October 23, 2025

ROOMS FOR TOURISTS

CapU dorms

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025

AUTUMN OF OUR DISCONTENT

The municipal labour dispute inches toward fourweek mark

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

The hope of both sides is that by the time this story hits newsstands on Thursday, there will be a deal in place between the District of Squamish and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2269

As of press deadline, however, that isn’t looking promising.

Next week will mark four weeks since the dispute first resulted in job disruptions.

Most recently, union president Celeste Bickford said that bringing in a third party was the only way forward given the breakdown in the relationship

Mayor Armand Hurford said the District interpreted that request for a mediator as a step forward, and back to the negotiating table.

“It is welcome news that the union has expressed willingness to return to the bargaining table and seek the assistance of a mediator; we see this offer as an indication that the union is willing to move and compromise to reach an agreement,” Hurford said in a statement over the weekend.

LABOUR: Continued on 2

THIS ROCK IS MISSED

“The District remains wholeheartedly committed to achieving a collective agreement that is fair for our employees, while balancing fiscal responsibility and ensuring fairness to our taxpayers.”

He said that the request for mediation would go to the bargaining table.

There had been no major announcements as of press deadline on Tuesday.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Negotiations between the union and the District for a new contract for the 250 unionized employees began in October 2024.

The Collective Agreement between the District and CUPE 2269 expired on Dec. 31, 2024.

The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement since.

In late July, unionized municipal workers voted 100% in favour of strike action

“We’ve continued to see significant increases to the cost of living in our region with people leaving the community because they simply cannot afford to live here anymore,” said Bickford, at the time

According to the union, key outstanding issues include wage increases in line with other recent regional settlements, and scheduling “that allows better work-life balance for workers and their families.”

In preparations for the strike, on Sept 24, the B.C. Labour Relations Board ruled on the designation of essential services at the District of Squamish for employees during a strike.

The board considers essential those positions that are necessary “to prevent immediate and serious danger to the health, safety, or welfare” of residents.

These include jobs related to water and sewer treatment, and fire and police protection.

The union began rotating job action on Oct. 2.

Saying it wanted to put pressure on the union to come back to the negotiating table, the

District locked out some of its workers on Oct. 16; however, the union took this as a full lockout, meaning all non-essential workers were off the job as of that day.

DEEPENING DIVIDE

While tension is a common, even natural, part of the union and management dynamic, especially during contract talks, this dispute has seemed to deepen the divide to a toxic level.

Both sides have blamed the other for not being able to move forward and accused the other of perpetuating falsehoods in public statements.

CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE

Meanwhile, the public has been caught in the middle of the dispute, with access to many programs and services disrupted.

Swimmers and arena users, such as hockey players and skaters, have faced a double whammy.

With the pool closed for weeks earlier this year due to reports of unsafe tiles, and then again this fall for annual maintenance, swimmers find themselves locked out of the facility again, due to the labour dispute.

Skaters, who were off the ice in September due to an issue with humidity related to the ongoing renovations of Brennan Park, were just getting back up and running when the lockout began

If they want to keep active in their sport, athletes have had to leave Squamish to do so

The Squamish Minor Hockey Association has been most vocal about its feelings about the situation.

Association president Leah Hodges joined the union’s call for mediation to bring the two parties closer together.

“Whoever is currently leading these negotiations has clearly failed to bring the parties together, and the collateral damage to our youth, families, and community is unacceptable,” Hodges said over the weekend.

Whoever is currently leading these negotiations has clearly failed to bring the parties together, and the collateral damage to our youth, families, and community is unacceptable.

LEAH HODGES

Whether there is a deal made this week or not, one thing is clear, it will take some time to heal the wounds this labour dispute caused on both sides and for the public

Therecan be 8active players, andattendees will all have the chance to play, andact as theparticipatory audience. Thiseventisfor adults.

GOT NEWS?

Email your news tip or story idea to: jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca ipace@lodestarmedia.ca

NEWS BRIEFS

A FRIEND IN NEED

You’d be hard-pressed to find an initiative that engages more people in Squamish than the Community Christmas Care program.

For more than four decades, volunteers have come together with churches, service groups, schools, businesses and organizations to make sure that people in need receive a hamper during the holidays

The program began in 1980.

“We hope that these hampers provide not only practical help, but also a sign of the community care for each other—neighbours helping neighbours,” reads the website.

Right now, the initiative is distributing application forms, and making them available on their website, so anyone in need can request a hamper

Last year, over 1,000 individuals benefited from the program.

“These applications to receive a hamper are for anyone who feels right now that they could use some care, and the deadline is Nov. 14 because we need time to prepare the hampers to be delivered on Dec. 16,” said Rev. Cameron Gutjahr, who is chair of the program.

“We have a huge team of volunteers to deliver the hampers to people’s homes and that’s always a wonderful culmination of months and months of work.”

Besides distributing application forms, they’re also welcoming volunteers who would like to contribute in any way they can, whether that means preparing the hampers, soliciting for donations or distributing the goodies.

Meanwhile, many organizations are throwing fundraisers—for example, Brackendale Elementary School hosts a pancake breakfast every year—or leaving out donation boxes in lobbies and common

areas so anyone who wants to contribute can, including at The Squamish Chief office on Second Avenue, which will have donation box in its lobby.

“It’s like the whole community comes together and really helps us support folks at what can be a really hard time of year, so that’s really important to us,” Gutjahr said

“Christmas is a lot of pressure depending on your situation, so it’s just a little bit of care for people, showing them they’re seen by their community. I think it’s so beautiful that Squamish is small enough where a grassroots organization can operate in this way, but we’re big enough to make a difference.”

To learn more visit communitychristmascare.com.

THEY FELT THE NEED FOR TOO MUCH SPEED

It seems some folks never learn.

BC Highway Patrol say officers recently stopped two repeat offenders on the Sea to Sky Highway

On Oct. 13, a Suzuki motorcycle was picked up on police radar doing 168 km/h southbound on Highway 99 near Porteau Cove, police say.

The 54-year-old man from Burnaby told BC Highway Patrol that he had just picked his motorcycle up from a seven-day excessive speeding impound, a release from BC Highway Patrol states.

“The man’s wife had dropped him off to pick up the bike—and minutes later, she came to pick him up again.”

The next day, in the same spot, a BMW was recorded at 143 km/h in an 80 zone.

The 40-year-old Vancouver man had also ridden straight from picking his bike up after a seven-day impound, according to RCMP.

He was issued another excessive speeding ticket and the bike was impounded again.

“A second excessive speeding offence means a 30-day impound, plus you pay for the extra storage costs, plus extra insurance costs and escalating high-risk driver premiums,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin, of BC Highway Patrol, in the release. “You can see how BC Highway Patrol is using enforcement to educate people about speeding consequences.”

The total costs of the impounds will be over $3,000.

“But will still be nowhere near the consequences of a high-speed motorcycle collision,” the release concludes.

THE MORE, THE MERRIER

Nearly 100 extra students are attending schools in the Sea to Sky School District as of Sept 29, according to a presentation by director of finance Elena Meden at the school board finance committee meeting on Oct. 8. That brings the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) students to 5,348.

The spring budget for 2025-26 included 5,249.125 students, making the difference approximately 99 students This means additional funding of approximately $948,424 should be incoming from the provincial government.

For each student, the district receives $9,015 in funding.

This funding will be offset by additional expenditures and will be part of the updated 2025-26 budget, which is set to be approved in February.

Compared to Sept. 27, 2024, the district had an increase of 11.6875 FTE students

Watch the entire board meeting on the SD48 YouTube channel.

COUNCIL APPROVES TOURIST USE OF CAPU DORM BUILDING

Capilano University has received the green light to use one of its student residence buildings in Squamish for yearround tourist accommodation, following a 4-2 vote by the District council

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

Capilano University can now use one of its student dorm buildings at its Squamish campus for tourist accommodation year-round after the District of Squamish council gave the nod to a three-year temporary use permit (TUP) for that use at its meeting on Oct. 7.

The vote was 4-2, with Mayor Armand Hurford and councillors Jenna Stoner, John French, and Eric Andersen in support and councillors Chris Pettingill and Lauren Greenlaw opposed.

Coun. Andrew Hamilton declared a conflict, given that he is an employee of CapU, thus, he left council chambers and did not vote on the TUP.

CapU applied to the District for two temporary use permits to allow for year-round tourist accommodation in two of the four student residence buildings on its campus

The two buildings are located at 3021 and 3041 University Blvd

Only one TUP—for 3021 University Blvd.— was discussed at council, meaning only one of the buildings will be used for tourist accommodations starting this month.

The other TUP for the second building will come before a future council meeting in September 2026, “due to deferred maintenance and building readiness,” a District staff report reads.

The TUP allows the dorms to be used as tourist accommodation for a full calendar year. Prior to this TUP, this use was only permitted between May 2 and Aug. 31 of each year.

