Tensions flare as 'Van-lifers' return to Squamish

By SETH FORWARD

Springtime in Squamish means an influx of vehicle residents, and this year Squamish’s controversial camping bylaw will be put to the test once again.

The municipality of Squamish, B.C. is popular with “van-lifers”, those who choose to reside in their vehicles for days, months or years. Many find the area a desirable place to live out of a van, with a temperate climate and plenty of outdoor activities such as rock climbing and mountain biking. In 2021, Squamish created a bylaw to regulate camping in public places, following an uptick of van-lifers since the pandemic.

Megan Latimer, director of public safety for the District of Squamish, said that as the municipality continues to enforce the camping bylaw, they will emphasize education. Latimer says the biggest issues stemming from camping in the surrounding areas are human waste and trash, particularly with wildlife getting into the garbage.

“I have never seen so many reports about poop come across my desk,” said Latimer.

“When people show up and camp for a night or two and leave their garbage behind... if a bear gets into that, the bear is going to hang around that area.”

Latimer said only one ticket was handed out last year, and ticketing is a last resort for the district.

“Once you get to the enforcement point, that’s almost a failure of being able to educate and connect people with resources so they can recreate the bylaw.

“Something that I've been advocating for as a local resident... is to put more ‘leave no trace’ education signs everywhere,” said Pidgeon. “Instead, they've hired bylaw officers to kick people out that’re sleeping in their vehicles.”

Adrian Blachut, owner of Zephyr Café in downtown Squamish, has sympathy for van-lifers, though he argues there’s a right way and a wrong way to live out of a vehicle. He said he finds human waste and marijuana on walking trails, both of which can be toxic for his dogs. He also gets frustrated when some vanlife patrons spend excessive amounts of time in his café.

A shortage of affordable places to stay has also exacerbated the problem, he said.

Earlier this month, Langley City council approved a general property tax increase of 11.56 per cent to cover its new five-year financial plan, which covers 2023 to 2027.

Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal said the increase is to “close the gap” on infrastructure investment.

While some business owners and homeowners are complaining about the big tax hike, Pachal says renewing the 100-year-old sewer infrastructure will benefit local businesses and residents.

“We’re using the money to invest in our community,” Pachal said.

Cory Redekop, CEO of Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, said the unprecedented tax increase is “a huge challenge for business” as property taxes are just one of many taxes businesses face from various governments.

“That's on top of your payroll tax went up earlier this year,” Redekop said, adding that every dollar counts for small businesses.

“Whenever any tax or fee goes up, that's money that comes out of the business.”

Redekop said businesses are not only competing locally, but with businesses from other provinces, internationally and with e-commerce organizations like Amazon.

Redekop said small businesses are “not sitting on big pools of money that some people think they are,” and are not able to invest in their own operations such as marketing or hiring full-time employees.

“These are dollars that would go back into the business to make it more productive,” he said. “Instead, it is being pulled … out of the business and into government.”

“They're [businesses] not looking six years down the line. They're trying to get through the next six weeks or six months,” Redekop said. Businesses expect incremental tax increases, like three or four per cent, he said, which would be better than surprising them with something as large as this year’s increase.

Ken Boyce, owner of Kitchen Concepts in Langley, said such a large tax increase – about three times as high as last year’s – could cause some small businesses to shut down.

Boyce said business owners are “busy running their businesses trying to stay alive,” and he has seen a slowdown in activity for the past three months as people are concerned with the economy.

The city is allocating the property taxes in investments such as preparing for SkyTrain, renewing infrastructure, and improving public safety.

Pachal, the mayor, said SkyTrain will help local businesses by driving more traffic which will bring in more customers like other busy transit-oriented destinations, citing the Burnaby neighbourhoods of Metrotown and Brentwood.

The provincial government is distributing a one-time grant of $7.2 million to Langley City. But Pachal said he does not think the city can use that money to lower taxes, and even if it did, “all we would be doing is making a problem for next year.” responsibly,” said Latimer.

Latimer said the municipality has been putting up more “leave no trace” education signs, particularly in sensitive areas such as the town’s estuary.

Thomasina Pidgeon, director of an advocacy group called Vehicle Residents of Squamish, said the municipality has turned its back on the van-dwelling community with the camping bylaw, which she said scapegoats responsible vehicle residents.

Pidgeon said she knows some van-lifers won’t return to Squamish as they don’t feel welcome after

Bianca Peters, previously a member of Squamish’s Chamber of Commerce, suggests that there needs to be a distinction made between van-lifers who are in town for a weekend and those who live permanently in their vehicles in Squamish.

Peters said public facilities are lacking throughout the town and are insufficient for the massive influx of summer tourists.

“Where are the garbage cans on the Crown land? Where are the garbage cans in downtown? Where are the toilets?”