Winter 2022 | Free
Designing Innovation
Inside our innovation issue:
Unique eats and sips Wild winter fun Indigenizing education Extraordinary accommodations
hello squamish.
LOCAL EXPERIENCE. TRUSTED INSIGHT. DEDICATED SERVICE. rspace Squamish is now open. Visit rennie.com to connect with a local
vel
nip
eg
st.
cle
win
an
da
ve.
pemberton ave.
log
ger s ln
.
real estate advisor offering specialized Sea to Sky neighbourhood knowledge.
RSPACE SQUAMISH 38166 Cleveland Ave
rennie.com
RENNIE & ASSOCIATES REALTY LTD. A FULL SERVICE BROKERAGE.
Contents I N T R O D U C T I ON
6 Discovering
what we are made of
8
22
12
Fresh Tracks: interesting facts that make Squamish unique
26
Crafting a design and innovation hub
30
Reclaiming Sk _wx _wú7mesh through education
Changing up the steps to keep on dancing
If you are adventurous at heart, Squamish is a winter wonderland
Discover Squamish
32
16
28
Innovative Dining: One bite and sip at a time
Nothing average about these Squamish accommodations
Innovation is nothing new for Squamish real estate market
Cover
Volume 8 / Issue 2 WINTER 2022
publisher
Find us online at
Sarah Strother sstrother@wplpmedia.com
www.squamishchief.com published by
sales manager
Cathie Greenlees cgreenlees@squamishchief.com editor
squamishchief.com
Jennifer Thuncher jthuncher@squamishchief.com creative director / production
Amir Shahrestani ashahrestani@wplpmedia.com 4 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
The Leon Lebeniste building in the Squamish Business Park. Photo by David Buzzard
All rights reserved, reproduction of any material contained in this publication is expressly forbidden without the prior consent of the publisher.
Photo: UniqueFocus.ca
GIVING YOU THE CLEAREST VIEW OF THE SQUAMISH MARKET
For over 35 years, we have assisted buyers and sellers with local real estate. We take great pride in the fact that we live, work, and play in this community. Don’t you deserve a knowledgeable and experienced Realtor® who is as passionate and dedicated to Squamish as you are?
604.898.5904 BLACKTUSKREALTY.COM
Discovering what we are made of
PHOTO BY Alex Ratson GETTYIMAGES.CA
BY EDITOR JENNIFER THUNCHER
So much has happened over the last few years that none of us could have predicted. In Squamish — famously already a place for outside-the-box thinkers — it perhaps should not have been surprising that creativity has blossomed amid the pandemic. From dining to development to dance and beyond, folks have taken what has been — let’s be real — a really brutal time and made innovative beauty out of it. In 2020, when we put together our first of the pandemic Discover Squamish magazines, we all thought it was a one-off situation. We naively wondered if the mention of the coronavirus would date the publication. After all, it would be over in weeks if not months, right? Oh, the innocence of prepandemic thought. And so here we are, putting together another Discover 6 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
Squamish magazine that is sprinkled with mentions of COVID-19. What we didn’t expect was that it would get easier with time to accept the “new reality” and that along the way, we would discover another characteristic of Squamish we didn’t fully appreciate before — we are a tough lot who, by sheer force of will and nature, make the best of things. To be fair, we are bolstered by our inspiring landscape, which is always innovating and adapting outside our windows and under our feet. As I write this, tourism and daily life are fruitful in town
again; not the same as before, but — in fact — infused with more passion. There is so much in this town to discover and adore whether you have been here since birth or you arrived this morning for a visit. We hope you enjoy this edition of Discover Squamish as much as we truly enjoyed putting it together. Each page is proof of our sticktoitiveness and our belief in trying new and exciting things. Take a winter hike through our pages; we are glad you are here.
? DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN LOWER YOUR HEATING BILL WITH REGENCY?
www.regency-fire.com Zone heat with Regency Fireplace Products ts aand nd u aare re re you will have the ease of knowing that you saving money on your home heating. ce e, Using less than half the energy of a furnace, a Regency Fireplace allows consistant,, controllable and efficient heat to the nd d rooms you use most. Warm your home and lower your bills with Regency. 38136 Second Avenue, Squamish, BC
604.892.9800
joesfire@gmail.com www.joesfireplaceproducts.com
Brennan Park Recreation Centre 1009 Centennial Way 604.898.3604
Explore with us!
AVAIL
SPRIANBLE G 2 022
Guided Hiking Program
Adaptive Hiking Equipment
Mountain Bike Day Camps
Squamish Recreation Services squamishrecreationservices
squamishtown
squamish.ca/rec
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 7
Always there: Squamish SAR
Fresh Tracks small takes that make Squamish unique
Squamish Search and Rescue manager B.J. Chute at their Squamish base. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD 8 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
Squamish Search and Rescue saw a spike in emergency calls during the pandemic – and they are warning anyone who heads into the wilderness to be prepared for the worst. “It’s very important that people who are going to venture out into the backcountry — even the front country — of the Sea to Sky that they take an avalanche awareness course, that they invest some time into practising with their avalanche gear, their beacon, probe and shovel,” said B.J. Chute, director of operations for Squamish Search and Rescue (SAR). He strongly urges people to take 15 or 30 minutes to prepare before venturing out, checking weather and avalanche conditions and leaving behind a detailed trip plan that could massively speed up a rescue operation, if required. The Squamish SAR website (squamishsar.org) has detailed information on safety planning. Squamish Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer force of 70 team members, all of whom are equipped with advanced training. But circumstances like weather conditions and nightfall can prevent them from getting to lost or injured people, so they are telling everyone to be prepared to “self-rescue.” “Our winters typically in this area can be quite wet and dark and cold and anything people can do to combat the elements is going to be in their best interests in a survival situation,” he said. “If we are not able to fly into an area, or if somebody is in avalanche terrain, they really do need to be prepared — and prepared to the point of self-rescue, as any professional SAR team may have their response delayed because of circumstances outside of our control.” The Squamish team works in close conjunction with other regional SARs, especially those on the North Shore and in Lions Bay, Whistler and Pemberton. While every SAR team is equipped for all variety of rescue operations, Squamish is noted for an especially talented and innovative swift water response team. Whistler and Pemberton have specific expertise in avalanche response. So when either team needs backup, especially in areas where another team has recognized proficiency, they call on their neighbours. “We train to the same standards and we train together sometimes, which is an incredible system called mutual aid,” said Chute. The 10-year SAR volunteer, who is also a 28-year veteran paramedic with B.C. Ambulance Service, Chute estimates his rescue team will respond to 150 calls this year. Squamish SAR recently adopted an innovative and enhanced mapping software. “It allows us to live-track our SAR team members and we have the ability to link our calling party, our injured or lost subject, into our mapping system, where we can track their cell phones. It’s very user-friendly and easy for us now, if the person is in cell service, to find their GPS location.” Chute emphasizes that search and rescue is always free in the province. Someone who finds themselves in a situation should not hesitate to call 911, he said. “The earlier people can activate the 911 system, the earlier we can launch a response,” said Chute.
Skateboarding is a Squamish winter sport? Think skateboarding is only a summer thing in Squamish? Wrong. A diverse group of women shreds all year round on an indoor ramp at Airhouse Sports Academy (1201 Commercial Way Unit #401). The local women’s group, called Sister Shredders, are moving indoors for the winter — after skating at the local park over the summer — skating weekly on Thursdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The idea of the group is that women of any age, ability, orientation or background can show up and learn to skate or practise their moves. You don’t even need a board; someone will lend you one. The group started about three seasons ago. Check out what they are up to on Facebook and Instagram or just show up at Airhouse. Skateboarding at Airhouse Sports Academy. PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER
Got bitcoin? While there are some big city things Squamish doesn’t have — or want — don’t mistake us for rural, either. We have almost all the amenities you might find in a larger locale (locals might tell you we need a theatre and a bowling alley, but they rarely used them when we had them back in the day). Case in point, we have two cryptocurrency ATMs in town. HoneyBadger Inc. recently installed a bitcoin ATM in the Valleycliffe General Store, located at 1909 Maple Drive #104. “We believe in making bitcoin accessible to everyone,” said general manager Mike Kitt in the news release from HoneyBadger “As bitcoin becomes more mainstream, we want to ensure that people in every town and local community have access and are able to participate in it.” The Valleycliffe machine facilitates the buying and selling of cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency allows users to make payments and exchange digital currency instantaneously across the globe. There’s also a cryptocurrency ATM at Baltech Electronics on Second Avenue. It’s a one-way machine. “What that means is you can come to the ATM to purchase bitcoin. So you put money into the ATM and it will send you bitcoin. You can’t come to the ATM and get money out.” Baltech’s Philipe Balit told The Chief he will teach people about the currency in store. “I like educating people about it because I think it is a technology that is really interesting but quite nerve-wracking because it is money and something we are not really familiar with,” he said, adding once pandemic restrictions are fully lifted, he hopes to offer courses on it.
