Squamish Chief Sept 1

A check-in with local labour organizations in advance of Labour Day ‘STACKED’

NEW FIRE HALL IS OFFICIALLY OPERATIONAL

Ceremony held to mark the milestone

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com

It is official.

The new Valleycliffe fire hall, which houses the Squamish Fire Rescue headquarters and Emergency Operations Centre, is now operational.

“This new facility enhances our ability to offer fast and effective service to the community and offers valuable improvements in the areas of firefighter decontamination and training facilities,” said Chief Bill Stoner in a District news release. “On behalf of all the members of Squamish Fire Rescue, we are grateful to

council and the community for supporting this important new build to ensure the highest quality of emergency response that SFR is known for now and into the future.”

Firefighters, community members and dignitaries celebrated the official opening on Friday with a ceremony and open house.

At the ceremony in front of Squamish Fire Hall No. 1, Squamish Fire Rescue members led a fire truck push-in ceremony, which is a long-standing tradition amongst fire departments that dates back to the late 1800s, according to the release.

HALL: Continued on 5

PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS/FOR THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

MAKING

OFFICIAL: On Friday, Aug. 26, the new fire hall and operations centre in Valleycli e was declared o cially operational during a ceremony that included this traditional push in by dignitaries and invited guests.

SQUAMISH NATION SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH SORCA

Nation official says first-of-its-kind agreement is an example for other outdoor recreation associations

STEVEN CHUA

steven@squamishchief.com

n a first-of-its-kind arrangement, the Sk w x wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Squamish

Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) that will serve as a guidepost for future recreational land use.

On Aug. 22, at the Diamond Head riding area above Quest University, officials from SORCA and the Nation inked the agreement, signifying a new chapter in relations

between the two parties.

“We are no longer invisible on our shared territory. The MOU is an opportunity to celebrate the Xay Temixw (Sacred Land) and shares the responsibility of stewardship. Recognizing the inherent value of our Territory is a

humbling indication of change happening within our local communities and is a step towards protecting our land for the benefit of our future generations,” said Squamish Nation spokesperson, Swixwtwn Wilson

PHOTO BY STEVEN CHUA/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Diamond Head riding area above Quest University, o cials from SORCA and the Nation inked the deal.

The ceremony also included a dedication to Henry Alexander Munro, the Village of Squamish’s first fire chief from 1912 to 1950.

“He devoted the remainder of his life to the fire service and served as Fire Chief from 1912 until his retirement in 1950 — just a few months before his passing— at age 81. He was recognized with a Good Citizenship Award after his retirement,” reads the release.

The original fire hall on Clarke Drive carried Munro’s name.

The new hall includes a rock cairn and dedication plaque, a public display, and the original Alex Munro Fire Hall sign.

Janice DesJardins, Munro’s granddaughter, had spoken out against the drop of Munro’s name on the building — and at one point said that she would not attend the ceremony — but once the District said it is going to include the original sign on the building, she attended.

“I was glad we attended the dedication event at the fire hall. We were treated very

graciously,” she told The Squamish Chief.

But she remains concerned that her grandfather’s name isn’t yet on the hall.

“I am concerned that it will not be made a priority and allowed to be put off until the 2024 budget,” she said. “ I am aware there are ways to address unforeseen expenses and I am going to have faith and trust that Mayor and Council will correct the mistake they have apologized for as soon as possible. Especially since it is a priority for my family and we have aging family members who would like to see it before they are gone.”

Her mother and Munro’s daughter, Julie DesJardins, was also in attendance.

“My Mom thought it was a lovely event and felt acknowledged and validated by the dedication made to her dad, Alex H. Munro, Sr.,” DesJardins said.

“She is anxious to see his name on the building to ensure the building can be known as the ‘Alex Munro Firehall.’ She wished there had been more time and notice so more family members could attend but she was especially thrilled to be

with her nephew, Alex Munro Jr.’s oldest son, Dan Munro and his wife and children — who travelled from Vancouver Island and who she had not seen for many years.”