District planner Bryan Daly told council that CapU intends to use the accommodation for academic conferences, “local partner events” and small group events

Daly explained that each student residence building contains 102 units, with 89 studio units, five accessible studio units, six double-bed units, one two-bedroom unit, and one three-bedroom unit. The units do not contain cooking facilities; instead, each floor has a shared lounge area that includes a kitchen.

There are plenty of parking spots that meet the zoning guidelines and CapU actively patrols the parking lots, which increases the likelihood of available parking spaces for tourist accommodation use, Daly said.

The staff report says the staff recommendation to support the TUP was informed by 2024 tourism stats, which showed an 87% hotel occupancy rate in town

The move also helps CapU fill underutilized spaces until its student population increases.

CapU bought the former Quest University Canada campus in 2023, and has since purchased three student residence buildings

next to the campus

“Currently, there is a limited on-campus student population, resulting in underutilized student residence buildings,” reads the staff report to council.

“There has been no new purpose-built, fixed-roof tourist accommodation built since 2010, as such there is an opportunity for CapU to provide additional supply for this use for a three-year term,” the report reads.

BRIEF HISTORY

In 2018, a housing agreement was adopted, which required the units of two of the student residence buildings on the former Quest campus to be used as student and staff housing from September to May each year.

In 2023, council adopted a zoning bylaw amendment, which added the tourist accommodation condition of use.

“This condition of use was intended to clarify that the use is only permitted to occur between May 2 and Aug. 31 of each year, in accordance with a housing agreement registered on two of the student residence buildings,” the staff report to council reads.

CHANGE TO TUP LANGUAGE?

Pettingill shared a concern about the dorms being used for worker accommodation.

“It’s not necessarily my reading of ‘tourist accommodation,’ but my understanding is that the staff interpretation of that term now allows for workforce accommodation as part of tourist accommodation, and ... that’s not a use I’m comfortable with here for a number of reasons,” Pettingill said, adding that he would like to see a change in language of the TUP to restrict it just to tourists

Daly said staff didn’t recommend this change as it would mean regulating the end user, which would be challenging for District staff to

monitor and enforce.

Pettingill countered that he believed that “there’s been instances where there has been use of housing contrary to our zoning bylaw. And we are able to investigate and enforce, and have done so in the past.”

He asked why this tourist accommodation situation would be any different.

Daly said regulating would require District staff working with CapU to determine who they were renting all of the units to on a short-term basis

“And then, practically trying to prove that someone is a tourist and not a worker in town would also be quite challenging to do,” he said.

Jonas Velaniskis, acting general manager of community development, reiterated that such a condition as Pettingill was suggesting would be hard to enforce.

Pettingill made a motion to include more restrictive language in the TUP, but that was not seconded by anyone else on council, thus the motion did not move forward.

Hurford put forward a motion for an amendment that passed, with only French opposed, that ensures that the TUP will come back before the council for renewal in three years.

Council then voted on the three-year TUP as originally proposed by staff.

COUNCIL COMMENTS

In sharing his support for the TUP, Hurford said more tourist accomodation was “good news.”

“It’s really hard to get fixed-roof tourist accommodation built, and here we have some underutilized facilities, and I think this will be a great addition,” he said, adding he does share his colleagues’ concerns about workforce housing moving in

“The scenarios around unintended

consequences of these things being added to temporary use permits—actually any of our actions here—are really important to me,” he said

Earlier in the meeting, in answer to a question from French, District staff confirmed that directly excluding workforce housing in the TUP language could mean any workers—nurses, folks at Carbon Engineering, and the like could be prevented from staying a few nights at the CapU dorms.

“I know that employers have used facilities in this area for summer workforce accommodation over the years and in various different scenarios. So, I would put it to the folks at CapU to ensure the safety and operation of these facilities in relation to the general public and of course their students on-site as well.”

French echoed Hurford’s faith in CapU.

“I see this as an entrepreneurial piece of brilliance on the part of Capilano University, filling a need and a void They are an ethical operator institution within our community, and I have full faith that they have the community’s best interest at heart and will operate in such a way.”

Pettingill, unsurprisingly given his earlier motion, did not support the TUP as presented.

“If this is a use we want to support, I think we should have a discussion. We should be explicit that this is what we are wanting to support and that should have come in the report,” he said “There’s the Cheekeye [development], there’s Woodfibre, and there’s Fortis—there are a number of projects, and we have other projects upcoming. We have heard from our tourism sector over and over again that these projects are really cutting into tourism, and so I think if we are going to allow more tourism use, we should make sure it’s actually reserved for tourism,” he said

“And if we want a small piece to be possibly available for workforce, then let’s be explicit about that and clear about it.”

In explaining her opposition to the TUP, Greenlaw echoed Pettingill’s concerns.

In voicing their support for it, Andersen and Stoner said they saw the need for accommodation for folks attending conferences.

Stoner also noted the TUP isn’t forever.

“This is a three-year TUP. Future councils will have the opportunity to expand it if that is of interest to them But, the time-limited nature of this to me is what makes it supportable. It’s not a rezoning. It’s not forever. And it will help hopefully bridge us to a time where we will be able to build more fixed-roof accommodation in our community.”

After the TUP’s approval, the mayor and District corporate officer are required to authorize and execute the permits.

To see the whole discussion at council, watch the video on the District’s YouTube channel, at the 1:08-minute mark.

COUNCIL APPROVES VAN URBAN TIMBER SAWMILL EXPANSION

Van Urban Timber is set to expand its operations in the Squamish Business Park after council approved a development permit for a new sawmill building

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

Alocal wood processing company is set to expand its operations in the Squamish Business Park following council approval of a development permit.

Van Urban Timber applied to the District for a development permit to allow them to build an accessory building to house a sawmill at their location at 1126 Resolution Way, in the Squamish Business Park

After a brief public hearing, council voted 6-1 in support of issuing the development permit to allow for the company’s expansion.

The proposal came before council on Oct. 7, because the application included variances. The applicant asked to increase the allowable height of the sawmill building from 4.58 metres to 7.62 metres—in order to house the large machinery. Van Urban Timber also sought to increase the number of allowable accessory buildings on the lot from two to three, and to have the building closer to the lot line than is within the original guidelines.

The new building needs to be located close to the lot line to preserve the driveway width and access to the storage areas at the east of the site, according to a staff report to council.

The company has operated on the property since 2022

Currently, the property includes a sawmill and retail lumber yard, as well as accessory and storage buildings.

The new building would replace the existing smaller sawmill

The only speaker at the public hearing was local Spencer Fitschen, who was in support of the expansion, but raised a concern about fire risk, with the reduction of the space from the lot line.

“I am all in favour of increasing the industrial job base. I think that’s wonderful,” he said. “My only concern with this would be whether or not the impacts to adjoining properties were considered when looking at putting a sawmill here and expanding its footprint in this location,” he added.

“Wood dust is an incredibly flammable and explosive material.”

Staff confirmed to council that notice of the application was sent to neighbouring property owners and no submissions were made against the application.

Staff also clarified that through the building permit process, a referral will be sent to Squamish Fire Rescue for review

“In addition, there’s a fire hydrant right out the front of this building,” planner Philip Gibbins told council.

COUNCIL COMMENTS

Coun. Andrew Hamilton said he saw the application as “quite sensible.”

“An addition in height is quite simple and quite well justified. The additional accessory building is again quite well justified,” he added. “I had some reservations about the zero setback, but those have been resolved by understanding ... that this zero setback requirement is only being applied to this building, not to all buildings, so it won’t impact other neighbours and all of the impacted neighbours had the opportunity to comment.”

Coun John French called the application “exciting.”

“A wood processing facility that wants to expand, I think is great news for our local economy, and what’s being sought in this application I find to be completely reasonable within the industrial setting that it’s proposed,” he said

He agreed with Fitschen that wood dust can be deadly, but said it is safely handled.

“Everybody should be concerned about wood dust and the collection of it

WorkSafeBC has done an excellent job of putting policies in place to make sure that

operations like this are dealing with that hazard appropriately,” he said. “This particular company has an excellent track record of operating safely from the time that it originally opened And I’m hoping and maybe expecting that with this expansion, Van Urban has the potential to expand its workforce, and these are jobs that are family supporting.”

A few of the council members mentioned the current state of the forest industry and praised how this company is bucking that trend.

“In the current and ever-changing—it feels ever-worsening—conditions of the forestry industry, it is remarkable,” said Mayor Armand Hurford.

“I think it shows that good people doing good work can make a go of it in less-thanideal conditions and can thrive. I think that’s what we’re seeing here.”

Coun. Chris Pettingill was the sole dissenting voice, voting against the expansion due to concerns about the Eagle Mountain–Woodfibre Gas Pipeline Project.

“I have enough concerns about the risk from the FortisBC-Woodfibre project pipeline that I’m just not comfortable—and I’ve been fairly consistent—approving

This particular company has an excellent track record of operating safely from the time that it originally opened.

COUN. JOHN FRENCH

greater density of any sort in this area until we understand and have clarity on what the actual risk from that is. So, for that reason, I will not be supporting.”