Bitcoin ATM in Valleycliffe. PHOTO COURTESY HONEYBADGER INC.
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 9
What is up with the Squamish Spit
Squamish Spit. PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS
The Squamish Spit is the artificial structure that juts out at the mouth of the Squamish River as it enters Howe Sound, adjacent to the Squamish Terminals. It is famous with watersports enthusiasts due to its access to our gusty Howe Sound wind and for its stunning views of Howe Sound, the Stawamus Chief and Shannon Falls. It was installed to serve industry in the 1970s, including the port, but studies have shown it has also detrimentally impacted fish stocks, particularly chinook salmon. To restore salmon connectivity between the Squamish River and the central estuary, the Squamish River Watershed Society, in partnership with Squamish Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, began the Central Estuary Restoration Plan in 2017. Though more controversial than many projects before it, this project is part of a continuum of work to restore habitat underway for the last 20 years in the Squamish Estuary. The next phase is to remove the middle of the Spit, but leave the tip intact as an island where kiteboarders can still launch from. The kiting community, and others who use the Spit for recreation, dog walking and the like, have protested the plan, arguing that it is too drastic and other solutions could be found. The Squamish Windsports Society, which represents its 800 or so kiters, has said it feels sideswiped that a realignment, which was part of earlier plans, is no longer happening. All agree the health of the fish is important. The start of demolition of the Spit is this fall. It is yet to be determined how kiters will use the remaining island for its season next summer. Find out more about the project at www.squamishwatershed.com/updates.
Squamish is Sk _wx _wú7mesh If you live, work, play or recreate while in Squamish, you are on the territory of the Coast Salish Sk _wx _wú7 mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). According to the Nation, the oldest of its archaeological sites within its territory — which includes areas surrounding Howe Sound and beyond - is 8,600 years old at Porteau Cove. The governing body of Squamish Nation is its Nexwsxwníw ntm ta Úxwumixw (council). The current council was elected on Sept. 26. This was a historic election for the Nation, as it was the first to be governed by the Squamish Nation Election and Referendum Law, which was approved through a referendum in 2018. This was the first time the laws had been changed since 1981. The electoral reform allows for online voting through the app OneFeather, the ability for both on-reserve and off-reserve members to vote and call referendums on subjects of their choosing. Changes to candidacy requirements and campaign rules were also made to improve transparency, the Nation said in a news release. “Included in those changes is a historic moment for Sk _wx _ wú7 mesh Úxwumixw marking the first time off-reserve members, located in Canada, [the United States], Germany, Belgium, Fiji, and New Zealand, have been able to participate in the voting process,” the Nation stated. One council chairperson, seven councillors, and one Band Manager serve a four-year term, which began in October. Find out more at squamish.net. 10 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
Welcome figure near Squamish Nation Totem Hall. PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER
CHIEFTAIN CENTRE MALL DOWNTOWN SQUAMISH
Save-On-Foods Panago Pizza Elaho Medical Clinic Shoppers Drug Mart T&A Nails Salon
Style Zone Fashions Connects Wireless-Bell Bisla Sweets & Restaurant Squamish Savings Stuntwood – Skate Shop
Keir Fine Jewellery Subway For Pet Sake Naked Lunch Zoge Boutique
Mandalorian Emporium Game Shop 1339 Pemberton Ave. Squamish
HISTORICAL Adventures Await
BritanniaMineMuseum.ca
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 11
Reclaiming S_kw_xwú7mesh through education
Student working a deer hide. PHOTO COURTESY BC PARKS PARTNER
12 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
PAT JOHNSON
A
n innovative Indigenous education program in Squamish is in its seventh year — and the school that houses it is about to get a more appropriate name. Aya7ayulh Chet (in English: Cultural Journeys) is a Kindergarten to Grade 6 program of choice that is grounded in Sk _wx _wú7 mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) culture, language and land. Learning Expeditions is a Grade 7 to 12 project-based learning program that continues the Indigenous learning through to graduation. Both programs take place in what has been known as the Stawamus School. The highly unique program was created when the former Stawamus Elementary School was going to be closed due to low enrolment numbers. "The school is so close to our Sk _wx _wú7 mesh reserve that the community really didn't want to see the school close," said Charlene Williams, Aboriginal culture and language worker at the school. The school district consulted with the community to determine if there were specific programs of choice — educational themes that would make it a magnet school. There was talk of creating an outdoor education school, but they heard from local families that they sought an Indigenous curriculum. "Our families really, really wanted there to be a place for their children to reclaim their culture and language," said Williams. "A lot of our families don't have those teachings to give, because of residential schools and colonialism. It was literally stolen from them, and they wanted to give that back." Now, in a belated acknowledgement, the school is about to get a revised name. Stawamus is an Anglicization of the pronunciation in the Sk _wx _wú7 mesh language. "I know it's been a source of contention for a lot of elders,
when we say Stawamus," said Williams. "It's always feels a little bit insulting." In fall 2021, a potlatch will be held to formally change the name to the more accurate pronunciation: St'a7mes. There are a tiny number of similar schools in the province – but St'a7mes may be an inspiration for more. Observers have visited from other parts of the province and even from Australia to see the school in action. "This is the first time we have had a culture and language immersion school," she said. "There are other culturally focused schools, but they are usually within Indigenous communities and really only open to that First Nation's community. Our school is different in that it is through the public school system, off-reserve, and it's in partnership with the school district and the Nation. My understanding is that there are less than six in B.C. that are like that." The cultural curriculum is very much tied to traditional Sk _wx _wú7 mesh seasonal activities. "Our culture, what was happening in our communities, depended on the season," Williams said. "For instance, coming up right now, we have the salmon run, so we're going to begin by learning about salmon. In kindergarten, they just start to learn about a salmon, why are they are coming here, they learn about salmon spawning, they learn about some Sk _wx _wú7 mesh salmon stories." Each grade will go out to the river and get a chance to do traditional gillnet fishing, followed by learning how to smoke and process the fish. "The science level of it varies
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 13
Understanding traditions is important for students, says educator Charlene Williams. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
Student working a deer hide. PHOTO COURTESY BC PARKS PARTNER
depending on the grade," Williams said. "Our older grades – three, four, five – they'll start learning about the anatomy of the fish. In higher grades, you start looking at the different types of restoration that have taken place. Why have salmon populations been dwindling? What is happening within our community to help restore salmon populations? You get to the higher grades and they start doing projects and interviews with Elders and knowledge keepers. It's all of the same subject, the season of the salmon, but the depths of learning grow as they get older." In the wintertime, teachers focus more around learning in the classroom. "They start learning wool weaving, storytelling, drumming and singing, history, learning about our First Nations neighbours," she said. "Then you get into the spring and we do a lot of focusing around plants, traditional medicinal plants, the different areas and the different types of plants that grow there, the plants that are in the estuary, the plants that are in the forests and meadows."
