The proposed placement of temporary modular housing for homeless residents in X̱wún̓eḵw Park at 37956 Loggers Lane, is drawing opposition from local business owners and the Squamish Joint Engagement Committee. They say the site selection process hasn’t been transparent enough, and they are worried about the potential impact on Downtown Squamish.
BC Housing says the province and the District of Squamish announced their partnership to address homelessness through the HEART and HEARTH programs in February 2026. BC Housing said it is working closely with the District to assess 37956 Loggers Lane for viability as a suitable location for new temporary transitional housing with coordinated supports.
“If this location is deemed suitable, BC Housing and the District will engage with the community to share information about the project, answer questions and collect feedback on how to best integrate the housing into the neighbourhood,” the statement said.
The area, which is currently closed for construction of an $18 million dike renewal project, is located across from Junction Park and next to the under-construction pedestrian bridge across the Mamquam Blind Channel.
BC Housing said it’s currently working closely with the District of Squamish to determine the park’s suitability as a location for the temporary transitional housing project. The project is part of the HEARTH program, and was announced in partnership with the District of Squamish in February 2026. No final decision has been made, it says.
But for business owners operating close to the proposed site, the uncertainty has already arrived.
Matthew Upton, co-owner of The Broken Seal, one of the closest businesses to the proposed location, said he supports the HEARTH program in principle but is worried the park location could end the business he and his partner have built.
“We’ve lived in a construction zone for a year and a half,” Upton said. “We put all of our life savings into this, thinking that once the bridge is operational and this park is all done, things are finally going to pick up. And then all of a sudden it feels like it’s going to get ripped out from underneath us.
Upton said the business had been counting on foot traffic from the SEA & SKY neighbourhood from the soon-to-be-completed pedestrian bridge over Blind Channel. If the housing project proceeds at that location, he said, customers may simply choose to avoid the area.
“In one and a half years, we may close,” he said. “And that’s not fair on a local business which pays back to the community.”
Upton said other HEARTH sites across the province were located outside downtown areas, with transit links to services rather than placement in the heart of a commercial district, and this should be considered for Squamish.
His main criticism was directed at the process. Upton said neither he nor other nearby businesses received any outreach from the District before the X̱wún̓eḵw Park site was put forward.
“The District never reached out to us, never reached out to ask for our opinions,” he said. “It is very disheartening when there is communication saying we have reached out to stakeholders, but they did not reach out to stakeholders, because we would have been reached out to if that was the case.”
He said that when he and others approached the District directly, he was told that public consultation would not take place until after the site was confirmed. That sequencing, he said, is where much of the community anger has concentrated.
“Being told that we are going to confirm the site and then address all of your concerns is an unacceptable way of doing it,” Upton said.
Jake Mathauser, owner of Anna’s Interiors, also criticized the project. Mathauser said the park location made no sense for a downtown already struggling with visible homelessness and its associated pressures on local businesses.
“We have a hard enough time just keeping our doors open when there is hardly anybody out on the street,” Mathauser said. “We have just spent so much beautifying this area, and to throw this at the merchants down here, for one, let alone the residents and the restaurants.”
Mathauser said the proposal felt especially poorly timed given that the new pedestrian bridge over Blind Channel had not yet opened. “The bridge is not even open yet, and as soon as it is open, we are going to have this right there,” he said.
The concerns being raised by individual business owners have also been formalized in a joint letter to Mayor and Council, signed by the executive directors of the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association, the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, and Tourism Squamish, on behalf of the Squamish Joint Engagement Committee.
The April 16 letter describes X̱wún̓eḵw Park as a key waterfront destination currently undergoing a major transformation supported by significant public investment, and says the project was funded, designed, and promoted as a long-term community and waterfront destination and presented to the public as both climate infrastructure and a permanent public amenity.
The organizations say they have been strong advocates for the HEARTH program itself, but that the absence of public engagement before a site decision is inconsistent with the scale of what is being proposed. “To date, no public engagement has taken place, which is not consistent with the level of transparency expected for a decision of this magnitude,” the letter states.