Van Urban Timber will still require soil and building permits prior to commencing any work on-site.

Watch the full council discussion on the District’s YouTube channel at the 26-minute mark.

SEVEN GROUPS GRANTED PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR 2026

Squamish council has approved the first three readings of bylaws that will grant property tax exemptions to seven local organizations for the 2026 tax year

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

Squamish council passed the first three readings for bylaws that grant permissive tax exemptions for seven local organizations.

This means that those organizations will not have to pay property taxes for 2026, as the exemptions must be granted a year in advance.

These exemptions are separate from general statutory tax exemptions, given they are at council’s discretion, so long as they are eligible under provincial and District guidelines

Such permissive tax exemptions (PTE), which elected officials deliberated on at their council meeting on Oct. 7, are routinely considered annually.

This year’s application period for the permissive exemptions closed on July 31 Council members first got a look at the applicants that staff brought forward during a committee of the whole meeting on Sept 9. Council can grant up to a 10-year exemption

The granted PTEs result in a redistribution of property taxes to other taxpayers.

Reann Sousa, the District’s director of financial operations, explained that religious organizations receive a statutory exemption for their church buildings. The property surrounding the religious building is what’s eligible for a permissive tax exemption.

Council considered granting the following organizations five-year exemptions:

• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—this would mean an exemption of $4,010 in taxes for 2026.

• Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver (which conducts services and offers support for residents and visitors in the Squamish area)—$5,215 in taxes for 2026

• Squamish Baptist Church—$3,541 in taxes for 2026

• Parish of St. John the Divine in Squamish (also known as the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster)—$3,215 in taxes for 2026.

The Squamish Sikh Society had two exemptions: a five-year term for 37947 Fifth Ave. ($6,033 in 2026 taxes), and a one-year term for vacant land at 37957 Fifth Ave. Squamish Helping Hands Society/OPS was granted a one-year exemption—$22,279 in taxes for 2026.

These exemptions were passed unanimously by council.

In a prior year, council had already granted about $600,000 in permissive tax exemptions to other local organizations.

The Squamish Valley Golf Club one-year PTE was dealt with separately at the Oct. 7 meeting. Coun Eric Andersen declared a conflict due to being a member of the curling club, which is

located at the golf course. The decision on an exemption could impact the Howe Sound Curling Club’s fees, thus he left council chambers for the remainder of this discussion and did not vote

BRIEF BACKGROUND

As explained in the staff report to council, in 2009 the District and golf club entered into a lease agreement that required the club to pay $45,000 per year.

This agreement was based on the understanding that the club would get annual tax exemptions for its operations, according to the report

In 2018, the District and club moved to a new arrangement that saw the club’s annual lease payment be reduced to $1, with the understanding the club would be required to pay a portion of the property taxes attributable to its operations

At that time, club leadership requested that the property taxes be established annually by council at a rate of about $45,000

Notwithstanding this, “the establishment of property taxes is at council’s discretion each year,” the report reads.

DECISION

District staff presented council with three options in handling the exemption for the not-for-profit golf club

Option 1 was to allocate the permissive tax exemption and property taxes payable based on the BC Assessment classifications. This would have resulted in a 2026 exemption of $41,400,

with property taxes of $46,100.

Option 2 was to increase the $45,000 2009 lease payment by B.C. consumer price index (CPI). This would have resulted in a permissive tax exemption for 2026 of $22,600 and a property tax of $64,900.

Option 3, and the option recommended by District staff, was to continue with the status quo of reducing property taxes to about $45,000, as agreed to in 2018, and granting a permissive tax exemption of $42,500.

Council went with Option 3.

COUNCIL COMMENTS

In voicing his support for Option 3, continuing the status quo, Coun John French said that it was the best decision for now, until a new agreement is worked out with the club in 2029.

“This is the second year in a row where we’ve asked some tough questions because I think we all realize that the Squamish Valley Golf and Country Club’s got a pretty sweet deal over there. And I think we’re all looking to figure out how we can get the golf club at least into a CPI situation where their property tax is increasing by the rate of inflation each year,” he said.

“We’re not quite there yet. I think that in a few years, when we renegotiate with the club, we will probably be in a good position to get some kind of annual CPI increase into this agreement. For the time being, this is where we’re at, and I think that what’s in front of us with the staff recommendation is the best option.”

Coun Jenna Stoner, who had originally spearheaded asking staff to look into the deal with the golf club, said she was also supporting

My concern was that we were actually providing assistance to business and I’m rest assured here that is not the case—that the full operation on site is not for profit.

COUN. JENNA STONER

Option 3, given the non-profit status of the club.

“This is a little bit of an unusual agreement that we have, in that most of our leases are tied to at least some level of increase year-over-year, and that doesn’t seem to be the case here,” she said

“My concern was that we were actually providing assistance to business and I’m rest assured here that is not the case—that the full operation on site is not for profit.”

Next, following statutory notices to let the public know of the exemptions, District staff will bring forward the bylaws for final adoption at the scheduled Oct. 21 council meeting.

To watch the whole discussion, go to the District’s YouTube channel, starting at the 49-minute mark.

WHO WOULD STEAL THIS BOULDER?

To some, it’s just a rock, but to the rock climbing community it’s a piece of local lore called Portable and now it’s missing

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

To random unknowing passersby, it’s just a rock

Located a stone’s throw from the Superfly bouldering area, this rock is a plain grey lump of granite roughly the shape of a milk jug. It’s been named “Portable,” and it offers the opportunity for climbers to balance on it, practising their grip, in an attempt to mount themselves atop it like Spider-Man

It may very well be the most Instagrammed rock in all of Squamish, and according to a Gripped Magazine article, it is “the world’s smallest boulder problem.” And now it’s gone missing.

According to local climber Brian Vincent, its absence is keenly felt

“I think it was about 60 pounds and it’s been there for years, ever since I can remember. It has four boulder problems on it. So many people love it and post about it, from all over the world. Every time I go to Superfly, because it’s part of my circuit, there are people surrounding this little boulder and taking turns videoing themselves,” he told The Squamish Chief.

“It has disappeared twice in the past, but usually it’s returned within a day or two. But now we think it’s been gone for about two months. It’s tragic because it brought a lot of joy to people.”

It’s

hard for me to think that someone who stole it wouldn’t know how hugely popular it is, because if you ever go to Superfly on a sunny day, this little boulder is surrounded by people.

BRIAN VINCENT

He can’t wrap his head around why someone would do such a thing.

“It’s hard for me to think that someone who stole it wouldn’t know how hugely popular it is, because if you ever go to Superfly on a sunny day, this little boulder is surrounded by people. It’s just a fun, silly, frivolous little problem, and the fact that somebody stole it means they likely knew Portable was hugely popular,” he said.

“My fear is somebody took it out of the country.”

Halloween Canyon Fun!

Oct25th& 26th

PumpkinPatch

Oct 18th &19th Movies

Pick your ownpumpkin and carvea spooky (orfunny)creation. Pumpkins are$5each. Oct31st

Adifferent surprisefamily-friendlymovie each daystartingat2pm Oct 25th &26th

PumpkinPatch

Pick your ownpumpkin andcarve aspooky (orfunny)creation. Pumpkins are$5each. Oct 31st

Wear your costumefor free entry andTrick-or-Treating on the boardwalk.

View this ad online:

10-Year Financial Plan

Available Online for Public Review

Browse what’sincluded in this longterm plan that conveyshow the Districtwillmanage futuregrowth, continue to upgrade facilities and infrastructure, andcreatecomplete neighbourhoodsto meet community needs,all while ensuring thattax increasestoresidentsand businesses are manageable.

View theonline budget tool and share yourfeedback:

LetsTalkSquamish.ca/budget-2026

Curbside BatteryCollection

We acknowledgethe incredibly challenging time we arein, and the significantimpactsthis labourdisruption is having on our employees and community. We remain committed to the hardworkofreaching afair collectiveagreementwith CUPE Local 2269. Both partieshaveagreed to mediation to find away through.

To our employees –wedeeply value the work youdoand the vital role youplayinmaking Squamish agreat placetolive. We are entirely focussed on achieving aresolution thatgets us back to working together.

To our residents –wesincerelyapologizefor the disruption to services caused by the labour dispute. TheDistrict team continues our commitmenttothe bargaining process and will remain accountable to our employees and to the community.

Wecontinue to shareupdates, FAQs,and serviceimpacts at:

Curbside batterycollectionishappening theweekofNovember 3-7!

Take advantage of thisearth-friendlyprogram to recycle your batteries responsiblyand help keep harmful chemicalsout of the landfill.

Toprepareyour batteries forcollectionfollowthese simplesteps:

•Placeacceptablebatteries into clear,sealable plastic bags.

• On your regular collectionday,place thesealed batterybags on topofyour recycling tote

NEW! Cell phones, tablets,laptops,and videogames will also be collected–please put e-wasteitems in aseparatebag next to your batteries.