Students will usually do projects like making salves or lip balms. The program leans a lot on elders and knowledge keepers in the community, said Matthew Van Oostdam, land-based coordinator for the school. His job includes connecting with the right people in the community — fishers, Elders, knowledge keepers — to access their wisdom and connect it with the students in ways that dovetail with the curriculum being taught by Williams and other teachers. One particular partnership led to an innovative program at Alice Lake Provincial Park. "One of our knowledge holders is doing her PhD in ethnobotany so she's learning the modern science at university but also connecting that with traditional teachings of our elders," Williams explained. "She came in and was teaching the students about the types of plants that grow in Alice Lake because we spend a lot of time there." The students spoke to Elders about the kinds of plants that were used medicinally in the past, like cherry bark and barberry
trees. "We got a bunch of starts from this nursery on Vancouver Island and we planted in the trails throughout the park and we created signage," she said. "You can walk through a trail and you'll see different signs that talk about traditional uses of the plants. There is a QR code on there and when you scan it, the student's voice comes up and they introduce themselves in the language, they say the name of the plant in Sk _wx _wú7 mesh and then they talk about one of the teachings that they've learned about how to interact with that plant through respectful Sk _wx _wú7 mesh teachings, like the teachings of not picking too much, never taking more than you need, giving thanks and having gratitude for the plants. Each time, there is a teaching that one of the student's shares." There is emotion when Williams talks about how children learn a language and celebrate a culture that was aggressively and violently stolen from their parents and grandparents.
Educator Charlene Williams leads students in a song. PHOTO COURTESY BC PARKS PARTNER 14 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
grandparents. "They're so proud and I think a big part of it too is when they are coming home and they speak the language to their parents or their grandparents or aunties and uncles, there's just so much pride, a sense of excitement and pride," she said. "My uncle talked about his granddaughter coming home and teaching him how to count to 10 and just how proud he was of her. Kids see that and they recognize that and it's very special to them." About one-third of this year's 100 enrolled students are not Indigenous and Williams said they are equally enthusiastic about the curriculum. "They are excited too. A big part of that is because they know that they are a part of something big, a part of bringing back something that was on the verge of extinction. That's exciting," she said. "Having it being open to nonIndigenous students, we're creating allies like Canada's never seen before. These young non-Indigenous students are going to have an understanding about our culture like no other non-Indigenous person before them." Cedar Pidgeon is one of the non-Indigenous students who has attended the school. "You get to experience a lot of different opportunities that you wouldn't otherwise experience and just get a different, more unique perspective on where you live and the people there and you feel a real connection with those people," she said. "If you went to just another school, it would just be another school. When you go to Cultural Journeys or Learning Expeditions, you become part of this really close-knit community, and you have a lot of different teachings that you
wouldn't otherwise learn. It's a very unique experience that not the everyday person would be a part of. Especially during elementary school, having those influences and having those really good teachers who you're really close with, it's good because they shape the child into who you would want to put out in the world," Pidgeon said. Fellow student Hazel Paull, a Sk _wx _wú7 mesh First Nation member, said the education has made her more connected with her ancestry and the land. Both students cograduated from the program last spring and moved to Howe Sound Secondary. "One of the teachings is, when you go out into the world, you are representing not only yourself, but you are representing your mom, your dad, your auntie's and your grandparents," Paull said. The curriculum does not pull punches when dealing with the atrocities of the past. "We confront it head-on … in an age-appropriate way," Williams said. "A lot of times, we open the door with literature. … We talk about the unjust laws that were here in Canada and we do a lot of leaning on our elders to come and share their stories with the students. It's really important for us to share with our students that the reason a lot of our families don't have our culture is not a choice. It's not that it wasn't valuable to them, and it was important enough to them that they wanted to carry it on. It's because it was taken from them. That's why our school is so important because they have the opportunity to claim what was taken from their parents and grandparents. This learning we're doing is so important and it's not happening everywhere. It's a special place."
online shopping fast. easy. fresh I menu plan our meals for the week, “then I go online and buy what I need. The groceries are waiting for me to pick up at my local store; they even load up my car! Rebecca Coleman • cookingbylaptop.com
”
604.892.5976 • shop.saveonfoods.com
Stawamus School, which is soon to be renamed. PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER
TWO LOCATIONS
TO SERVE YOU IN SQUAMISH! 40147 Glenalder Place Garibaldi Village 604.898.8393
1321 Pemberton Avenue Chieftain Centre 604.567.2011 Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 15
INNOVATING DINING
One bite and sip at a time
A selection of traditional Persian dishes, Cyrus Café. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
16 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
PAT JOHNSON
R
estaurants are a notoriously precarious business.
To open a new eatery in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic requires a particular type of gutsiness. Chef Nikki Zamora and partner Stacy Thomas opened Cul de Sac Kitchen in December 2020. With a culinary bent influenced by Zamora’s Filipino heritage and a focus on “wholesome, hearty and really flavorful,” the pair have been grateful for the enthusiastic support they have felt from the community. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have reservations about the timing. But, perhaps counterintuitively, it was the pandemic situation itself that pushed them to launch. “I’ve been in this industry for 20 years,” Zamora said. “Because it’s always been my dream to open up a restaurant, it was like a now-or-never kind of situation because I was thinking, am I not going to have a job anymore due to the pandemic? It really pushed me towards opening.” They also opened in the traditionally slow winter season. “We could have waited till March but it was kind of in the right moment. It was right for us. We just went for it. We jumped the gun and really prayed hard, I guess,” she said, laughing. The restaurant offered curbside pickup and they partnered with local delivery company Just Call Terry to manage deliveries. The kitchen’s focus is on rice bowls, all of which are, Zamora said, “veganizable.” “We are an accessible kitchen, which means I keep my food accessible to vegetarians, vegans, glutenfree,” she said. For those who desire, meat proteins can be added on, including locally raised Asian pulled chicken and Filipino BBQ pork skewers or local sweet and peppery wild salmon. Vegans who want a protein burst can top up with chili garlic soy curls.