The letter acknowledges that existing zoning permits supportive housing at the location, meaning no rezoning or formal public hearing is legally required. But it argues that the absence of a statutory obligation does not reduce the responsibility to consult.
“The absence of a statutory requirement for rezoning or formal public consultation does not diminish the importance, or the responsibility of meaningfully engaging the community on decisions of this scale and significance,” it reads.
BC Housing said identifying a suitable location for social housing is complex and based on a variety of factors, including working with municipalities on their recommended location options and evaluating a site’s access to services such as health care and transportation. More information, including specific engagement plans and project timelines, would be made public once site suitability has been determined, it added.
A community petition opposing the proposed location has gathered 964 signatures so far. The petition also does not expressly oppose the HEARTH program, but questions the site selection and the lack of consultation.
Upton said he plans to attend every council meeting and raise the issue during the open question period until firmer answers are provided.
“I have a heart,” he said. “I do want this. I am just tired of not having anybody listening to us.”
I’ll say it… to spend that much money on a pedestrian bridge, which is going to be how tourism, visitors, and local foot traffic come and enjoy downtown Squamish, I think it would be a HUGE miss to have the “temporary modular housing” be the entrance. The effects of this decision will not be “temporary.”
I do have a heart and an understanding of this dire situation. It does not make any logical sense to put the housing here. It is clear what happens when this becomes a visible entrance point on prime waterfront real estate that can be, and continue to be, such a beautiful showcasing of our waterfront.
The waterfront real estate is absolute world-class for viewing and for sites to be taken in. These will be two wildly different outcomes depending on what choices are made here. It is truly a no-brainer, council.
I would very much like to be kept updated on the proposed housing deemed on Loggers Lane.
This site location is a death wish for our town. Look at all the problems along 3rd ave. now.
This post should also mention how much Under One Roof has also affected the local residence & property owner in around the area. Is not just the businesses.
It appears to me that Council no longer listens to those who elected them. It seems staff has total control of what transpires here. Willy-nilly housing now available to all areas of our community without any public process will certainly ensure we will not retain our quality of life and sense of community. It is time Council STOOD UP to the province as the Mayor of West Van and North Van, among others, have done. The province is mandating we build a population we do not have the services to support. Before we listen to the Province perhaps they should listen to us! They need to put those services in place that they are responsible for before we build to their expectations!
But let us focus on the newest project the DoS is supporting…the temporary? housing in the downtown core! Ridiculous.! What will happen when there are issues needing medical and or police response . We do not have the ambulance and paramedic services or hospital available to look after that homeless site. Our hospital is grossly unequipped to look after our present population. Patients are held in emergency beds for several days because many of the acute care beds are occupied by seniors who are not sick but who are no longer to live on their own. Hilltop House is full with waiting times in excess of 2 years. The taxpayers of this community cannot afford tax increases to add members to our RCMP compliment to spend time on the problems that will come with the temporary housing. Also who is going to live there? Will it be Squamish residents or those brought into our community to clean up the streets of Vancouver before FIFA? How can BC Housing partner with us when they just pulled the funding on a major project on Government road that was the site where trees were unnecessarily felled. So called affordable housing is not going to meet the needs of many of our seniors or those working at entry level jobs. I cannot fathom why our Council would support compromising the the use of the only major park in the downtown area.. a park that brings our community together several times a year. That park is one of the few open spaces where kids have space to run and play, where people can get together to visit, picnic or even read a book. That park is being developed to expand to the waterfront with seawall walkway and seating area. Unfortunately some in that temporary housing will house individuals who most would keep their children away from. There will definitely more drug use and paraphernalia that is discarded in the park. The homeless could very likely spill over into the park as well. We have enough problems already with encampments. There are better ways to house the homeless ….BC Housing needs to find the funds to move forward with projects like the Long
Term Care home they announced during the last provincial election campaign and a project they pulled the funding on already! Rather than locate it in the heart of downtown where real estate is extremely valuable place it elsewhere and provide staff and transportation that will enable the residents to get to services they require. The province owns land throughout our valley that could be suitable.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ love it!! THANKYOU! You just have to walk past help yourself hands to see the mess has moved onto 3rd. Whoever is running that show needs to get fired! You think that won’t be the same show on the waterfront?? Turning a blind eye isn’t cutting it.
