By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Jan. 7, 2012.
Wendy Sutherland had heard a lot about Squamish.
They told her it was a beautiful small town, safe, and a great place to live and raise a family.
But for the last 14 years, as Wendy drove every weekend from downtown Vancouver to Whistler, Squamish was a mere blip on the Highway. 99.
“I’d may be stop at the local Tim Hortons before going to Whistler,” she said.
She would drive to Whistler to meet her boyfriend Mark Sutherland (no relation to former mayor Ian Sutherland), who owns a business there called Living Edge Design.
Mark, too, would drive every other weekend to meet her in Vancouver.
But tired of the long distance travel, they both started looking for a happy balance, a permanent meeting place.
“We wanted to be together,” both said, sitting in their Brackendale home.
Squamish, affordable and equidistance from both Vancouver and Whistler, was that place.
“I love living here, and I think it’s a great place to be,” Wendy said.
The new commute shaves two hours from the day, and home renovation has kept the couple busy, but they soon hope to explore more of the town.
“I haven’t got a swing of living here, but after we finish our renovations, we will be going to the farmers market, and attending local events for sure,” she said.
They enjoy a game of Squash at the local golf club, and Mark will be seen at the Test of Metal.
“We are very happy here and we are looking forward to getting out more in the community,” Wendy said.