Battery collection will takeplaceonyourregular garbage and organicscollection daythatweek

squamish.ca/strike

ToteExchange and Selection

Areyou interested in alargerorsmaller garbagetote? Thedeadline to requestto change your garbage tote sizefor 2026 is October 31. SolidWasteUtilityfees will vary based on the garbage tote sizeyou choose.A$50 exchangefee will apply. squamish.ca/garbage-tote-size-selection

CHILD DONATES SUMMER EARNINGS TO HELP SICK KIDS

In the heart of Squamish, four-year-old Holden Hoffele proved that you’re never too young to make a difference. With his dinosaur-themed lemonade stand, he raised $450 over the summer and donated it all to BC Children’s Hospital

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ELECTORAL AREAD

Public Notice is hereby giveninaccordancewithSection 466 of the Local Government Act that an electronicPublic Hearingwill be heldregarding the following bylaws:

1. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District ElectoralAreaD Zoning Bylaw No 1350-2016, AmendmentBylaw No.1915-2025

2. Squamish-LillooetRegional District ElectoralAreaD Official Community PlanBylaw No.1135-2013,AmendmentBylaw No.1916-2025

Purpose of BylawNo. 1915-2025 and1916-2025

As aresultofchanges to the Agricultural Land CommissionAct (ALCA) and Agricultural Land ReserveUse andGeneral Regulation (ALR UseRegulation), theSLRDneedstoupdatezoningbylawstobeinalignmentwiththeProvincial regulatoryframework.ZoningAmendment BylawNo. 1915-2025 seeks toincorporate these necessary changes into theElectoral Area DZoning Bylaw. Theproposed changes reflect theapproachimplemented in Electoral Area Cand arealigned with theElectoral Area DOfficialCommunity Plan (OCP)Bylaw andSquamish ValleyAgriculture Plan. Policychanges under the AgricultureDesignationofthe Area DOCP Bylaware also requiredto remove referencetooutdated termsand processesrelated to residentialuses in theAgriculturalLand Reserve (ALR).Additionally,OCP mapping changes arerequiredto reflect newALR boundariesinthe Upper SquamishValley. BylawNo. 1915-2025 and BylawNo. 1916-2025 applytothe ElectoralArea DAgriculture Zone and ElectoralAreaD OCPAgriculture Designation.

Information

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

In Squamish, you are never too old or too young, it turns out, to give back.

Over the summer, four-year-old Holden Hoffele operated a lemonade stand he called “T-Rex Treats,” raising $450 for BC Children’s Hospital

Earlier this month, he personally delivered the donation.

T-Rex Treats are “Big tasty treats that dinosaurs would love,” Hoffele said, through his mom Elyse Cochrane, who relayed that he is a “huge” dinosaur fan.

“When we were building his lemonade stand, I asked him to help pick the paint colours, name, and menu Of course, everything ended up dinosaur-themed. He sold lemonade, ICEEs, and Popsicles around our neighbourhood,” his mom said

“He loved being behind the stand and serving others—I was proud to see him so passionate about it.”

WHY BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL?

As for his charity of choice, Hoffele’s parents gave him a list of different charities and talked about what each one does.

“He chose BC Children’s Hospital because he said he wanted to help kids His initial

thought was maybe the money could go toward buying every kid Hungry Hungry Hippos—one of his favourite games,” Cochrane explained.

When he dropped off his donations, he kept saying, “I wonder what the money will be used for?” and “When can we do it again?”

“Taking him to BC Children’s and talking with the staff about how the money might be used helped him understand the connection between his efforts and doing good for others They said it could go toward things like dog therapy, clown therapy, or adding more games to the playroom—which made him really happy.”

He’s really excited to do his next fundraiser for another charity of his choice again soon, Cochrane said

“We might even plan some holiday-themed T-Rex Treats for the community this winter!”

Hoffele and his parents asked to pass on his “Thank you” to everyone who supported his stand this summer.

“We were very grateful for everyone’s generosity. Holden was thrilled by everyone’s kindness and the number of neighbours and community members who supported him on a weekly basis. You’re never too young to make a difference, and there are lots of kids in this town who can contribute in both small and big ways.”

Acopy of theproposed bylaws and relevant background documentsmay be inspectedatthe Regional District office,1350 AsterStreet, Pemberton, BC, duringofficehours8:00amto4:00pmnot includingweekendsand statutory holidaysorbyreviewing an electroniccopyonthe SLRD websiteathttps:// www.slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/news-notices/notice-public-hearing-electoralarea-d.All persons whobelieve that theirinterestinthe property is affected by theproposed bylaws shallbeafforded areasonableopportunity to present submissions respecting matters contained in thebylaws.

WrittenSubmissions

Writtensubmissions must be addressedto“SLRD BoardofDirectors,”and include your name and community of residence. Until4:00pm on October 27, 2025, written submissionswill be received at thefollowing:

Email: planning@slrd.bc.ca

Hard Copy: Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Planning Department PO Box219, Pemberton, BC V0N2L0

Writtensubmissions will also be accepted on October27, 2025 between 4:00pm andthe time when themotiontoclose thePublic Hearingismade. During this timeframe, writtencommentsmustbesubmittedbyemail to: cdewar@slrd.bc.ca.

Participatevia Zoom

ThePublic Hearingwill take placeelectronically on October 27, 2025 at 7pm.Alinkwillbepostedonthe SLRD websitethree daysprior to thePublic Hearing. Youmay also email thePlanning Department threedaysprior to the Public Hearingatplanning@slrd.bc.ca to requestany necessary information.

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EDITOR

JENNIFERTHUNCHER jthuncher@ lodestarmedia.ca follow @thuncher REPORTER INAPACE ipace@ lodestarmedia.ca

SALESMANAGER CATHIE GREENLEES cgreenlees@ squamishchief.com

MULTI- MEDIASALES REPRESENTATIVE KIMBOATMAN kboatman@ squamishchief.com

CIRCULATION MANAGER DENISE CONWAY dconway@ squamishchief.com

PUBLISHER SARAHSTROTHER sstrother@lodestarmedia.ca

EDITORIAL

TRASHY BEAR TALK

There’s no question that more needstobe done about human-bear conflict,especially when it comesto reducing blackbearaccess toour trash andorganics.

A fedbearis adeadbear, afterall.

A report commissionedbythe District looksat waysthe municipality couldmitigatethe situation.

The“Curbside Collection Assessment forthe District of Squamish”byVeronicaBartlettof Stantec Consulting is an engaging read foranyone interestedintrash or bears—or both

We know that people areoften to blamefor bear issues.

Thereportnotes that in 2024,260 bylawnotices were issued underthe WildlifeAttractantBylaw 109ofthese were warnings,151 were tickets.

The report notesthatsuchenforcement does work to change behaviour.

The most ticketedoffence wasfor leaving containersunlockedoutside of designated times (73%oftotal tickets),followed by leavingtrash accessibletowildlife(12%).

Wealsoknowthatbears arehella smartsoour totes have to be hard forthemtobreak into.

The report,submitted to theDistrictatthe end of July,notes that in 2024,residents askedfor 1,961 tote repairs, Greenfor Life Environmental(GFL) initiatedrepairs 241times,and District bylawstaff calledinthe need foratoterepairfourtimes.

Bearsweremostreportedaccessingtotes on collection days in November in 2024.

Hardest-hit areasincluded SixthAvenue, Magnolia Crescent,WilsonCrescentand Government Road,SquamishFirst Nationsreserve lands, GaribaldiHighlands,TimbertownEstates, and downtown near theestuary.

SMITHISWISTFULLY THINKING OF CANADA’S FIRST LONG-HAULCRUDE OILPIPELINE

GUEST COLUMN MONIQUEKEIRAN

TheSquamishChief is amemberof theNationalNewsmedia Council, whichisanindependentorganization establishedtodealwithacceptable journalistic practicesand ethical behaviour. If youhaveconcerns about editorialcontent,please contactEditorJenniferThuncherat thuncher@lodestarmedia.ca. If you arenot satisfiedwiththe response andwishtofilea formal complaint, visitthe websiteatmediacouncil.ca orcalltoll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information

Reproduction of anymaterial containedinthispublicationis expresslyforbiddenwithoutthe prior writtenconsent of thepublisher.

“These areasmay benefitfromalternative residentialwaste collection management systems,”Bartlett writes in thereport.

She also recommends severalmitigation measuresfor theDistricttoconsider, such as looking at thetotelocking mechanismusedin PortCoquitlam,pilotingdifferent typesoftote brands, piloting atoteshed, andpilotingatote cleaning programinhighconflictareas

Though not oneofthe main recommendations in theassessment, it is noted that District staff expressedinterestininvestigating if aswamper—a person whogoesahead of thecollectiontruck and unlockseachbin immediatelybeforetote pickup—instead of having residentsunlocktotes.

Longer term,among othersuggestions,the report recommends testingthe electrificationof totesortotealarms, andpilotingacentralized collection system.

Thereare also accessibilityrecommendations.