Also enthusiastically crediting the local community for helping make their launch a success is Thanh Nguyen, who opened Taste of Saigon Café at the beginning of the summer. The straightforward menu focuses on three specialties: pho, vermicelli rice noodles and Bánh mì, the Vietnamese sandwiches, with salad rolls and spring rolls on the side and a list of Vietnamese and classic coffees. Nguyen admits it was a gutsy move to open, but credits the community with stepping up in support. Gutsy is a term that seems equally apt for husbandand-wife team Ali Reza and Noushin Ahanian. They visited Squamish from their native Iran three years ago and fell in love with the place. They moved here and opened Cyrus Café in March this year. The original plan was to open in 2020, but when COVID did not subside, they had to make a choice. “We started anyway in 2021,” said Ali Reza, who is the business and management side, while Noushin is chef. “She cooks and I eat,” he said. They offer Persian specialties including uniquely herbed and sauced meatballs, stuffed bell peppers and tahchin, a crispy rice and chicken dish cooked with saffron, egg and yogurt garnished with barberries and pistachios. There are also breakfast and brunch specialties and always-freshbaked pastries. The first few months were strong, but they have seen a dip since summer wound up. However, other local restaurateurs tell them the winter is traditionally a strong season in the area. The new restaurant operators are optimistic, but the situation has been a challenge even for some of the long-established restaurants in town. Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 17
Ben Reeder, co-founder of Backcountry Brewing, pulls no punches. “It’s been a challenge, without a doubt,” he said. “We are struggling to stay open right now.” The changing regulations affecting restaurants in the province were tough enough to survive. But now that things are loosening up — limits on the number of diners at a table have been lifted and room capacity is now set at half of normal capacity, or 50 guests, whichever is greater — there are other problems. Reeder can’t staff his kitchen. “We’ve lost people in the kitchen and were not able to replace them,” he said. “For every person we gain, we lose two, it seems.” They have cancelled lunch Mondays to Thursday, opening at 3 p.m. instead of noon those days, and on two days, they have no kitchen service at all, instead welcoming food trucks to feed their clients. He can’t say for certain what the reasons are for the inability to recruit and keep staff, but he has a few theories. The ongoing federal wage subsidies for workers may have reduced some of the urgency for food service workers to get back on the job. Brits, Australians and eastern Canadians who make up a chunk of the service industry workers in the region may have scooted back home given the uncertainty. On the plus side, during their reduced hours, customers are happy to fill seats. “Thankfully, when we do open, people are ready to go,” Reeder said. “They’re parked outside, waiting for us to open.” Keeping the crowds happy in winter means some heartier fare, both on the food and on the drinks side. Braised beef brisket tacos are a new menu item and wintry beers are taking top billing. “There is a series of stouts coming out every six weeks or two months,” he said. “So these are warming-your-belly kinds of beers. They have a lot of adjuncts like cinnamon, coffee, chocolate malts. These are big, warm beers. We also have a nitro beer coming out called an extra special bitter.” Though this has been a very challenging time, and Reeder does not exhibit much optimism, he is grateful to the community. “We appreciate everyone’s patience with our ever-changing hours and adaptations to our menu because we’ve had to simplify things a bit. Hopefully, they all understand that this is not because we are being lazy,” he said, laughing. The so-called “temporary hours” have been in place for far longer than Reeder had hoped or expected. But he jokes he is not completely pessimistic. “There is my optimism right there — I’m still calling them temporary hours,” he said. Pat Allan, restaurant director and sommelier at the Salted Vine Kitchen + Bar, has a mixed response to the past year’s vagaries. At the height of the pandemic closures, they managed to do some
PHOTO [TOP] Chef Nikki Zamora and partner Stacy Thomas of Cul de Sac Kitchen. PHOTOS BY PHIL TIFO
FURNISHING Sea To Sky Homes For 33 Years
QUALITY HOME DECOR Quality home furnishings Custom solid wood furniture Sofas in fabric or leather Mattresses Unique accessories Competitive prices 18 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
604.892.6369 annasinteriors.ca 38052 Cleveland Ave SQUAMISH, BC
HAPPY HOUR | DINNER | WINE | COCKTAILS
MOST ROMANTIC / BEST CHEF BEST COCKTAIL / BEST SERVICE SQUAMISH CHIEF 2018 & 2019
TOP 30 NEW RESTAURANTS IN CANADA ENROUTE MAGAZINE 2017
BEST NEW RESTAURANT WHISTLER WHERE MAGAZINE 2017
JOIN US WEDNESDAYS TO SUNDAYS
37991 SECOND AVENUE, SQUAMISH (604) 390-1910 | SALTEDVINE.CA @SALTEDVINE
EAT DR INK EN JOY
DINNER • DRINKS TAKEOUT • DELIVERY Order Online: Pepeschophouse.com
604-898-3606
Ali Reza and Noushin Ahanian of the Cyrus Café. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
2020
takeout business that at least kept some of the team employed and the restaurant afloat. “But we’re not really known as a take-out restaurant, so I didn’t make any money,” he said. The summer, which was comparatively gangbusters, at least in comparison with the previous year, may have been a pent-up demand for a proper dining out experience. As the days get shorter, Allan expects diners to focus on their winter favourites, such as braised beef short rib, mushroom risotto and gnocchi with Bolognese sauce. Cheesecakes, pavlovas and white chocolate panna cotta are currently on offer, but “dark chocolate is going to replace something — we’re not sure what yet,” said Allan. Locavore Bar + Grill and the adjacent Cloudburst Café benefitted from their airy space in the Garibaldi Highlands. “We were fairly lucky just with the amount of patio space that we have,” said Grace Dwight, general manager of both places. Also, she said: “Our indoor space is pretty outdoors. A lot of people felt safe here.” The back-and-forth of loosening and tightening of health guidelines have left her team feeling uncertain. “Every time it seems to get better, there is always something that comes again,” she said. “We’re taking it weeks at a time, rather than big planning.” This winter, diners will warm up with their rotating menu of soups, such as corn and leek bisque, butternut squash and chanterelle mushroom. A special, temporary three-course-style menu that the chef is still conjuring will be available for inrestaurant or takeout dining. Restaurants may have been taking it on the chin, but Dwight is upbeat. “We are hopeful and we are sticking in there,” she said. “Everyone’s really awesome — customers and the community. We’re hoping that we all can get through this.”
/THESALTEDVINE
40359 Tantalus Way, Squamish
BEST STEAK BEST PASTA BEST FAMILY DINNING
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 19
Shopping Shopping& services & servicesatatone oneco
Located Located onon thethe Sea-to-Sky Sea-to-Sky Highway Highway atat thethe entrance entrance toto Garibaldi Garibaldi Highlands Highlands
GROUND GROUND FLOOR FLOOR
London London Drugs Drugs Mark’s Mark’s Urban Urban Alpine Alpine Outfitters Outfitters Samurai Samurai Sushi Sushi Reflex Reflex Supplements Supplements Concrete Concrete Blonde Blonde Studio Studio TomTom Harris Harris Cellular/Telus Cellular/Telus Freshslice Freshslice Pizza Pizza
Freshii Freshii Booster Booster Juice Juice Kitchen Kitchen Quickies Quickies Escape Escape Route Route Mtn.Mtn. Gear Gear Westland Westland Insurance Insurance BC BC Liquor Liquor Store Store Billies Billies House House
SECOND SECOND FLOO FLO
Optomeyes Optomeyes Optome Opt MacLeod & Co. MacLeod & Co. Acc Mountain Orthodon Mountain Orthod Anytime Fitness Anytime Fitness Architectur AKAAKA Architecture LifeMark Physiothe LifeMark Physio
onvenient convenientSquamish Squamishplaza plaza
OR OOR
tometry etry Accounting counting ntics dontics s re eraphy otheraphy
CRAFTING A DESIGN AND INNOVATION HUB PAT JOHNSON
The Leon Lebeniste building in the Squamish Business Park. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
22 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
S
omething big is brewing between two of Squamish's craft breweries. A striking new building in the Squamish industrial park — roughly between A-FRAME Brewing and Backcountry Brewing — is the new home of Leon Lebeniste Fine Furnishings and Architectural Woodwork. Owner Jon Hewitt has specialized in high-end interior woodworks in the Sea to Sky for more than a decade. In the spring, he moved the operation into the new 28,000-square-foot building. "It's architecturally significant," he said of the new digs. "Many people have said that it's the nicest building in Squamish." While the exterior may be striking — as is the interior, with an imposing grand staircase — it is Hewitt's
plans of making the site a hub for innovation and design lovers that gets the Montreal native riled up. The main floor of the two-storey structure will be the factory and showroom for Leon Lebeniste. Upstairs, Hewitt foresees a café or small restaurant alongside a couple of complementary craftspeople or manufacturers. "The idea is that it's a boutique café where our products are for sale," he said. "It will be a beautiful physical environment, kind of like the places you might have at a university, where there's a nice café and smart people hanging out having these conversations over really good coffee, a really good place for the community to be." The rest of the second floor, which also features a stunning patio with
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 23
views of the mountains, can be configured to welcome two or possibly more companies, which Hewitt says will be a magnet for folks driving through town. "The idea is if you're driving down the Sea to Sky Highway, our building is a beacon of incredible design and manufacturing," he said. "Imagine stopping in at the Louis Vuitton factory to have a really nice coffee and see remarkable things being brought to life." Hewitt and his team have been working primarily on luxury homes in the area since he moved west in 2009. (While Hewitt will respond if called Leon, there is no person named Leon Lebeniste – Leon is Hewitt's dog and "lebeniste" is French for cabinetmaker.) A recent home project saw $1.5 million in interior woodwork alone. But while Hewitt acknowledges that his business aims at a niche clientele, he adds: "The last thing we would ever want to be is pretentious." The new showroom exhibits will be dining tables and chairs, coffee tables, upholstered wooden sofas, and a growing range of made-to-order furnishings. While the space is open to the public during weekday business hours, Hewitt acknowledges they are in a sort of "soft opening" phase. As a design destination, it is still evolving as they vet potential tenants for the second floor. Since he expects they will be neighbours for several decades, Hewitt is taking his time to find the right fit.
