New rec centre, parkade, and second downtown entrance priorities for Squamish First

A new recreation centre, parkade, and a second entrance to Downtown Squamish are key priorities of Squamish First.

“The three pillars of our platform are the following, Invest in New Infrastructure, Pause Development and Only Proceed with Smart Development, and Attainable Housing for the Middle Class. We are campaigning For the Squamish We Love!” said Mayoral candidate Mike Young.

“Since 2016, Squamish has undergone a housing construction boom and experienced unprecedented population growth. According to Census Canada, Squamish is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the province. This has resulted in an increase in tax revenue however, no significant infrastructure investment has been made to keep up with the growing community. The District, which now boasts more than 24,000 residents needs new infrastructure investments to accommodate the community’s needs.”

Squamish First says three infrastructure projects will among the priorities.

Building a New Rec Centre

On day one, Squamish First will prioritize investing in new infrastructure that has been past due for the last 15 years, such as a new rec centre, a second entrance into downtown, and a downtown parkade.

“Brennan Park Rec Centre was built 44 years ago. It is outdated and does not have the facilities to meet the demands of our community. This current mayor and council have failed to invest in Squamish residents over the last four years,” said Mayoral Candidate Mike Young.

“We do not need any more consulting studies to decide if the community needs a new rec center in Squamish – it’s time for action. Young families should not have to be put on endless waitlists to get their kids into swimming lessons or take their ten-year-old child to 6 am hockey practice on a school day. Our community is growing, and our residents shouldn’t have to suffer because of the inaction of previous councils. If elected, on day one, Squamish First will initiate the process to build a new rec centre that will have a brand-new swimming pool, second ice sheet, and splash park,” said Mayoral Candidate Mike Young.

Downtown Parkade

For over a decade, young families, seniors, and small business owners have been asking mayor and council to address the parking issues downtown. Instead of listening to the community, previous mayors and councils have spent over $100,000 of taxpayers’ dollars on consulting studies that have achieved zero results for residents.

“We are listening to the community, and on day one, we will take action. It’s time for mayor and council to no longer accept the narrative from the District that there is no parking problem downtown. No more consulting studies. We are listening to seniors and small business owners and will take a common-sense approach and build a new downtown parkade facility,” said Council Candidate Rajan Hans.

Second Entrance to Downtown

“Currently, there is only one way in and out of downtown Squamish at the intersection of Cleveland and Buckley Ave. This is a significant public safety issue that needs to be addressed. If the intersection was to ever be blocked, firefighters and ambulance services would not be able to get downtown, and residents would not be able to get out. On day one, we will make it a priority for the District to build a second entrance across Mamquam Blind Channel, between Pemberton Avenue and the future Laurelwood Road, immediately west of the CN rail line,” said Council Candidate Adrien Byrne.

With the expected arrival of 6,500 new residents at the Oceanfront development, building a new second entrance will be crucial not only from a public safety perspective, but also to ease traffic congestion at the intersection of Hwy 99 and Cleveland Ave.