"The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination."
-John Schaar, Futurist
As Vancouver and the Sea to Sky region surge ahead in their preparations to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, Squamish faces important, and immediate, choices in the type of future it wants to create for itself in the years ahead. They are not the traditional choices of industry vs. tourism, or urban vs. rural, for many of these choices have already been made. Squamish is rapidly becoming a more urban community with a highly diverse employment and business base.
However, looking to the future, Squamish has other important choices. One is the opportunity to fundamentally reinvent itself as a place of arrival - a desired destination - rather than continue its path as a place of departure for other, more wonderful things. Indeed, Squamish is an effective departure point for Whistler to the north, Vancouver to the south, and to the rivers and mountains that surround this community. Many residents and tourists are happy with this arrangement. It is a convenient town, prices are comparatively lower, and access to recreational areas is not fiercely competitive.
But Squamish can do a lot more. We can build a denser more vibrant downtown. We can develop our precious waterfront lands. We can ensure a new highway is built that respects the east-west movement of people and animals. We can put world-class educational and recreational amenities in the middle of our town. We can institute tougher environmental rules that protect local green space. And we can support an array of industries that place jobs in the community rather than outside it. We can be a place of arrival.
The Squamish Adventure Centre is one step towards creating that future. An important part of its mission is to assist in the development of the local outdoor recreation industry, put jobs in town, and to create a visually stunning sense of arrival for visitors. It's a great start to an exciting future, and truly is an advent of significant things to come.