The eye-catching new building is a culmination of Hewitt's dreams, though he did not start out designing and building furniture and residential woodwork. He was studying mechanical engineering in Kingston, Ontario, but found himself in the machine shop as often as not. "I wanted to design and manufacture things rather than study thermodynamics," he said. "So I stopped pursuing mechanical and I ended up going to school in Montréal." He studied at Ecole Nationale du Meuble et de L'Ebénisterie. While Hewitt is the principal and visionary of Leon Lebeniste, he credits "an amazing design team" for their achievements. "The design development truly is teamwork," he said. Hewitt is especially effusive about Ryan Westfahl, who he calls "the Michael Jordan of 3D modelling." They use computer numerical control machining —"Imagine computercontrolled robots that make amazing things," said Hewitt — and Westfahl is the master. "He is a tremendously talented guy," Hewitt said. "He's been at the source of many of the most remarkable things we've ever made." Squamish is renowned for lots of things – hiking, climbing, watersports and all variety of outdoor activities. Hewitt and the Leon Lebeniste team aim to build a reputation as a creative hub for those who want their interiors to be as stunning as the local landscape.
PHOTO [TOP] Leon Lebeniste CEO Jon Hewitt. PHOTO [BELOW] Leon Lebeniste CEO Jon Hewitt with CNC router designer Ryan
Westfahl in the new building in Squamish. PHOTOS BY DAVID BUZZARD
24 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
LIFE IS BETTER HERE OPEN: MONDAY - FRIDAY 11AM TO MIDNIGHT SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10AM TO MIDNIGHT
DAILY FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS
41101 Government Rd, Brackendale, BC V0N 1H0 @thewatershedgrill THEWATERSHEDGRILL.COM Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 25
Act Alive Academy in action in downtown Squamish. PHOTO BY ANGELA BLISS PHOTOGRAPHY
CHANGING UP THE STEPS TO KEEP ON DANCING PAT JOHNSON
26 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
G
etting through the past two years has taken innovation and creativity. For the most creative folks in Squamish, this has meant adapting to constantly changing health regulations. Local dance and performing arts groups were forced to shut down abruptly in March of 2020. As vaccinations rates rise, classes and rehearsals are returning to comparative normal – with hopes that the days of uncertainty are past. Looking back, some Squamish thespians are surprised at their students’ resilience — and reminded of the importance of what they do. The timing of the pandemic’s onset was especially harsh for some dance groups. “Typically, March and April are the most exciting months for our dance family,” said Sara Constantin, owner of Squamish Dance Centre. The sudden shutdown meant the annual competitions with other studios across the Lower Mainland were cancelled. “We also have, in June typically, our weeklong recital performance that everyone participates in at the Eagle Eye Theatre. It’s always pure magic,” she said. “In March 2020, when we were gearing up going into all of those festivities, it was so hard for us to close our doors, and it really took a toll on a lot of our kids because they look forward to that. It was almost like dangling a carrot in front of these children and just taking it away.” Having now missed two seasons, Constantin hopes that next spring will be a time of rejuvenation. “We still haven’t returned to the recital stage, but we are holding out hope that the coming competition and recital season will be our
time to shine again,” said Constantin. Despite all the challenges, Constantin and her team are proud of how they maintained morale and creativity during the most challenging months. “Once we decided to close our regular weekly classes and cancel recital, myself and all my amazing teachers and administration staff decided to give virtual teaching a try,” she said. “It was super popular, went very well. “It went fairly easy,” she recalled. “We just continued classes like we normally would in the classroom, just in our home with the screen in front of our face.” The kids were on their laptops or iPads, and some families connected the devices to their TV so they would have the big screen in the living room. “Not only did we adapt, but our dance families did an awesome job adapting to accommodate virtual dance classes as well,” she said. The curriculum changed to suit the medium. What is normally an end-of-session stage performance transitioned to a film project. To supplement the components of the experience that were not possible, they introduced new aspects. They started interactive storytimes for preschoolers, journaling sessions and interviews with teachers so students could get to know them better as individuals. They even held a virtual slumber party. “It was supposed to end at eight or nine, but I ended up staying up with the kids until 12 or one in the morning and we just hung out,” Constantin recalled. “We played games. You can screen-share on Zoom, so I screen-shared a movie, and we all ate popcorn and watched the movie together. It was a lot of fun.” As they launch the new season, the centre has 530 registered dancers across the age spectrum. About 150 are preschoolers, about 100 are elementary school-aged, 250 are teens, and 70 or 80 are adults, including some in their 60s. While dance is the name of the game, that actually took a backseat during this period. “Teaching became our second priority,” Constantin said. “Just making everybody feel like magic and welcomed and embraced was our first priority the last year-and-a-half. Just sharing compassion and making sure everybody feels included and seen and heard and loved and supported is our mission for the next year and a bit, no matter what happens.” “No matter what happens” is a key phrase. Everything the dancers and teachers have been through has given Constantin confidence that together they can master whatever comes next. “I feel pretty prepared,” she said, noting that regulations can turn on a dime and so will their response. “We’ll seamlessly either go back on Zoom or be able to adapt our policies.” Supporting individuals became the watchword for Act Alive Academy, as well. The performing arts and yoga studio survived and thrived during the lockdown thanks to “our sense of community,” said Jessica Kelly, owner and artistic director. “That’s really what’s gotten us through this past year-and-ahalf,” she said. That sense of unity and camaraderie translated almost seamlessly to the virtual realm, she added. “It was actually a blessing for them because they were not seeing each other at school, so to get this time of community really strengthen us,” said Kelly. “The strongest thing about us is really our studio culture. The kids are so welcoming, they are so inclusive … they are there for each other and they really have each other’s backs. People will recommend to other kids, if you’re having a hard time in school and want a good group of friends, sign up for Act Alive. The kids there are so friendly and welcoming; it gives a really good social experience for kids.” Typical classes are two hours and cover singing, dancing and acting lessons. They managed to salvage a climax of the season by practicing a musical theatre performance online and then staging it outdoors in a park. There are challenges, of course, in keeping the attention of kids when their pets and toys are just off-screen — and the time lag inherent with online communications makes singing practice especially challenging — but things ultimately came together in
ways most people might not have predicted at the get-go. “It was amazing,” Kelly said. “They were so together. They managed to pull it off really well. It looked like a really wellrehearsed number, which was amazing to me because they had never been in-person before.”
Adults-only dance Like most studios, Gerald Coté, co-owner with wife Robin Coté of GNR Dance, had to completely shut down for the first few months of the pandemic. When restrictions eased, one-on-one classes (with masks) resumed. Last fall, when there was a window between COVID surges, they reopened to classes, but these were quickly shut down as the situation reversed. GNR’s clientele are adults, mostly in their mid-30s to their 50s and 60s, with classes in ballroom, Latin and swing, among others. At a time when social connections are stunted and the potential for sluggishness is high, dance can be a physical and emotional lift. No matter what the future holds, local dancers and performing artists seem determined to find ways to continue sharing their passion and their craft.
