A working group of professionals is drafting creative solutions for government officials in an attempt to save one of only two safe, accessible ocean accesses in Squamish.
The volunteer group, consisting of engineers, business owners and recreation users, is a part of a local movement that is calling itself Realign Not Removal.
Its goal, the group says, is to create a community solution to save the spit and create accessible, safe ocean access for the community, while also promoting a thriving Squamish Estuary.
The group has launched a website, www.realignnotremove.ca, to gather ideas and foster discussion.
“We are working on creative solutions that would be a win for everyone. The idea is to draft options and then present them to the community,” says Nikki Layton, the president of the Squamish Wind Society.
The group held its first meeting last Thursday.
Earlier this month, the society said it was informed that backers of a grant to revitalize the Squamish Estuary have slated the removal of 1-kilometer dike, known as the Squamish Spit.
Some conservationists have argued there aren’t enough water pathways through the dike to allow salmon fry into the estuary, before they can access the ocean, lowering their survival rate.
The project’s grant agreement outlined realigning the Spit to accommodate both salmon and the continuation of ocean access to one of the world’s premier windsports locations.
This was a surprise to the society, Layton says.
The Spit is an important part of Squamish’s community, and is one of only two safe, accessible ocean accesses in a town whose existence is largely based on outdoor recreation, Layton says.
The Squamish Windsports Society, she said, is one of the Spits’ main user groups and was never invited to be a partner on the original project.
The society’s vice-president Geoffrey Waterson said that this step was short-sighted, as the society could have added value to the project both financially and holistically.
“We are now on an exciting change of course. We want to find a solution that keeps all of Squamish at its heart,” Waterson says.
