I grew up on a rock bluff overlooking the lower Squamish Valley. I could see the Woodfibre ferry taking my father to work. I went to great schools here, and had good summer employment opportunities to pay my way through university.
Even while living and working elsewhere during many years, Squamish has always been my arena for interesting projects – relating to forestry, environment, local history. I returned here several years ago.
I owe a great deal to this place.
It is also a good place to contemplate geography – the opportunities and constraints for our community that are part of this landscape.
Our fjord valley is a unique geography. It is spectacular scenery, but more than this. Squamish is a “double gateway” – a portal to the Pacific for our export industries, and a gateway to a mountain recreation landscape important for tourism.
These two gateway functions of our community work together, and always have. Access to much of our mountain landscape is paid for and maintained by our export industries.
‘Complete community’ and ‘Good jobs are close to home’ are two Smart Growth principles especially relevant and important to Squamish. An unbalanced jobs-to-housing ratio for Squamish has not only economic, but also social and environmental implications.
Long-distance commuting to work by many people has effects for community life – for volunteer community organizations, for example. And if we are also to take seriously efforts to reduce our ‘carbon footprint’, we should avoid becoming a long distance, extended sprawl of the Lower Mainland.
We need to build our employment base – in a variety of areas. And we need to build our industrial tax base. This is essential for generating the revenue required for the community facilities and programs we desire, for infrastructure maintenance, and in order to alleviate our residential property tax burden.
Squamish needs to be more than just “Open for Business”. We need STRATEGIES for our key local economic sectors. Without strategies we spin wheels, squander employment lands or scenery assets, or may displace instead of diversify. We must avoid unnecessary biases that will make us unprepared.
Tourism, ‘Knowledge-Based Industry’, ‘Outdoor Recreation Capital’, timber and advanced wood processing industries, logistics/ commercial transportation – these are all opportunities which can compliment each other for a competitive, sustainable Squamish economy of the future.
During the next few years, we will face major tasks in waterfront planning, review of our Estuary Plan (delayed a decade), accommodating population growth while protecting employment lands, and reviewing our OCP and Zoning Bylaw. These are jobs which will require leadership with strong local knowledge and communications skills.
Our destiny as a community is also strongly influenced by senior governments in many areas, such as: land use plans, BC Transit, BC Rail lands, funds for dredging, natural hazards management measures, housing programs and environmental protection.
With extensive liaison experience with government at all levels, and good local knowledge, I am confident I can make strong contributions to the Squamish Negotiating Team.