PHOTO [TOP] Gerald Coté and Robin Coté. PHOTO COURTESY GNR DANCE PHOTO [BELOW] An excited Act Alive dancer. BY ANGELA BLISS PHOTOGRAPHY
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 27
PAT JOHNSON
Nothing average about these Squamish accommodations
T
here is something to be said for familiarity. At the end of a stressful day of meetings or a tiring bout of sightseeing, a cookie-cutter chain hotel room with no surprises can be a welcome respite. For those inclined to a little less predictability, Squamish has a few options – with another set to launch. Nestled in a five-and-a-half-acre idyll are Sunwolf’s 12 riverside cabins. In truth, just moments away from downtown Squamish and an hour from the metropolis of Vancouver, guests sometimes call the resort from the road because they fear they have diverted onto a lane to nowhere. (The proprietors urge guests to ignore their GPS and follow the provided directions.) If persistent, they will eventually arrive at a compound where the Cheakamus and Cheekye rivers meet, in Brackendale. “It kind of hits you out of nowhere,” said Zuzia Wodzynska, Sunwolf Riverside Resort’s office manager. “People don’t expect to find us where we are. For being so close to town and so close to a big city and so close to a world-class resort, we feel like a complete tear-away from all that rush.” For a more rustic, slow-paced stay than a highway-side chain hotel or the glitz of Whistler, Sunwolf’s cabins offer a different style of stay but still just moments from everything the region has to offer. “People who come here will use it as a jumping-off point for their winter adventures,” she said. “A lot of times, they’ll stay here with us if they’re going snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the Callaghan Valley or if they’re going to go snowmobiling. If they’re looking for an alternative to the Whistler resort town vibe, they’ll come and stay with us in the cabins. … They are pretty simple cabins, but they’ve got everything you might need.” That includes fireplaces in every cabin (two of them woodburning) and all cabins are pet-friendly, so the canine kids can curl up cozily with the rest of the family. Also on site is the award-winning brunch destination, Fergie's Café, where folks — guests at the resort or not — wolf down benedicts and coffee to fuel the Sea-to-Sky frolics. Closer to the action — a lot closer — is Crash Hotel, the fresh remake of the old landmark Chieftain Hotel. Rooms come equipped with earplugs and general manager Chad Hubbs does not dispute the characterization of the inn as “party central.” “We’re not a typical little boutique hotel,” he said. “We’re above a bar. We’re not trying to be anything other than that because sometimes there is noise on the weekend. We cater to the younger, more energetic crowd that wants to stay out till all hours of the night.” The bar, now called The Goat, is the reinvention of the (in)famous Chieftain tavern, where generations of loggers and other resource workers guzzled Lucky Lagers. The rough edges are decidedly smoothed over. “The bar is completely gutted and changed out,” said Hubbs. “We have a ton of arcade games in there and pool tables.” He describes it as a cross between “a party pub and a sports bar.” If one does make it upstairs, the 27 rooms are entirely unique, each decorated by local artists and designers with a flair reflecting the Squamish vibe. In the morning, nab a “stay-and-play” promo, such as the Shred Shuttle to Whistler where, Hubbs said, guests can access the resort town “without all the crazy fuss and expense up there.”
28 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
Another unique offering is in the pre-development stage. Construction will begin in about a year on a new, 48-unit “microhotel” on Cleveland Avenue. The Beldi Micro Hotel will open in about two-and-a-half years, offering everything you expect in a hotel room — only smaller. The roughly 200-square-foot rooms will be equipped with king size, queen size or bunk beds, as well as a full bathroom, but no couches or frills. It is a hotel focused around fun, said Rodney Wilson, a partner in the new hotel who is also the president of Airhouse Sports Academy in town. “It’s aimed at Millennial travellers to Gen Xers, a younger crowd that are more interested in the lifestyle and activities and social aspects of a hotel, rather than a fancy spa,” he said. In addition to a ground-floor restaurant, Beldi will have a rooftop patio that serves as a café in the early part of the day and transitions to a cocktail and champagne bar as the sun wanes. Because the rooms are small, there will be a storage area for outdoor gear. While the hotel itself won’t have a raft of amenities, they will offer a concierge-type service linking guests with existing local adventure options like e-bikes, river tours, eagle-watching or shuttles to the ski hills. There are plenty of accommodations in Squamish for all tastes and budgets. These three offerings expand the ways to stay, especially for those who want to immerse themselves in the place they are visiting. PHOTO [TOP] A rendering of the upcoming Beldi Micro Hotel. PHOTO BY BELDI MICRO HOTEL. PHOTO [BOTTOM] CRASH hotel. PHOTO BY PAULA OWEN PHOTOGRAPHY
SERVICES:
AUTOMOTIVE HD TRUCKS WELDING INDUSTRIAL TOOLS & SAFETY
TRAVELLING? WE ARE OPEN EARLY
TAKA RAMEN + SUSHI SQUAMISH
High Quality and Authentic Taste
MON-FRI 6am - 5pm | SAT 8am-5pm
TEL: 604 892-5951 1003 INDUSTRIAL WAY, SQUAMISH www.tritonautoindustrial.com
38065 Cleveland Ave Squamish (604) 390-0077 | takaramensushi.com
PURCHASE RENEW REFINANCE
604.892.4647
38155 SECOND AVENUE, SQUAMISH, BC mellis@telus.net www.micheleellis.com
MORTGAGE GROUP INC
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 29
If you are adventurous at heart, Squamish is a
Winter Wonderland PAT JOHNSON
Rafting down a local Squamish river. PHOTO BY AMIR SHAHRESTANI 30 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
T
he Sea-to-Sky region is truly a year-round outdoor playground. While some recreational activities are more enjoyable in summer — swimming, kiteboarding, hiking — the hardy souls who inhabit Squamish are rarely put off by a bit of mist, snow, hail, sideways downpours, mercury-shrinking temperatures or black clouds hovering just above the forehead. Winter is not something locals just put up with. It is a time to get innovative and relish new ways of enjoying the natural splendour of our heavenly corner of earth. Most visitors do not arrive in town with snowshoes or toboggans in tow, so most of what you need you can rent. (COVID-19 restrictions have affected some offerings, so check ahead to avoid disappointment.) Nordic skiing in the Callaghan Valley or snowshoeing in the trails above town are entry-level activities that don’t take too long to get a newbie in the groove. Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Squamish and Whistler Olympic Park offer skis, snowshoes and other equipment for rent. Sledding or tubing are all-ages activities as easy as grabbing a cheap saucer or tube at Canadian Tire. Equally family-friendly with absolutely no entry cost is one of the natural phenomena that help define Squamish’s identity. Winter is eagle season around here. The imposing birds are almost unavoidable in certain times and places — but enthusiasts head to the aptly named Eagle Run viewing shelter and Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park for the best views. For an even more immersive observation of the impressive guests wintering here, a gentle raft trip down the local rivers can offer a memorable experience. Landlubbers might not associate river rafting with winter, but this time of year is actually ideal for people of all ages and abilities to get out on the water, says Sam Bell of Squamish Rafting Company. “There’s no rapids or anything,” she said. This is unlike some of their summer offerings, which can take rafters a little more on the wild side. “Just bundle up and go on the river for a little float with the guides, see some eagles and some wildlife … and then, after, you get some chili as well.” These trips see a clientele that leans more toward multigenerational families and older adults. Last year, with the pandemic-shuttered borders, U.S. visitors were almost nonexistent, and Bell predicts this year will see a spike of foreign visitors returning, as well as a hefty slice of Vancouverites and other comparatively local folks enjoying their own figurative backyard. While the company’s half-day and full-day options in the summer offer a variety of skill and adventure levels, the winter options are chill in every sense of the word. “There is no experience needed,” Bell said. “Anybody can go out there. It’s very accessible for everybody.” Squamish is especially magical when graced with snow. Of
course, far more common is a less solid form of precipitation, so Christy Allan, director of sales, marketing and guest services for the Sea to Sky Gondola has a reminder. “When it’s raining in the valley, it’s very often snowing at the summit,” she said. If the dreary rain is making you miserable, go up to cheer up. The spectacular gondola ride to the panoramic peak makes getting there half the fun. Once at the top, choose from two interpretive loop trails, cantilevered viewing platforms, the awe-inspiring Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and the general magnificence of the alpine atmosphere. Snowshoeing and, for the more experienced, backcountry skiing are also on offer. A tubing park invites family-friendly fun. Both tubes and snowshoes are available for rent. Warming up adds to the enjoyment in Summit Lodge, where wintery hot drinks, rib-sticking comfort food and Christmas spirit finish off the experience. “We are really going to lean into the winter programming and get people outside,” Allan said. From the highest point in town, you can survey Howe Sound and choose your next adventure. Looking down, the compact nature of town is a reminder of how much hospitality is packed into a few blocks. Whatever outdoor activities you have gotten up to, no one needs an excuse for an après event. There are about a dozen craft breweries and cideries in Squamish and the Squamish Adventure Centre has a “trail map” (also available online) to guide you through the tastings. Raise a glass to a wonderful winter! PHOTO [TOP] Sea to Sky Gondola. PHOTO COURTESY SEA TO SKY GONDOLA PHOTO [BELOW] Squamish in the winter means eagle spotting!
