Residents voice concern about downtown encampment

Dear Mayor Hurford, Squamish Councillors, Squamish Fire Chief, BC Wildlife and Under One Roof Management,

We are writing to you as deeply concerned residents and representatives of two neighbouring strata councils of Aqua and Soleil on Main Street, home to over 400 residents. We aim to highlight the growing challenges posed by the encampment on the property adjacent to Under One Roof and to request immediate action to address these pressing issues.

Over time, this encampment has grown from a single tent to a rapidly expanding tent town. Trees are being cut down, outhouses are being constructed, and the situation has become increasingly alarming and unmanageable. This encampment has profound negative impacts on neighbouring properties and the broader community.

Our key concerns 

Fire Hazard: The encampment presents a significant fire risk to the surrounding properties and the downtown area. Unsafe practices, such as using gas cooking appliances improperly, cutting down trees, and starting open fires, are occurring within the encampment. This area experiences very high winds, especially in summer. These actions violate fire codes and jeopardize the safety of hundreds of families living nearby.

Environmental Damage and Hygiene Issues: The discharge of raw human waste into the adjacent wilderness area and shared waterways is an environmental and public health crisis. These unhygienic conditions threaten both the ecosystem and the well-being of the community.

Noise and Safety Concerns: Neighbours frequently endure disturbances such as screaming, arguing, and fighting, day and night, from the encampment, creating an unsettling environment for families.

Wildlife (Bear) Attractants: We are neighbours to a protected wildlife area, with the Squamish Estuary attracting bears and other animals. This encampment is a dangerous attractant and poses a threat to humans and wildlife who are attracted to the waste and food in tents.  While we have long supported Under One Roof and recognized the efforts made to address neighbourhood challenges, this encampment has crossed the line of what is tolerable for neighbours. The situation is now a public health emergency that requires immediate municipal intervention.

We ask the Council to explore alternative solutions, such as establishing controlled and appropriately managed campsites with proper waste disposal systems. Unregulated encampments like this pose long-term risks to neighbourhoods, property values, and community safety.

The Council’s Good Neighbour Guidelines, which aim to foster harmonious community living, are being violated on multiple fronts. We call on the Council to uphold these guidelines and address the encampment promptly and effectively. As tax-paying residents, we rely on you, as decision-makers, to implement solutions to this issue. We respectfully request an outline of the immediate next steps and measures the District will take to resolve this matter.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent concern. We look forward to your prompt response and action.

This letter was written by representatives of Strata Councils and shared with the Squamish Reporter.