There’s no doubt about it – Squamish is changing as more and more people call the district home. The population is expected to double in the next 15 to 20 years.
Some of the effects are already obvious – it’s harder to find a parking spot downtown, lineups at the grocery store are getting longer, less people stop on the street to say hello and the cost of homes has skyrocketed in the last couple years.
But some changes are harder to see, including the “old vs. new” tension.
A couple months ago, a worried mom commented on a local Facebook page about a group of men smoking and holding beer cans in view of the playground at Stan Clarke Park downtown. Some members sided with her, but others said to have compassion – the playground is built right on top of a once-popular place for this now-unpopular kind of activity.
It’s an example of gentrification that comes along with people moving to the many new condos in the area. Finding a balance is difficult and will be even more so when the population increases, forcing people who usually wouldn’t associate to use the same area.
Last week, also on social media, a debate was sparked about how new residents are treated by those who have lived here for decades. Some people who recently moved here feel hurt by being called “citiots” or “yuppies,” while some old-time residents think newcomers aren’t being respectful of their surroundings and don’t appreciate Squamish’s history.
“Have you never been ganged up on by an Old Squamish bunch? Dismissed for your birth certificate or where you grew up?” wrote one out-spoken commenter who is upset about the way she has been treated since moving to town. Further down on the post, a long-time resident said, “…You may have moved here but this has always been our home. A lot of us don’t like or welcome a lot of the changes, attitudes or subcultures that are ‘pushing’ their way into our home.”
However, despite the tension, most Squamish residents are making the best out of the changes, a process they know is inevitable in any growing town.
The amount of new townhouses and condos going up (and the relatively high price tag – the benchmark price of a townhome, for instance, is $669,400, a jump of 105 per cent from five years ago, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver) is changing the landscape and is, understandably, shocking to people who have called Squamish home for many years. To afford the price tag, many new residents need to hold high-paying jobs and, often, commute out of Squamish for work.
But, while the incentive for some people to move here is affordability (in comparison, the average townhouse in North Vancouver goes for $950,000), many people live in Squamish for the same reasons – the lovely neighbourhoods, a vibrant sense of community and easy access to the great outdoors – so let’s all take the changes in stride and welcome new people moving to town. And new residents, make sure to stop and say hello to the friendly faces on the street as you pass by.