Whateveroptions theDistrict goes for, it is clear residentsand officialsare allon boardinensuring somethingisdonefor ourblack bear neighbours.

InSeptember,whenPrime MinisterMarkCarney announcedthe firstfive“nation-building” projects thenew federalMajor Projects Office will be fast-tracking, thelistincludednopipelines.

Allfiveselectedprojects—LNGCanada’ssecond phaseinKitimat,the Darlington NewNuclear project in Ontario, expansionofthe Port of Montreal, Saskatchewan’s McIlvennaBay ForanCopperMine, andthe RedChris Mine expansioninnorthwestern B.C.—are well advanced.Their proponents have completedmuchofthe work,including consultation with Indigenous communities, provinces, territories andlocal authorities. Many alreadymeetmanyofthe required regulatory standards.

Even though no pipelinecompany hasexpressed interest,noproject is yetplanned, no fundinghas been committed, andconsultationfor thekiboshed Northern GatewayshowedB.C.and many Indigenous andother communitieswerenot on board, Alberta PremierDanielleSmith hassince takensteps to correct theomission. TheAlberta government hasasked that thefederal government pre-emptivelyapprove a pipelinetoB.C.’snorth coastinthe next roundof nation-buildingmega-projects.

Smithperhaps thinks wistfullyofCanada’sfirst long-haulcrude oilpipeline.

TheInterprovincial Pipe Line Co.pipelinecarried crudeoil 1,850kilometres, from Edmonton,Alberta to Superior,Wisconsin.Itwas builtin150 days

Theyearwas 1950.Attending aceremonyin Edmonton to open oneofthe valves that wouldallow crudetoflowintothe $100-millionpipeline, then-MinisterofTrade andCommerceC.D.Howe called thepipeline“an essentialfactorinour preparedness programfor thedefence of Canada.” The proclamation prefigures this year’s many statements aboutnation-building projects

GivenLine1,asitisnow called,was completed75 yearsago,reflectingonwhatenabled itsquick completion is timely.A number of things contributed. Parliament createdthe InterprovincialPipeLine CompanyinApril 1949 expresslytobuild apipeline that wouldbring Albertaoil to easternmarkets.Oil had been discovered at Leduc, Alberta, just twoyears earlier. (The companybecameEnbridgein1998.)

Therecentcreation of theMajor Projects Office to supportselectedmega-projects is alessdirect modern-day manifestationofsimilar government investment andinvolvement.

Thepipeline’sroute also facilitatedspeedy execution.Superior, Wisconsinisthe westernmost point— andthe closesttoAlberta —ofthe GreatLakes andSt. Lawrence seaway systems. Building the

PIPELINES: Continuedon11

Ha7lh skwálwen cht kwis emút cht iy sts’its’áp’ cht iy kw’shétsut cht na7tkwa temíxw tl’a Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw

(We have good feelings that we live, we work and we play on the lands of the Squamish Nation)

PIPELINES: Continued from 10

terminus there shaved off distance and time and saved costs that an all-Canadian route around the north side of Lake of the Woods and across to Thunder Bay’s port would have required.

Not that all of the crude piped through the line went all the way to Superior Once it started running, about 27% of the pipeline’s initial 90,000-barrel-per-day capacity was delivered to Saskatchewan refineries, about 17% went to Manitoba refineries, and 55% continued to Superior Tankers at the port there shipped the oil by water to refineries in Sarnia until 1953, when a second pipeline was built to cover that leg.

Also speeding the pipeline’s construction, fewer regulations and requirements

inconvenienced industry in the late 1940s and early ’50s. Environmental assessments? Indigenous consultation? Unheard of Public safety assessments? Phhht.

To those pushing to review, streamline or outright get rid of regulations and regulatory processes in order to encourage investment, fast-track approvals, and speed projects, Line 1’s 150-day turnaround may well sound like a dream to reach for.

But Parliament didn’t put those regulations and regulatory processes because it was feeling ornery and obstructive. Events brought them about. Because many regulations and processes address safety, many triggering events would have been those that harmed people, communities, and, yes, industries,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

IT IS NOT FAIR

Editor’s note: This letter was directed to mayor and council and copied to The Squamish Chief.

When Brennan Park is closed, I don’t get to play hockey, and I think that is unfair to me and the other players and athletes that depend on Brennan Park. I, and other Squamish Minor Hockey players have already missed out on more ice time because of the earlier closures due to the mismanagement of the renovations, and now we are missing out on even more

Why did you lock out the CUPE employees when they were still working at Brennan Park?

Your so-called “extreme move” isn’t working. It has only had negative effects on many kids and hard- working employees that keep Brennan Park running My team has already missed out on 3 practices and a game since last Thursday, and we already get less ice time compared to our opponents, and at undesirable times because Squamish has outgrown a single rink on its own, let alone with it being closed frequently

Please make the right decision to pay your employees what they are asking for and deserve and do not remove the ice.

If there is no ice in Squamish for the next two weeks, you have no idea how much that would impact me and many, many other people in Squamish.

LETTERS POLICY

If Brennan Park is closed for longer than that, there is a possibility of the hockey season being cancelled, and that is completely unfair. Your employees deserve fair wages, and the people of Squamish deserve a functional recreation centre. Other hockey players, swimmers, figure skaters, the general public and I are counting on you to do the right thing!

Julius Schagerl,14 Squamish

WHY DO WE HAVE REGULATORS?

For years, we have been led down the garden path with higher prices being the inevitable cost of geography, environmental policy, or global market forces

Bull-tweety B.C. is rich in natural resources, connected to refineries and terminals, and just saw the removal of the provincial carbon tax for consumers as of April 2025 And yet, prices remain among the highest in the country.

Even after the carbon tax was removed, other levies such as the motor fuel tax remain baked into the price. Unlike Thunder Bay, where taxes are relatively lower, the BC NDP, supported by our local Green Party MLA, adds layers of costs at the pump.

There’s a more troubling factor: algorithmic price co-ordination aka collusion. The federal Competition Bureau

as well as the resources those communities and industries rely on.

Public safety regulations exist to protect people and infrastructure Environmental regulations are in place to safeguard ecosystems on which people, communities, and other industries depend Indigenous consultation requirements address longstanding historical wrongs done to entire communities and populations and to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples rights that have been ignored in the past By all means, review and streamline, but be careful about eliminating processes, regulations and requirements that keep us and our communities safe

What change do you think would make the biggest difference in reducing human-bear conflicts around trash? QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Have your say at squamishchief.com

Did you receive a wage increase this year? (Top 3) LAST

is currently investigating companies like Kalibrate, a pricing-software provider whose tools let gas stations monitor each other’s prices in real time and automatically match or adjust them. This kind of “coordinated autonomy” means stations can effectively move as one, without any illegal handshake. Smaller markets, with a small number of stations and a captive tourist population, may be especially vulnerable to this kind of synchronized pricing.

The BC Utilities Commission has already launched an inquiry into fuel pricing because even regulators can’t fully explain the gap between wholesale and retail in this province

That alone should alarm you and beg the question, if regulators can’t figure it out, then why do we have regulators?

Locals like us who drive to work, run businesses, drive our kids to soccer games or simply live here are being forced to subsidize a broken pricing system Tourists may shrug and pay, but for Whistler residents this is an invisible tax that eats into daily life

British Columbians shouldn’t pay more just because we live in a beautiful place. A province with this much resource wealth shouldn’t also lead the country in gasoline prices. The numbers don’t add up.

Patrick Smyth

Whistler

The Squamish Chief welcomes letters to the editor of up to 400 words. Letters should be exclusive to this publication and are meant to respond to a local story in The Squamish Chief or raise an issue happening in town Please include your name, neighbourhood and daytime phone number The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for Thursday’s edition. Full names and neighbourhood will be published with the letter The publisher reserves the right to refuse and edit letters for length and clarity or to address legal concerns Email letters to: editor@squamishchief.com

MOST READ STORY

Letter: Squamish belongs to those who respect it

TOP TIKTOK OF THE WEEK

This week, reporter Ina Pace attended the Diwali event at the Squamish Public Library. To see this and many other TikTok videos, head to our channel @squamishchief

Ever yday,the world’s first net zero LNG expor tfacilityismovinga little closer to completion, with newand exciting developments along the way. Catchthe latest updatesfrom oursiteand our team.

From TheSite

As of September,the Woodfibre LNGexpor tfacility haspassed the halfway point of construc tion! New modules continue to arrive that areshaping thesite into its finalstate.

Ever ytwo years, the pinksalmonreturntoM ill Creek to spawn, and our team is readywith water qualitymonitoring,under waternoise monitoring, and careful planning of our constructionactivities. Ourresponsibilityistoworkaround them, not the other wayaround.

Welcoming Minister TimHodgson

We were honoured to welcomeCanada’sM inister of Energy andNatural Resources, TimHodgson, to theWoodfibreLNG site—joined on atour by Sḵwxwú7meshÚxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Hereditar yChief Ian Campbell andmembers of theWoodfibreteam.