British Columbia has lots of room to build a Satellite community out of sight. Gonna have to dump a ton of cash all at once sometime. What’s the bill per year for first responders already? Watch the explosion of down and out by time that soccer ball is getting kicked around in da city .. Oh wait…..that’s me….. I’m a soccer ball now. Kick me round ., Eminem could have probably done better. Get it done. Dum da dum dum…. Dumb
1. Clear Land Use Conflict
The downtown core of Squamish is designated and actively developed as a commercial, recreational, and tourism hub. A central park is a critical civic asset intended for shared public use, community gathering, and economic vitality.
Repurposing this space for supportive housing is a direct contradiction of its intended function. This is not a minor adjustment, it is a structural shift in land use that undermines long-term planning objectives and diminishes the role of the downtown core.
2. Unacceptable Concentration of Social Impacts
Council must acknowledge a key planning reality: supportive housing, particularly for high-needs populations, concentrates complex social challenges in its immediate surroundings. Downtown Squamish already functions as the primary service corridor. Adding additional housing in this exact location will:
* Intensify visible disorder in the most high-traffic area
* Increase pressure on public services and infrastructure
* Further concentrate, rather than distribute, social challenges
This is not balanced planning, it is over concentration in the community’s most sensitive and visible space.
3. Direct Risk to Local Businesses
Downtown businesses depend on consistent foot traffic, tourism, and a safe, welcoming environment. Even without statistical increases in crime, the perception of disorder and instability is enough to drive customers away. Placing supportive housing in a central park will:
* Reduce public use of the space
* Discourage visitors and families from spending time downtown
* Negatively impact retail and hospitality revenue
Council cannot ignore the economic reality that public perception directly affects business viability.
4. Loss and Degradation of Public Space
A downtown park is not surplus land, it is essential infrastructure for community life. Converting it into a supportive housing site effectively removes it from general public use and alters its function. This will disproportionately affect:
* Families with children
* Community events and programming
* Residents who rely on accessible, safe public gathering spaces
This decision represents a clear loss of shared civic space for the broader population.
5. Inappropriate Proximity to Families and Schools
Central parks are inherently connected to family-oriented spaces, pedestrian routes, and nearby schools. Introducing a high-needs housing development in this environment creates avoidable conflict between incompatible uses.
While supportive housing serves an important purpose, best practices in urban planning require appropriate separation from sensitive land uses. This proposal fails to meet that standard.
6. Undermining Investment and Community Confidence
Squamish is in a period of rapid growth. Maintaining predictable land use and high-quality public amenities is critical to sustaining that momentum. Placing temporary supportive housing in a central, high-value public space will:
* Introduce uncertainty into the downtown core
* Weaken investor and resident confidence
* Risk long-term impacts on property desirability
These effects are not theoretical, perception alone can influence real estate and development decisions.
7. Regional Pull Factor
As a desirable municipality located near Vancouver, Squamish must consider regional dynamics. Expanding supportive housing in a central, high-amenity location risks increasing its role as a destination for services.Without a coordinated regional approach, this places an unfair and unsustainable burden on a single community and its downtown core.
This proposal represents a misalignment of policy and place.
Placing temporary modular supportive housing in a central downtown park:
* Contradicts established land-use priorities
* Concentrates social challenges in the most visible location
* Threatens local economic activity
* Reduces access to essential public space
* Undermines community confidence and long-term planning
Supportive housing must be implemented, but it must be implemented responsibly and strategically. I urge Council to reject this location and pursue alternative sites that distribute impacts, preserve public space, and align with the long-term vision for Squamish.
That’s absolutely the most intelligent thing I’ve heard in decades!