Will we finally make peace with the fact that we are a suburb of Vancouver or will our entrepreneurial self-image shine through? Will tourism be our only destination? Will we be richer but shorn of our green cover? What kind of future can we imagine for ourselves in 20 years ?

Sitting on top of the Chief in 2035 with eyes wondering over Howe Sound and the Squamish River valley below, not much appears to have changed in the last 20 years at first glance.

Municipalities, unlike provinces, do not have a wide array of taxation powers to rely on to fund their needs. Unless this is changed, and especially if Squamish does not find a way to replace its depleted industrial tax base, we will all feel the squeeze.

What about Woodfibre? If an LNG export terminal is built there, by the year 2035 there easily exist complimentary industries on or related to the site. By this time – who knows? – perhaps there may be plans for biofuels production and shipping there. After all, present business plans are only based on a 25 year horizon.

So what does the future of tourism in 20 years from now look like? Well that depends on many things. Not the least of course is what the community leadership has a vision for. But let’s assume a few things are done over the next two decades.

Within the past twenty years, monolithic and hierarchal employers have been replaced with organizations of highly networked free-agents. Jobs for a lifetime are being replaced with the lifetime of a job. So how will we prepare for working in 2035?

At the time of writing, there is a palpable sense of optimism toward this vision. Partly this may stem from a fresh council with new leadership, but also the visible expansion or recent arrival of some signature businesses that fit the theme: Pink Bike, Anthill, Solterra's new multi-use centre in the business park, Academy of Music, CMA, Quest, etc.

Although people have been coming to Squamish for a long time to recreate, outdoor recreation in Squamish is evolving. For example, mountain bike technology advances have allowed for more challenging trails. Our dedicated volunteer trail builders have created a world class network. Kiteboards have superseded windsurfers on our waterfront.

In order to define the future of the arts in Squamish, it’s important to understand what we have achieved recently in our community and what our goals are as a collective voice.

Opening a business in Squamish a challenge I didn’t expect. My first dealing with the governance of the day was trying to convince planning staff to add professional services to any zoning.