District of Squamish is planning to create a new bylaw for special events in the community.
Events that take place in the district are now guided by an event policy. The bylaw will be an evolution of that policy, and help create a formal process for approvals.
It will also provide more clarity to staff and event producers and support a fair and consistent decision-making on event approvals.
Squamish has experienced significant growth in population and visits over the past few years, which has meant an increase in the number of special events, according to a staff report.
The shift from policy to bylaw will ensure the events are planned, organised and managed in a way that can be properly regulated. The bylaw will formalize existing guidelines and provide more clarity to event producers on any questions or concerns they may have.
District staff researched similar bylaws in other municipalities, and came up with three event types a formal bylaw is likely to cover.
The first is a Major Planned Event, which means any temporary event in the district where the number of people visiting could expect to challenge the fire department, police, or any other local service. A major event would be when at lease 750 people are anticipated.
The second event is a Community Event, which would mean an event where there is no fee charged for attendance and is being held not for profit but for the enjoyment of the community.
The third event would be the Neighbourhood Event, where less than 250 people are expected to gather, no alcohol is being served and traffic impact will be minimum.
Those who plan to organise an event will have to fill out an application form, giving details on the nature of events to which the bylaw applies.
For a major event being held for the first time, an applicant will need to apply at least a year before the event. If a major event has been held before in the district, the applicant would need to apply six months before the event. For community events, the time is 90 days before the event, and 30 days in the case of a smaller neighbourhood event.
