Second Avenue downtown of late, you would have run into a closed sidewalk in front of the old and new Squamish Chief offices.
It is due to work on the outside of what will soon be North Shore Medical Imaging at 38117 Second Ave, which was previously The Squamish Chief's office.
Our media outlet is now next door, at 38113 Second Ave., where H&R Block used to be. The tax experts are now at 1305 Pemberton Ave., where Keir Fine Jewellery used to be. (Are you keeping up?)
All the other businesses are open and operating, so come on down if you need coffee from 1914 Coffee Company, or to send off a package at The UPS Store or grab sushi at Manpuku Sushi.
Beware of cougars
Local Johan Brandhorst-Satzkorn says he spotted two cougars on Feb. 18 by the Mamquam spawning channels, on the little bridge between the Mamquam River and the Squamish Valley Golf Club.
He wants to warn other locals to be aware of them.
The District notes that while negative encounters are uncommon, Squamish is prime cougar habitat.
The municipality and WildSafeBC provide the following tips to keep safe around cougars on local trails:
Be alert and aware at all times.
- Avoid surprise encounters by making noise—use your voice
- Hike or bike in groups of two or more and keep children close at hand.
- Keep dogs leashed.
- Look for signs of fresh cougar activity, like claw marks on trees or logs, scat or paw prints.
- Avoid food caches: cougars will cover unconsumed portions of their kill with twigs, leaf litter or soil. If you come across a cache, leave the area immediately. Be alert to circling ravens or turkey vultures.
- Riding or running quickly and quietly puts you at risk for surprise encounters. Slow down when going around blind corners and make noise.
- Cougar kittens are usually well-hidden. However, if you do encounter cougar kittens, do not approach or attempt to pick them up. Leave the area immediately, females will defend their young.
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
Pool closure
Please note that the Brennan Park Pool is closed for the foreseeable future, to address the facility's deck, which has been deemed a potential slip hazard.
The District estimates the closure could last for a minimum of four weeks, or more.
"Any 10 and 20 visit passes due to expire during the closure will be extended. Monthly pass holders will also receive an extension through the closure. Staff will cancel and refund all registered aquatic programs and rentals. Refunds will automatically be issued next week," the District says.
After backlash from last Feb. 12's pool closure announcement, the District provided more up-to-date details about what is happening.
"Slip-resistance testing was carried out at the pool by an independent third party on Feb. 11, under the direction of VCH," the District said.
"The report indicated that the tiles did not meet the required anti-slip standards for wet surfaces. Under the BC Public Health Act Pool Regulation, a pool operator must ensure that pool aprons, walkways and floors have a surface that is slip-resistant when wet. Because the slip resistance did not meet the required standards for wet surfaces, VCH ordered an immediate closure."
The muni said Brennan Park pool closes for annual maintenance each year to "ensure the longevity of the Aquatic Centre and to help prevent larger, more costly problems from occurring."
Brennan Park Recreation Centre's front desk will close at 9 p.m. Monday to Friday for the duration of the pool closure. All Arena rentals will continue as normal.
Moon phase
The moon is in its waxing crescent phase.
The moon's illumination is currently 28.13%.
It is currently located in the constellation of Pisces, according to phasesmoon.com.
B.C. extremes
Yesterday's hot spot in all of B.C. was Pemberton, which saw a high of 16.5 C, according to Environment Canada data.
It was also the hot spot in all of Canada.
(The high at Squamish Airport yesterday was 12.6 C.)
The coldest spot in B.C. on March 3 was Fort Nelson, which dipped to -8.8 C.
Seawater temp
According to seatemperature.info, the water temperature in Howe Sound today is 7.8 C.
March average water temperature in Howe Sound is 7.5 C, the minimum temperature is 5.8 C, and the maximum is 10.3 C.
Avalanche forecast
According to avalog.co, today, the alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low.
Known problems include persistent slabs.
The advice for today from avalog.co is:
"A hard crust on the snow surface will reduce the likelihood of triggering buried weak layers, but the consequences of an avalanche on these layers remain high."
- Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
- A hard crust on the snow surface will help strengthen the snowpack, but may cause tough travel conditions.
- Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
The District reminds locals that Squamish DOX Recycling, located at 40446 Government Road, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The recycle hub accepts a variety of recyclable materials, including: glass, flexible plastics, foam packaging, paper and cardboard, containers (plastic, metal, and paper).
Events to note
In addition to Jane Stanton and friends on March 9 at The BAG, these other events caught our eye.
Today, there's Daytime Board Game Meetup at Arrow Wood Games from 1 to 3 p.m.
"The Event Host will carefully select the perfect games for the group while fostering a fun and positive environment. No prior game knowledge or experience is necessary. This meetup is perfect if you are keen to expand your social circle, want to play some new games and have some good old fashioned fun!" reads the listing.
March 5, it is TWIG, Wood First Wednesdays at 1126 Resolution Way, from 6 to 8 p.m.
"Connect with fellow woodworkers, contribute with fellow individuals who appreciate working with wood. Foster collaboration and innovation in our industry by sharing," reads the listing.
Also on March 5, it is Nerd Nite #10, at the Brackendale Art Gallery, at 41950 Government Rd., from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
"VACCINES with Norm Viner: After decades in public health in Ottawa and currently running a vaccine-oriented tech startup, will be talking about the The Good, the Bad and the Future of Vaccines; COMEDY with Maryam Ad: Maryam will share some of her knowledge and experience on comedy and how to make people laugh. FINANCIAL LITERACY with Ryan Plater: Ryan will gives us a quick intro on financial literacy, money saving tricks, maximizing passive income, rewards point strategies, travel hacking and avoiding the pit falls of debt."
There are many more events coming up; go to our online events calendar to see them all! Want a possible shout-out in our daily report? Load your event into our free calendar by clicking "Create an event."
