EDITORIAL: The Squamish Reader’s Choice rainbow

Sometimes in Squamish, in the mere moments’ breaks in a day of heavy rain, there is a rainbow.

Sometimes, it is even a double rainbow.

Local shutterbugs head out and send The Chief stunning photos of the bright colours bouncing off the forest or glistening on the newly-washed-clean Stawamus Chief.

Some have sent us photos of their dogs at the end of the rainbow — love those!

Our 2020 Squamish Chief Reader’s Choice awards are a little like those rainbows.

There is plenty to worry about in town — COVID-19, the economy, the staggering cost of housing and climate change, to name just a few.

Oh, and anxiety over whoever cut the gondola, again!

And those problems aren’t going anywhere quick.

But the awards let us stop for a bit of a break to celebrate each other and what makes Squamish unique — our businesses, people and places.

Our contest had 114 categories. 114 winners and, new this year, we have 114 runner ups.

(More winners is always better, especially this year when we all need a few more victories.)

A whopping 1,130 of you voted!

Some of us at The Chief weren’t sure locals would get through all the questions, but we needn’t have worried.

There was a survey completion rate in the 90%-range.

Well done, Squamish!

Sadly, this year we won’t be having our annual gala at a local eatery to give out the awards, due to the virus.

But that doesn’t make the celebration any less meaningful.

Squamish residents have chosen their Squamish favourites.

A big — socially distanced — round of applause to all those who were chosen as the best of the best.

You make up the colours of our Squamish rainbow.

Congratulations to all the entrepreneurs — those who won and those who didn’t — who are working tirelessly to keep your businesses going.

Congrats to all the staff, too, who make us feel special, through these crazy and stressful 2020 times.

We know it is tough and exhausting.

We see you.

Of course, we are already starting to think about next year so we are looking for input and ways to make the contest better.  For example, we know we need to include tattoo artists going forward because, well, we love our ink in Squamish.

Any other questions we missed? Or any you would like to see dropped? Let us know! Email our sales director Shawn Cornell at [email protected], with suggestions.

**Please note, the original version of this story incorrectly said the 2021 awards. We are really looking forward to next year, apparently.