Preser ving Howe Sound’s sk ies

Newly energized, and arrivingonsitelater this fall. OurM09 UtilityModule glows greentohelp reduce lightpollution, maintain our darkskies, and minimizedisruptions to wildlifeatnight.

EAGLES AND ECOSYSTEMS: LOCAL ARTISTS EXPLORE NATURE

‘Eagles

and Ecosystems,’ now showing at the Squamish Library, pairs eagle photography with eco-conscious wooden sculptures, offering a dual perspective on B.C.’s natural environment

INA PACE

ipace@lodestarmedia.ca

The natural world is a common muse, but it can inspire artists quite differently.

The work of two Squamish-based artists has come together in a complementary display, featuring two sets of media and two different subjects, honing right from the ground, and up to the skies of our outdoor capital.

Showing at the Foyer Gallery at the Squamish Public Library until Nov. 16, the exhibition Eagles and Ecosystems places side-by-side 3D sculptures, which portray the intricacy of nature’s intimate workings, with printed character studies as a part of the broader landscape

Sue Bansen is a wildlife photographer and avid traveller, with a background in counselling and psychotherapy. She focuses on animals’ behaviour and charisma. Eagles and Ecosystems showcases a significant part of her portfolio from November last year to February, capturing “The Many Faces of the Squamish Eagles.”

Ellyn D‘Uva primarily upcycles organic forms (wood) as a business, focusing on enhancing nature’s ecosystems, and how we are all integral to “the magic of nature.” She does this all with a minimal impact on nature itself Originally from Ontario, she draws inspiration from the natural world around her and from her scientific studies. The Squamish Chief spoke with Bansen and D’Uva simultaneously to discuss the inspiration behind their work and how their displays came together to create the exhibition What follows is a version of that conversation edited for length and clarity.

Q: What has inspired your work and your fascination with nature in Squamish?

D‘Uva: Planet Earth [inspires me]. From a young age, I’ve always felt really connected to natural systems. I grew up in Niagara Falls, so I had a pretty massive natural feature in my backyard. When you’re standing right at the edge of the Falls, you definitely feel its power. I studied environmental science, and was just always fascinated by nature In moving out here, in the middle of nature, it’s just amplified Bansen: I have a pretty good lens and a good camera When the eagles came this year, last November, I just started going into the woods and along the rivers, and I just kept going back. The more you go and observe, the more you realize they look the same, but they’re not the same, and they actually don’t look the same. Depending on when you’re doing photography, depending on the lighting, the background, it creates a piece of art, especially when you have the beautiful environment we have here You’re taking photos against the river with, say, lots and lots of beautiful coloured stones, or incredible trees, or you just happen to get that beautiful blurred background against the mountain, then

it becomes more like a piece of art. I kept praying for snow, because eagles and snow obviously are beautiful.

Anytime it wasn’t pouring with rain, I just had to get out [to Brackendale and Squamish Valley]. It really became like meditation; just a peaceful thing to do, and to connect.

Q: Ellyn, what brought you to the West Coast?

D‘Uva: I lived [in Australia] for a year, and saw as much of the country as I could. And then on my flight home, I actually had a layover in Vancouver. From the plane, I was like, ‘I’m gonna live here next,’ so I went back to Ontario and worked odd jobs [before applying] to a master’s program at UBC in the Sauder School of Business. That program pulled me out here; it was kind of strategic. I thought, ‘if I do a business program, then I’ll network, and I can hopefully find a job and gain a footing.’

I wanted to start a business that had the environment at the forefront. I had no idea it was going to be an art business, but I’m really glad it is.

Q: Sue, you’ve inferred that composition in your photos is important. Are you working to capture the expression and charisma of eagles, more so than portraying them as part of a broader landscape?

Bansen: It’s [about] expression My background is in communication and psychotherapy. I spent my whole life observing people and interactions When you’re doing counselling, it’s all about nonverbal cues that you’re picking up as well. With animals, it’s the same thing on a different level.

You capture [eagles] whether they’re angry or they’re feeling protective When they’re flying, you get that feeling of freedom But you know, there’s one photograph out there where the eagle was frustrated by some seagulls He was just really wanting to get this fish, and they were being annoying He finally took a bite out of the

seagull’s butt, and it looks like he’s carrying a fish, because he’s actually carrying their feathers away. So I get those really funny, interesting moments too.

And the way they fight, especially the young ones, it’s just hilarious. It’s really hard to catch on film, though, because they’re just a bunch of feathers

Q: What equipment do you like to work with, and why have you chosen that medium?

Bansen: The lens I have now is a 1x400, so you can be a distance away and get a nice, clear shot. Of course, the closer you are, the clearer shot you’ll get. My camera is a Canon R7. Realistically, photography is still a hobby for me This is the first time I’ve ever had an inspiration and put it out there. It’s the beginning of something

D‘Uva: My whole life, as a hobby, I’ve really loved painting and fine line drawing. I had to go down a new creative path and create 3D stuff to fill the cases in the library, because I typically do wall art as well. I had to push out of my comfort zone and try something new to create this. Everything [in the exhibit] is handmade. When I was thinking about what kind of business I could start, I was exploring upcycling. With all of the wood waste that we have going to the dump, I was looking into different tools I could use, and it kept organically flowing in that direction. I work with natural paints and wood oils The milk paints I use, I water down to be more of a stain or wash, so the natural grain colours show through it.

If you see blues, greens, purples—some colours that woods typically aren’t—those are paints that I add. But a lot of it, I just try to use contrasting natural wood tones, and highlight the beauty of the wood, because it is so incredible That was the idea behind these sculptures: to forage something from the forest floor, to take away all of the rotten, dead, decayed sections, and just

highlight what nature made.

It takes so much energy and resources to process wood. You’re also destroying ecosystems most of the time to harvest the wood, but you can selectively take trees and not clear-cut the whole forest, and then the ecosystem can survive.

Q: Ellyn, how do you source your wood whilst leaving a minimal impact on the very ecosystems you are honouring?

D‘Uva: I purely use scraps from other people; wood that is either going to just get burned in someone’s backyard or go to the dump. We have so much wood waste that just goes to landfill. I’m not buying any new materials, which is really great for the business model too.

Q: What’s next for you both? Is there any particular part of the natural world that you would like to study further as an artist?

Bansen: Well, when the eagles come again this year, I have to go out, but I have been photographing bears just recently.

I also want to go back to Africa to observe animals.

D‘Uva: I’d love to do more exhibitions. I already do the Squamish Farmer’s Market I also do a lot of commission builds through the winter, like custom home furniture enhancement. It’s been snowballing, and I’m taking the opportunities as they come

To request prints from Bansen, you can contact her at bansensue@gmail.com or 416-282-2352.

D’Uva can be contacted for commissions on her business page Ellynwood Designs.

Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief’s Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.

THE OCEAN AS A LIVING RELATIVE: INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES ON MARINE STEWARDSHIP

What

happens when you stop seeing the sea as a resource—and start seeing it as family? For two Indigenous members of Oceans Network Canada, this shift isn’t just philosophical—it’s essential for survival

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

It’s pretty hard to ignore

The ocean covers over 70% of our planet’s surface in sloshing immensity, and the vast majority of it is unmapped and unexplored making it the closest thing we have to infinity. It’s where we all originated from, it’s where a huge amount of our food is sourced, and we quite simply couldn’t exist without it So how come so many people take it for granted?

Given the importance of Howe Sound and the sea to locals, The Squamish Chief reached out to two Indigenous members of Oceans Network Canada (ONC) to hear their perspectives: post-secondary education co-ordinator Wylee Fitz-Gerald (Métis) and Indigenous liaison Pieter Romer (Nisga’a Nation).

A LIVING RELATIVE

The ocean can be conceptualized almost like a family elder, to be treated with the same reverence as a grandparent. According to Fitz-Gerald, it’s all about creating a relationship

“Indigenous worldviews often see the ocean as a living relative. This relationship-based approach creates a fundamental shift, seeing the ocean not as a resource to be extracted but as a kin to be respected,” she told The Squamish Chief.

“Non-Indigenous western frameworks can focus more on emphasizing management, ownership and resource use. Seeing the ocean as a family relative changes the relationship, focusing on reciprocity, respect and long-term care. This mindset leads to stewardship practices that sustain ecosystems over multiple generations.”

That relationship has been developed throughout Indigenous history, which means Canadians have a wealth of knowledge to build upon, according to Romer. It’s just a matter of asking the right people the right questions.

“Canadians can absorb as much of the rich Indigenous cultural history from coast to coast, and learn how Indigenous people thrived for thousands of years off the ocean and how they continue to conduct scientific research to sustain their waters,” he said.

“They can look into the great and diverse work the coastal guardians are currently doing in their territories and the partnerships they are forging with organizations such as Oceans Network Canada.”

TSUNAMI WATCH

The ocean has a personality, and sometimes that means dark moods.

