
By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: June 10, 2018
District of Squamish plans to install outhouses, garbage cans, information kiosks, as well as bike wash stations at four different trailheads in town.
The district has been working with local groups such as Tourism Squamish, SORCA, Squamish Trails Society and area residents to improve the trail user experience, said communication manager, Christina Moore.
She said the improvements will help minimize impact on some heavier accessed neighbourhoods in town.
The district is giving $50,000 towards trailhead improvements, with an intention to create hubs where it can deliver services to trail users, and mitigate any negative environmental impacts from heavy traffic in the area.
Besides the gravel parking lot east of golf course in Garibaldi Highlands, three other locations have been identified for these services in 2018.
The district is in the process of discussing plans with the land owners. Once agreements are in place we will be able to share the locations with the public, Moore said.
Illegal camping is another issue that is on the district’s radar, and bylaw officials will be following up on areas of issues and complaint, said district official Gary Buxton.
Buxton was responding to a letter by a local citizen, who witnesses people camping and defecating along the river by the golf course.
The citizen related this experience to the district: “A family group of over 20 people set up a full camp on the river by the golf course last Labour day weekend. They were naked bathing with soaps in the river (next to salmon) and set up tents and tables and basically excluded all other people from this area. They had food everywhere despite the obvious signs of bear. They have apparently been coming to Squamish and camping on the long weekend in this location on the middle of town for years.”
And then there was this: “Last summer on a regular Saturday, I was sitting by the river with my friend and her child and looked up to see a man not 50 feet downstream of me wade into the river and evacuate his bowels into the water.”
Sharon Tait says
It would be nice if DoS would add parking to the hubs instead of people parking willie-nillie in the residential neighbourhoods.