A new dedicated arts space and childcare facility is being planned at the Oceanfront Squamish. At an upcoming meeting, the District of Squamish council will consider bylaw amendments to include a 98-square-metre arts facility and a 390-square-metre childcare centre as part of a mixed-use development on the north-western side of the development, closer to the Terminals.
The arts space will be leased to Squamish Arts for just $1 per year, plus standard property-related costs. Matthews West will hand over the finished space once the 120th residential unit in the project is occupied. Squamish Arts executive director Clea Young welcomed the news in a letter of support submitted to the District.
“We are excited about the potential for this space to contribute to the growth and accessibility of the arts in Squamish,” she wrote. “It will offer the flexibility to support a variety of uses, ranging from storage to gallery exhibitions and other arts-related activities.”
The childcare centre, also part of the civic use component of the project, would provide care for up to 37 children—12 infant/toddler spaces and 25 for children aged 3 to 5. This is the first time childcare has been proposed for the Oceanfront development, and would require an amendment to the zoning bylaw.
The arts and childcare are part of a broader plan that includes five waterfront employment buildings and 207 rental housing units. While the housing is not formally restricted to workers in the Downtown area, staff recommend giving those workers priority access as a policy directive.
Council had previously raised concerns about parking and the viability of affordable and employee-restricted housing during a Committee of the Whole meeting in November 2024. In response to feedback, the developer removed a proposed indoor climbing facility from the plan, focusing instead on arts and childcare.
Squamish Arts is now working with the developer and the District to finalize agreements. “We look forward to this partnership and to seeing the positive impact this space will have on Squamish’s arts community,” Clea Young added in her letter.
Comments