For the oceanographers working the Canadian coast, observing the ocean’s behaviour means looking out for the destructive power of tsunamis using a combination of western science and Indigenous knowledge. According to Romer, this has led to fruitful work.

“For example, ONC collaborated with five Nuu-chah-nulth communities, local governments and consultants on the Northwest Vancouver Island Tsunami Risk Assessment Project. We flew over the communities with remote sensing technology to map the impact zones if another mega tsunami was to occur,” he said

“The Nuu-chah-nulth Nation let us understand the ‘boots on the ground’ scenarios as far back as 1700, which in turn allowed us to confirm our data and digital elevation models were on track. There were 19 tsunamis in the last 10,000 years. Out of the 19 tsunamis, there were three mega tsunamis.”

This depth of historical understanding would’ve been impossible without the nation’s assistance, and it informed their work going forward

“One interesting story was by artist and carver Tim Paul, who learned it from the university of his grandmother, Ester Brown.

He told us that we are all related to the sky, sea, land, animals but our 11th relative is the earthquake/tsunami, which reminds us every once in a while how small we are in the universe and puts our egos in check,” he said

“This project is an example of how ocean science can work together with Indigenous knowledge. I ended up producing and directing a documentary with the knowledge holders on the history of tsunamis on the west coast as a way for Ocean Networks Canada to give back, which can be seen on our YouTube channel called Tsunami 11th Relative.”

This experience drove home the importance of meaningful partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people

“Scientists need to properly engage and build meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities to have successful outcomes in ocean science projects if they are conducting research in those territories. We can no longer parachute in with power points and call that consultation.”

REPRESENTATION MATTERS

Fitz-Gerald learned her love of the ocean from her father, and it’s something she’s keen to pass on.

“Through my studies, I realized that

reconciliation needed to be part of my work, and I began a personal journey of reconnecting with my culture,” she said

“At Ocean Networks Canada, I’ve been fortunate to be supported in bringing those perspectives into my role, whether that’s advocating for Indigenous data sovereignty, speaking about partnerships at conferences, or helping colleagues understand Truth and Reconciliation. For me, working with the ocean is about relationships and responsibilities, not just data.”

For her, this work is intensely personal

“When I work with students and communities, I see it as a process of co-creation, where we’re all learning and growing together One of my favourite experiences was on a Mi’kmaq-led expedition in Newfoundland in 2024, where I met a student named Esmee. She reminded me of myself at that age, and later told me I inspired her to become an oceanographer. That moment reinforced for me why representation matters, and why we need Indigenous women’s voices in ocean science.”

This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.

LAUGH OUT LIVE! COMES TO EAGLE EYE THEATRE

Whistler troupe will perform two shows on Oct. 25

WILL JOHNSON

For The Squamish Chief

It felt like they needed the laughs

When the Laugh Out LIVE! troupe first started performing in Whistler, it was in the waning days of the pandemic and the audiences were just relieved to be out in public again. Delivering a bit of levity was exactly what the doctor ordered, and over the 15 weeks of their first season they worked relentlessly to bring a high-energy smorgasbord of comedy to their mountain town, routinely selling out the Maury Young Arts Centre

Now, for their fifth season, it’s time to take their show on the road, and their first stop is at Squamish’s Eagle Eye Theatre on Oct. 25. Starring Ira Pettle and Rebecca Morris, Laugh Out LIVE! is a quixotic mishmash of fun that they believe is deserving of a much wider audience.

“This show is a full-scale theatre production that blends sketch, improv, stand-up, original short films, and audience games into one laugh-filled night. Think Saturday Night Live meets Whose Line Is It Anyway?

with a Sea to Sky twist,” said Pettle

“Our goal is to sell out both the 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. show times at the Eagle Eye Theatre.”

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Due to the improvisational nature of the show, each one is a little bit different, but all of them are crackling with contagiously frenetic energy For Pettle, it’s all inspired by the mundane reality of everyday life, kind of like Seinfeld

“It’s a beautiful mishmash of fun. I walk around observing everything and it all makes me giggle There’s so much inherent humour in life,” he said

“This is a dream come true, getting into the comedy genre is another notch in my belt, in my dream coming true I’m inspired to be doing my dream. It’s so hard to do it, but I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”

He couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime.

“Having a partner in Rebecca is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I’m all over the place with my vision and style and what Rebecca brings to the table, her vision and discipline and work ethic. I mean, I work hard but I met my match in her, she works so hard and we’re so invested so the two of us are relentless,” he said.

“We’re swinging for the fences.”

This current tour is only the first step in much larger ambitions to take their show nationwide. They’re also launching a YouTube channel. Pettle said he can

There’s this excitement and anticipation of introducing ourselves to the Squamish community.”

IRA PETTLE

appreciate edgy and intellectual content, and is a fan of Dave Chappelle’s stand-up work, but also gets a kick out of “low-hanging fruit.”

“I can appreciate a good fart joke,” he said This tour is a logical next step for them.

“Leaving Whistler is a little scary for us because we’ve built a fan base there over the past four years, so coming to Squamish for the first time we’re kind of starting from scratch because nobody really knows what we’ve done or what we do,” Pettle told The Squamish Chief.

“There’s this excitement and anticipation of introducing ourselves to the Squamish community.”

Get tickets or find out more on the Laugh Out LIVE! website.

DEMENTIA SUPPORT PROGRAM LAUNCHES

‘Making

Connections’ has launched in Squamish, providing free weekly drop-in sessions filled with music, crafts, yoga—and most importantly—companionship

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@lodestarmedia.ca

If you don’t know someone with dementia, you likely soon will

About 800,000 people in Canada live with dementia, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada

Every day, more than 414 people in Canada develop dementia This is more than 17 every hour

If you are one of the locals living with one of the 25 diseases or conditions that cause dementia, or you are a caregiver, you know the massive impact this can have on every aspect of life.

It can become very isolating and heavy for all involved.

But there can—and should—be connection and even joy and fun, for families where dementia lives as well.

The Making Connections Squamish program for those with memory loss and their caregivers is now underway.

It is a free once-a-week program run in a spacious room at Westwinds Squamish Senior Living.

Participants can drop in and take in movement—dance or yoga, for example—music, crafts, or just a coffee and a chat

Co-ordinator of the local program, clinical psychologist Bruna Tabak, explained that Whistler has had the program for three years.

“Here, we started [in early October], and we already had 10 participants,” she said, adding that the pairs that came expressed the relief of having a nice time with their loved one.

“The people who came with their care partners, it was interesting to hear that they haven’t been enjoying something meaningful and fun, especially fun together,” she said, noting that the path of dementia can be a long and winding one, where life can become about the illness. The program allows participants to relax in a safe space and have a good time together.

Funding for the first year of the program has been provided by the Squamish 55+ Community Society and Tabak said she is applying for other grants.

There are other ideas too, such as selling some of the participants’ artwork at the farmer’s market, for example, to both allow the public to see the work and also to help fund the program further.

far, local businesses like Nesters Market Panago Pizza have stepped forward with ions

Tabak said if other businesses wanted to get volved, it would be appreciated and also a win-win, as participants can learn and pport those donors.

The goal is to have 20 participants this year, Tabak said the room is large enough at winds to accommodate more folks.

So like and donations get involved, support participants but Westwinds

“We are all aging, and the community is growing. So this is something we all have to think about—healthy aging, and we all want to age in place,” she said

think about—healthy and all she said and their care partners.

The program welcomes people who identify as having some kind of cognitive challenges, like memory loss, changes in thinking, and their care partners Participants must be mobile and able to use the washroom and eat independently. The program also welcomes volunteers. Contact squamishmakingconnections@ gmail.com to get involved or find out more.

The Making Connections Squamish program for those with memory loss and their caregivers is now underway

Squamish Curbside Battery Collection

•When: your Garbage service day: November 3rd to 7th.

•How: Collect batteries in aclear bag. Place the batteries on top of your Recycle Tote on the curbside,theywill be collected by hand.

• Why: The recycletotewill indicateyourparticipation and prevent batteries from being tipped intothe garbage truck.

Squamishisthe first community in BC to offera CurbsideBatteryCollection Program. In 2024, 1,318 kgs of batteries were collected from the curbside service alone!

‘THAT WAS THE RUN OF MY LIFE’: JACKSON GOLDSTONE LOCKS DOWN WORLD CUP DOWNHILL OVERALL

Gracey Hemstreet finishes second overall, walks away from dramatic crash

DAVID SONG dsong@wplpmedia.com

Take a bow, Jackson Goldstone: you are the 2025 UCI World Cup downhill overall king

Goldstone more or less incinerated the course in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. on Saturday, Oct. 11: opening a gap of more than two seconds on the field (3:30.096). Runner-up Luca Shaw (3:32.340) hung on to beat third-placer Andreas Kolb (3:32.341) by an infinitesimal margin

The commanding victory boosted Goldstone past Loïc Bruni and into top spot overall with 1,946 points Bruni (1,768) surprised fans and peers alike by declining to race after a training accident left him with a compromised thigh, but he still ends up ahead of Shaw (1,366) in the yearlong rankings.