PHOTO BY AMIR SHAHRESTANI
Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 31
PAT JOHNSON
Innovation is nothing new for Squamish real estate market, say realtors
W
hen the pandemic first shut down the global economy in March 2020, plenty of observers predicted economic catastrophe. When it was clear that it would take more than 14 days to flatten the curve, businesses were faced with prolonged closures; employees were out of work and governments everywhere frantically sought innovative ways to stave off an economic recession — or even a depression. So it is with a bit of disbelief that we look back on the past two years and see not financial ruin but, in some cases, a roaring economy. Certain sectors are doing better than others — but few have seen the explosive commotion that real estate is experiencing. Was Lisa Bjornson, managing broker of Royal LePage Black Tusk Realty, surprised by the market in the last year? “That might be an understatement,” she deadpanned. Summing it up in one word, the veteran local realtor describes the situation: “Manic.” This is not limited to Squamish or the Sea-to-Sky region, she clarifies. She has family in Ontario and Nova Scotia who
testify to raging markets there too. But Squamish has been in a wild realty pattern for a long time — and the changes brought about by the pandemic created a sort of perfect storm to catapult the market here further into the stratosphere. Above all, perhaps, is the sudden dawning that many people do not need to show up at an office every day to get their work done. “Working from home remotely has most definitely changed where people live,” said Bjornson. Another major factor is low interest rates. Cheap money has made mortgages more affordable. On top of this, the things on which most people spend disposable income — travel, restaurants, new cars
New Squamish townhouse construction. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
— have been curtailed. Travel has been verboten, restaurants have faced onagain-off-again closures, and supply chain issues can make buying a new car nearly impossible. “People are not spending money,” Bjornson said. “There’s a whole ton of money out there … why not put it in something tangible, i.e. real estate? It’s fixed, it’s constant, it brings a great return over time, and you have to live somewhere.” All of these things have led to some stunning statistics. Although there has been a bit of plateau in recent weeks, the
TOP HAT
2 FOR 1 PIZZA
Focus on the Beauty Around You..
604.898.9191 40386 TANTALUS WAY
32 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
1362 Pemberton Ave. Squamish
604-892-5615 | precisionoptical.ca
LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED
CAMPING • OUTDOOR FUN • OUTDOOR LIVING • CAR CARE • COOKING & BAKING • HOME LIVING TOOLS & HARDWARE • GARDEN CENTRE • PAINT & ACCESSORIES
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE - MON-SAT 8am-5pm 1851 Mamquam Road Store: 604 898 2227 Auto Service: 604 898 5554 CanadianTire.ca Store Hours: Monday - Thursday: 8am - 8pm Friday: 8am - 9pm Saturday: 8am - 7pm Sunday: 9am - 6pm
WORK - PLAY - RELAX
40270 Glenalder Place, Garibaldi Village | 604-892-5855 Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 33
big picture remains vibrant. Single-family home sales are up 35% this year over last; townhomes are up 48%, and apartments up 47%. Bjornson cautions that the market was basically shut down for three months last year, but the raw numbers are nevertheless a sign of anything but an economic crisis. Unsurprisingly, prices have likewise risen. Singlefamily home prices are up 22%, townhomes 23% and apartments 20%. Like all industries, realtors have had to innovate. But Bjornson insists that is no challenge for her sector. “We’ve always been on the cutting edge,” she said. The real estate industry was an early adopter of websites, of computer-driven data, of electronic signature programs and, more recently, of using drones to capture a property’s big picture, she said. While she did not expect
a bullish year like the one we’ve had, Bjornson also notes that the received wisdom on economic matters does not always apply to real estate. People might expect real estate to follow when the stock market falls, but the reverse sometimes happens, counterintuitively. “You would think real estate should follow suit and it often doesn’t because money will flee to real estate because it’s solid,” she said. She added that the last quarter of 2020 was probably the best three months most realtors have ever had. She said things slowed significantly this summer, which may have come as a relief to some exhausted realty professionals. Buyers may also be experiencing burnout. Fellow realtor Barbara Gloor, of Re/ Max Sea-to-Sky Real Estate, echoes some of Bjornson’s observations and adds that, from a purchaser’s perspective,
Squamish realtor Barbara Gloor of Re/Max Sea to Sky Real Estate in front of one of her recently sold listings. The house sold for $100,000 over the asking price in six days. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
Oceanfront Squamish
Carbon Engineering. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
34 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
A massive, 100-acre development of new homes and businesses, is reshaping the waterfront of Squamish, with green spaces and water access from the peninsula at the heart of the Squamish Estuary. The 2,500 homes are anticipated to house 6,500 people, with 11 acres of oceanfront parks and 14 more public spaces. The areas are envisioned coming alive with public events, live music, arts and gatherings. Bars, restaurants, coffee shops and artisan retailers will be concentrated at the south of the site, adjacent to Sp’akw’us Feather park. A designated area is zoned for education and institutions, and hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial and office space aims to attract new and local businesses.
The developer, Matthews West, plans to institute innovative building practices, apply unique civil engineering designed for climate resilience and establish ecological restoration of the site from its post-industrial contaminated state. These include the construction of the Carbon Engineering Innovation Center (CEIC), a direct air capture plant and Carbon Engineering’s first commercial plant that captures carbon dioxide directly out of the atmosphere. Electric vehicle infrastructure will be integrated into the community. And the increased intertidal marsh area will display native plant species. The park is anticipated to be completed in two years, along with the presentation centre. The initial construction phase, including the first purposebuilt office building and 100 units of housing with ground floor commercial along the main road, will also commence in the next 24 months.
Get ahead of the pack. this market is anxietyinducing. “You can feel the panic,” she said. “People want to get into a home now that they can live outside of the city they want to get out of the city. There is a shortage of inventory, so there’s always five or six people bidding on the same home.” To stand a chance of having their bids accepted, potential buyers have to take a chance and skip any conditions or subjects. “It’s very emotional,” said Gloor. While buyers may revel in having their home snapped up quickly — and over asking price — they too then face the same problem. Now in the position of looking for a new home, the tables have turned as sellers become buyers and they are now the ones competing against a raft of other buyers. Gloor said she had to innovate and get used to unfamiliar technologies when the pandemic hit, moving from
real-life meetings and open houses to virtual ones. Did she master the technology? “I didn’t,” she laughed. “I hired somebody to do it for me.” At the start of the pandemic, Gloor redirected a chunk of her marketing budget to social media. “Everybody was sitting at home, couldn’t go anywhere, couldn’t socialize with anybody, what else could they do but be on the internet?” she said. “That was my market. Everybody was there.” Common sense might suggest a slowdown, but neither realtor sees that happening anytime soon. Says Bjornson: “I believe we’re just going to have more of the same through the rest of this year anyway. Then… who knows?”
New Squamish townhouse. PHOTO BY DAVID BUZZARD
• • • • •
Social Google Websites Programmatic SEO/SEM
Glacier Media Digital experts help businesses succeed online. Contact us for a free digital audit
604-892-9161 ads@squamishchief.com Winter 2022 Discover Squamish | 35
Municipal Pound
y ee k Ch
e
r ve Ri
ME Stump Lake
Fawn Lake
North to Whistler Whistler, Pemberton, D’Arcy
Edith Lake
Alice Lake
RD
Q
Brackendale
Ju dd
NT
M AM
SQUAMISH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
RI S
S LO UGH
HARDWIRED FOR
SQUAM
Welcome to Squamish, where t It’s all here - mountain biking, h the eagles in Brackendale and s
ugh Slo
Garibaldi Go ver
Creek
h nc Ra
ent
Willow Cresc.
