As difficult as it may be to sum up in a nutshell what’s happening in Squamish these days, two words that come to mind are change and insecurity.
By definition, change usually implies a shift from the status quo to a new state of affairs. Many old-timers claim Squamish has lost much of its small-town vibe and neighbourliness. With the ongoing building boom and associated population influx, there is a feeling that people have become pushier, more stressed and less civil.
According to former Squamish mayor Corinne Lonsdale, what she finds most discouraging is that too many seniors are leaving town. In her opinion, one of the reasons is successive municipal councils have not put their minds to creating housing for seniors who find multi-story buildings hard to navigate. “They seem to bend over backward to enable developers to get the highest density they can…We should instead be trying to accommodate all our age groups,” she says.
The most recent BC assessments indicate that since 2014 property values have doubled for many home owners.
That’s a massive equity boost for anybody who plans to sell. It’s less desirable when beefed-up home appraisals lead to dramatic municipal tax spikes.
It is also discouraging for young families trying to get into the market for the first time unless they cashed out on the Lower Mainland and moved here.
In general, this town’s image has changed. For many non-residents, Squamish was perceived as a red-neck backwater whose main claim to fame was as a pit stop on the road to Whistler.
These days that opinion has shifted 180 degrees. It has been nudged along by the District’s vigorous rebranding campaign, in particular, the “Hardwired for Adventure” theme, the arrival of Quest University, the Sea to Sky Gondola, and associated publicity.
In 2017 BC Business magazine ranked this community as the top place in the province for working people.
This year, with an average household income of $110,838, Squamish has slipped to a still respectable third place ranking, behind Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. It looks like we’re getting all our ducks in a row, with the Newport Beach development on the oceanfront leading the way.
But, to stretch a metaphor here, as much as they may appear unruffled on the surface, many locals are paddling frantically just to stay afloat. And some have chosen to decamp to calmer waters. One recent member of the Squamish diaspora put it this way on The Chief’s Facebook page: “Squamish is the new Vancouver, and it’s just ridiculous to rent or purchase here.
So sad to be leaving my community, my job, my friends, and I will miss Squampton, but on to a bigger, better and a more affordable lifestyle.”
Such is the price of change.