“I’m completely speechless. That was the run of my life,” Goldstone said in a press release. “I knew I had to give it absolutely everything, it wasn’t pretty, I was making so many mistakes and getting super sketchy. The crowd were so amazing and cheered me on every step of the way. It didn’t feel quite right not battling with Loïc [Bruni] and I have no clue what happened.

It’s not the way I wanted to win. I was hoping it [would] be a good fight right to the bottom, but we got it done at the end of the day.

JACKSON GOLDSTONE

hot seat until Goldstone worked magic.

The young Squamolian fired up his afterburners, battling through tree-dotted terrain and flying over rocks in a manner that wowed those in attendance. Shaw proved unable to equal Goldstone’s daredevilry, at which point all eyes turned to the gate for Bruni.

Yet the scheduled final rider never dropped in, and his team Specialized Gravity later broke news of his ailment.

“I hardly got any sleep last night,” Goldstone quipped after the event. “I was staring at the roof for two hours as my mind was racing. I just had to try and focus on myself. It was quite testing for me

“It’s not the way I wanted to win. I was hoping it [would] be a good fight right to the bottom, but we got it done at the end of the day.”

Drama likewise abounded in the women’s elite contest. Gracey Hemstreet crashed spectacularly into a group of trackside viewers just metres from the line, Valentina Höll’s front tire flatted and Tahnée Seagrave withdrew from qualifying with a back injury That left Marine Cabirou to win (4:01.617) ahead of Nina Hoffmann (4:02.333) and Myriam Nicole (4:03.913) in that order

Hemstreet explained during a social media interview with UCI: “I definitely had a couple of close calls up top and I knew I wasn’t on the winning pace I don’t know, I just lost control on the last jump here and ended up in the crowd. I’m happy to be up and walking.”

Nonetheless, Höll went home with the season aggregate (2,139) as Hemstreet remained in second (1,727) and Seagrave occupied third (1,604).

‘I HARDLY GOT ANY SLEEP’

Goldstone’s season has been nothing short of remarkable. At just 21 years old, he won a World Championship and matched Aaron Gwin’s record of four straight World Cup triumphs in a single year—but an off day or an excellent run by Bruni could still have denied him the overall title.

Mont-Sainte-Anne’s rock gardens were frightful, gutting Martin Maes’ and Ronan Dunne’s tires while causing Lachlan StevensMcNab to wipe out. Kolb managed to conquer them with aplomb, however, remaining in the

“I hope Loïc is alright. It was such a good battle with him this year, he’s someone I’ve looked up to my whole career and what an amazing rival to compete with It’s such a cool and friendly rivalry we’ve got and we’ll be battling again next year.”

BREAKTHROUGH IN QUEBEC

Sacha Earnest rode to an early lead, then joined everyone else in watching Höll’s and Hemstreet’s outings get truncated by misfortune Höll in particular was 6.5 seconds up on the field before her equipment gave up

Cabirou ultimately repeated as Mont-SainteAnne champion, building speed through the track’s lower stretches to knock Earnest off her perch. Hoffmann, Goldstone’s Santa Cruz Syndicate teammate, fell just short of the French athlete’s time and Nicole rounded out the podium.

“I’m happy to take the win [on Saturday], it’s incredible,” Cabirou told reporters. “I tried my best the whole week to have a good result today, as last week was not very good for me. I have had some good races and some really bad.

“I couldn’t have hoped for a better race to end the season. I made some mistakes during my qualification run and I wasn’t too happy … I knew I had more in the bag so I just focused on myself and tried to give the best I could. I’m really happy to get my 11th win here, I love this track and this crowd.”

The 2025 World Cup downhill season is

ELLA MACPHEE FINISHES THIRD OVERALL IN WORLD CUP SHORT TRACK, CROSS-COUNTRY

Isabella Holmgren wins both events at Mont-Sainte-Anne

DAVID SONG

dsong@wplpmedia.com

Ella MacPhee has put the finishing touches on a breakout 2025 campaign Months after her inaugural World Cup victory, she secured third-place results in both the crosscountry (XCO) and short track (XCC) overall rankings

Only two U23 female XCO riders, Valentina Corvi (1019) and Vida Lopez De San Roman (841) amassed more points than MacPhee’s 804. Katharina Sadnik (721) won the XCC overall, with Corvi (695) ahead of MacPhee (613) in that department as well

“If someone told me one year ago I would stand on the overall XCC podium, I don’t think I could have believed it,” MacPhee wrote on Instagram. “This season I’ve been reminded progress is certainly not linear, so a moment like this makes me so proud. [Wilier-Vittoria], thanks for being by my side through it all...I breathed, I believed and I’m so happy because I achieved my season goal.”

Yet it was a different Canadian, Isabella Holmgren, who emerged on top at both races in

If someone told me one year ago I would stand on the overall XCC podium, I don’t think I could have believed it.

ELLA MACPHEE

the Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. season finale Holmgren (22:26) won the short track in front of runner-up Anina Hutter (22:35) and thirdplace Sadnik (22:35) on Oct. 10, before also striking XCO gold two days later (1:14:49) on a podium with Lopez De San Roman (1:15:26) and Corvi (1:15:36).

Jenny Rissveds made history among elite women with her unprecedented 18-second XCC victory margin followed by a record threeminute, 30-second gap in the XCO race.

Mountain Psychology and Neurofeedback Centre

Stephen L. Milstein, Ph.D., R. Psych. BC #765

604.938.3511

Squamish:

Dawna DixxMilstein, OT.COTBC# AA0201

604.938.3523

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Crossword puzzle answers use American spelling

LASTWEEK’SANSWERS:

ARIES March21-April 19

Youcould make your next adventure arealitybydreaming bigand applyingthe principles of attraction. You’ll make certain discoveries that could have positiveimpacts on your career

TAURUS April20-May20

Your emotions arerunning high this week.Fortunately, thesefeelings will help ignite your creativity. You’ll alsoplay caregiver to aloved one.This will strengthen your bond and nurtureasense of reciprocity that createsoptimism for the future.

GEMINI May21-June 20

It’s easier to negotiatewhen your emotions aren’t involved Be careful, as your children maytry to takeadvantage of your kindnesstogaincertain privileges. Maintain your vigilance and don’t giveinto their requests tooeasily.

CANCER June 21-July 22

Youmay,for no apparent reason, have asense of uneasinessthis week.However,this discomfort could prompt you to consult a specialistsooner rather than later, so youget the care you need to improveyourwell-being.

LEO July 23-Aug.22

You’ll accomplish something remarkable this week that fills you with pride and boosts yourself-confidence.This achievementwill help you flourish.Inaddition, you’ll be just the rightpersontohelp someone navigate atrickysituation.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Changingyourdiet will help you reachyourhealth goals. Additionally, the ideaofstarting asmall home businessmay sparkyourinterestand giveyou the energy you need to succeed.

LIBRA Sept.23-Oct. 22

Your lovedones will seek you outfor excitingmoments and meaningful conversations.If you’reinanew relationship, you’ll have seriousdiscussions with yourpartner aboutthe future. The possibilityofmoving in together or startingafamily maycome up

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov.21

At work,apromotion with a payraiseisonthe horizon. Be cautious,though,assome colleagues mightenvyyour success. In yourlovelife,anew beginningwill bringhappy moments

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec.21

You’ll spend qualitytime with yourloved ones this week.Bymanagingyour schedule wisely,you’ll turn even yourprofessional responsibilities into enjoyable experiences.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Thisweek, you’ll reflect deeply onyourlifejourney, and your thoughts will lead to valuable insights. Your creativitywill enhance yourwell-being. Don’t forgettostepoutside to clearyour mind and recharge yourbatteries.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb.18

Ifyou’resingle,you’llreceivean invitationtogoonanoutingwith yourfriends.This invitationwill help youreconnectwiththemore socialsideoflife.Socialmedia couldalsohelpyoumakenew friendsorexpandyourclientbase.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

Challengeswill pile up this week.Fortunately, your abilitytomanageyour priorities will keep you movingforward.Becareful, however, not to let anxiety abouttime constraints overwhelm yourdailylife or dampen yourmood

HOWTOPLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3box contains the numbers 1through 9only once. Each 3x3box is outlined with adarker line.You already have afew numbers to getyou started. Remember: youmust not repeat the numbers 1through 9in the same line, column or 3x3box

TheParish of St.John theDivine, Squamish

Holy Communion and Morning Worship

Sundays at 10:00 AM

Rev Cameron Gutjahr 1930 Diamond Road 604-898-5100

www.squamishanglicanchurch.ca info@squamishanglicanchurch.ca

WorshipService

Sundays 10am

onour website and Facebook Live 2262ReadCres. 604-898-3737 www.squamishbaptistchurch.org

ExaltingJesus,Equipping His Followers,Engaging theWorld See Website for Service times and location

coastalchurch.org/squamish