Spawning
p Ho
nm
Mamq Eleme
14
Fries C
reek
Garibaldi Highlands
99
GARIBALDI ESTATES
Quest University Canada
Diamond Hea
e re
Ri
k
E
r
Glenalder Place
E
F
ve
10
28
Mamquam Rd
see inset
te
ua m
is h
hi as M
Sq
Golf Course
rC
Brennan Park Recreation Centre
Ma mq
25
SQUAMISH BUSINESS PARK
Rd
ua
mR iver
see inset North
ay
Railw
Es Inte T
Downto
Y Yards
RCMP
36 Dentville
Downtown Squamish see inset
Smoke Bluffs
The Plateau
St
r
a Ch
am aw St
el nn
H F
Mam
u
E
Valleycliffe alleycliffe
Chief Viewpoint The Squaw
Howe Sound
Shannon Falls
k Cree Olesen South To Furry Creek Britannia Beach Porteau Cove Lions Bay Horseshoe Bay Vancouver
Sha nnon Cre
1
ek
ith
bra
Gal
The Stawamus Chief
to N
C
L
Ave
h Squamish Yach
eac
nB exe
ancouver Vancouver
qua m
Bli nd
sR
i ve
E
Squamish River Estuary
Boat ramp
Clu
1000 feet 300 metres
locat
Britannia Mine Museum 10 minutes South in Britannia Beach
R ADVENTURE
MISH
DISCOVER Squamish
the ocean meets the mountains in Sea to Sky country. It is the home of incomparable outdoor recreation and unforgettable West Coast culture. hiking, mountain climbing, kitesurfing, sailing. Home of the famous Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival, the epic Sea to Sky Gondola, so much more! Squamish has a unique arts & culture community and an unsurpassed variety of places to shop, dine & relax.
t men n r e Squamish Gov
business park
CN Railway
Ave
Spit
4th
surfing
Ave
Rock
26
Eaglewind Blvd mb
Loggers Ln
Washrooms
U Siyam Pavilion
21
27
4
15
5
Cleveland Ave
Ave Squamish
20 Station
ton Ave
Channel
Hunter
er mb
VC
visitorschoice.com
Like us. Follow us. Get VC on your mobile.
Blind
Squamish Elementary School
22
Loggers Ln Pe
am Mamqu
Howe Sound Secondary School
y
33
12
Farmers’ Market
y
31
S H O P P I N G
ht Gov’t ub Dock
wwwmapgraphicscom tions approximate
TAKA RAMEN + SUSHI
18
Buckle
Cleveland Ave
Park
7
Chieftain Centre Mall
ile
24
Ave
29
Ba
34
2nd
19 6
Winnipeg
Ave
Main
2nd
9
Victoria
St
11
e Av
Municipal r 16 Hall ry Library 35
B
St
Ave
St
St
3rd
on
Ave A
ley
k uc
ert
3rd
e Av
Pe
5th
Castle
To Whistler
Brennan Park Sports Fields
to Wind
Victoria V
own Squamish
Ave
Brennan Park 24 Recreation centre
Access
St
wwwmapgraphicscom
6th
99
Finch Dr
stuary erpretive Trails
Discovery Way
2
To Vancouver
Aspen Rd
Way
Enterprise
St Magee
Starview
Progress Way
3
nm
en t
Rd
Wenda Pl
G ov er
rs Brothe Pl
Tantalus Pl
Sunrise Pl
Clark Rd
Pioneer Way
Squamish Business Park
Midway
Tantalus Rd.
Black Tusk
ad
Production Way
Newport Ridge Dr.
Tantalus Way 13 8
Cheakamus Way
Diamond Rd
32
Enterprise Pl
Wa y
Commercial Way
23
Queens Industrial Way
Highlands Mall
Garibaldi Way
Garibaldi Village Mall
CNR Depot
ay W
9
To Sky Highway Sea To
30
n io ut y ol Wa
s Re
Wilson C res
Olsen s en ue Q
Government Rd
Harris
Chiefview
quam entary
West Coast Railway Heritage Park
North Yards
y
Cn Railway
Railwa
i Estates
Shopping Centre
17
Pl
99
SQUAMISH
Emergency: 911 RCMP: 604-892-6100 Squamish Municipal Hall: 604-892-5217 Squamish General Hospital: 604-892-5211 Dog Pound: 604-815-6866
Please visit the businesses below for friendly Sea to Sky customer service, and a bit of what makes Squamish one of the best places to be in BC! Whether you live or play here, you will experience what makes Squamish so special! ATTRACTIONS 1
13
Britannia Mine Museum Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99) 1-800-896-4044
14
AUTOMOTIVE Triton Automotive and Industrial/Napa
15
1003 Industrial Way 1-800-790-6434 tritonautoindustrial.com
BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES 3
405-1201 Commercial Way 604-567-2739
CAFÉS & RESTAURANTS 4
17
5
18
38038 Loggers Lane 604-898-1997 cordeliaslocket.com
6
Joe Pesto’s 604-390-0044 joepestos.com
7
Panago Pizza 15-1347 Pemberton Avenue
Pepe Chophouse & Seafood 40359 Tantalus Way 604-898-3606 pepeandgringo.net
9
The Salted Vine Kitchen + Bar 37991 Second Avenue 604-390-1910 saltedvine.ca
10 Subway 104-40147 Glenalder Place 604-898-8393 subway.com
11
Subway 7D-1321 Pemberton Avenue 604-567-2011 subway.com
12
Taka Ramen + Sushi 38065 Cleveland Avenue 604-390-0077 takaramensushi.com
38 | Discover Squamish Winter 2022
1851 Mamquam Road 604-898-2227 canadiantire.ca
29 Chieftain Centre Mall 1339 Pemberton Avenue Squamish
30 Garibaldi Village II 40204-40282 Glenalder Place garibaldivillage.com
Save-On-Foods
The Mortgage Studio
150-1200 Hunter Place 778 318-5900 www.angievazquez.ca
21
28 Canadian Tire
Nesters Market
20 Engel & Volkers
panago.com
annasinteriors.ca
Municipal Hall
REAL ESTATE
250-310-0001
8
604-892-6369
38155 Second Avenue 604-892-4647 micheleellis.com
38165 Second Avenue
27 Anna’s Interiors 38052 Cleveland Avenue
MORTGAGE 19
RETAIL
38078 Cleveland Avenue 604-567-4568 zephyrcafe.ca
1301 Pemberton Avenue 604-892-5976 saveonfoods.com/store/squamish/
Cordelia’s Locket
604-848-6898
Zephyr Café
1200 Hunter Place 604-815-0733 nestersmarket.com
38084 Cleveland Avenue 2chillgelato.com
squamishseniorscentre.com
GROCERY
2Chill Squamish Gelato Spot 604-567-2665
The Watershed Grill
37955 Second Avenue 604-892-5217 squamish.ca
Backcountry Brewing
backcountrybrewing.com
1201 Village Green Way
DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH 16
26 The 55 Activity Centre
40386 Tantalus Road 604-898-9191 41101 Government Road 604-898-6665 thewatershedgrill.com
britanniaminemuseum.ca
2
Top Hat
RE/MAX Sea to Sky Real Estate 38261 Cleveland Avenue 604-892-3571 remax-squamish.com
22 Rennie 38166 Cleveland Avenue 604-682-2088 rennie.com/neighbourhoods/squamish
23 Royal LePage Black Tusk Realty 3-1900 Garibaldi Way 604-898-5904 blacktuskrealty.com
24 Stilhavn Real Estate Services 1396 Main Street 778-266-0150 stilhavn.com
RECREATION AND ENTERTAINMENT 25 Brennan Park Recreation Centre 1009 Centennial Way 604-898-3604 squamish.ca
31
Joe’s Fireplace Products 38136 Second Avenue 604-892-9800 Seatoskyfireplace.com
32 Marks 40270 Glenalder Place 604-892-5855 marks.com
33 Precision Optical 1362 Pemberton Avenue 604-892-5615 precisionoptical.ca
SCHOOLS 34 School District 48 School Board Office 37866 Second Avenue 604-892-5228 sd48seatosky.org
VISITOR SERVICES 35 Squamish Public Library 37907 Second Avenue 604-892-3110 squamish.bc.libraries.coop
36 Tourism Squamish 102-38551 Loggers Lane 604-815-4994 1-877-815-5084 exploresquamish.com #exploresquamish
A N G I E VA Z Q U E Z . E V R E A L E S TAT E .C O M
T E XT O R C A L L M E AT ( 7 7 8 ) 3 1 8 - 5 9 0 0
