Squamish News

I’m not talking about the daily domestic work here. Mothers are creating the minds of our future generations. They are habit engineers, emotional architects and household lawyers. The early childhood development work they do sets the course for the decades ahead.

District of Squamish and Resort Municipality of Whistler have both signed agreements with the Canadian Red Cross that will enable them to better provide immediate assistance for people impacted by fires, landslides, floods or other emergencies.

City of North Vancouver is teaming up with a local business in that city to create an alternative heat source for residents. The goal? Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build sustainable models for energy consumption.

Oceanfront developer Michael Hutchison has put $38 million at stake without any guarantee of reimbursement. Other developers cry foul, saying the district is shiftting the risk to the community with this DCC agreement.

The International Women’s Day Art Show will be open to the public from March 3 to April 6 at the Foyer Gallery, Squamish Public Library.

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.