All told, from Munro’s family, there was a daughter, grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and greatgreat-great grandchildren present for the event.

FIRST MUNI BUILDING SINCE 2009

“We have much to collectively celebrate with the completion of this emergency services building that will improve our response in emergencies and better support our firefighters and emergency management staff,” said Mayor Karen Elliott in the news release. “This is the first new municipal facility built since 2009, and its completion marks a major milestone in what has been an unprecedented period of critical facility investment and financial resource evaluation, design and construction over the last four years. With Fire Hall No. 2 on Tantalus Road scheduled to break ground this fall, Squamish can be confident that our first

responders are well-housed and wellequipped long into the future to serve the community. This building also sets a new standard for green buildings in Squamish as it achieves the equivalent of Silver LEED certification and diverted 88% of waste — including throughout demolition — from the landfill.”

ABOUT SQUAMISH FIRE RESCUE

The fire department currently has 10 full-time employees and 47 paid on-call firefighters. The combined new fire halls will house seven fire apparatus, four response vehicles, and up to 60 paid-oncall and full-time firefighters and staff.

The new fire hall is the first of three facilities identified for priority replacement in the District of Squamish’s 2019 Real Estate and Facilities Master Plan.

The fire department will also host its annual family-friendly Open House during Fire Prevention Week in October, according to the District. The event has not been held in recent years due to the pandemic.

Williams in a news release.

The Nation’s Rights and Title Department director said that the agreement provides a roadmap for the future.

“It creates a pathway for us to work together, in value alignment, to continue to have people enjoy the mountain biking in our backcountry, while, at the same time, making sure we’re protecting our culturally-sensitive areas, but also working together to provide health and well-being for our respective communities,” Peter Baker told The Squamish Chief.

“We see ourselves as a government regulator within our territory. So any sort of building or initiative that happens within the territory has to go through what we call a referral process. This will create

a process where we can work in a more proactive way with SORCA, to let them know what our intent is in our territory, but at the same time, they’re going to let us know what their intentions are, and how we can work in harmony together, so that we’re complementing each other — not kind of tripping over our toes.”

Those remarks were given after a ceremony where witnesses were called to be observers of the occasion. Nation member Jonathan Williams presided over much of the event, including ceremonial songs and witnesses’ statements.

“Chet kw’enmantúmi (We are grateful.) We are grateful to live here and ride here. We are grateful for the trust Squamish Nation has in us and our members to love and respect the land as they themselves do. And we are grateful to contribute to connecting Squamish Nation’s youth to

the land through the joy of riding bikes in the mountains,” said SORCA’s president Jeff Norman, in a news release sent after the event.

During the event, both Norman, and Baker spoke to a gathering of dozens about the importance of the occasion.

“To us, this memorandum of understanding is about a number of things,” said Norman. “There are so many people that have come to live in these lands now and love these trails. These trails have become the heart of this area’s culture, newer culture, and economy. And it’s just something people love,” said Norman.

He noted SORCA has been happy to offer mountain biking programs to youth of the Nation.

“This agreement is also about respecting the Squamish Nations’ desires and uses for those lands. Many of the lands we’re

standing on right now have been returned to the Squamish Nation and are now held privately. And SORCA understands that while some of these lands have trails on them now, they may not have trails on them forever, and it’s up to Squamish Nation[’s] desires as to what they want to use them for.”

Baker said that the Nation’s territory has never ceded, and this agreement can serve as a template for how other recreationalists use the land.

“For us, this is a role model for the type of relationships we want to continue to build with outdoor associations that use our territory in a manner that we feel will be really respectful,” Baker said.

“This is about a relationship, about how we’re going to manage together these lands in a sustainable way. One that protects our heritage, our culture.”

CHANGES COMING TO FAMILY DOCTOR CARE

STEVEN CHUA steven@squamishchief.com

Aplanning process that aims to increase access to family doctors, among other things, has begun this summer.

The province has authorized primary care network planning to begin in the Sea to Sky, said Monica McDonald, the executive director of the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice.

Following this process, a plan will be submitted, ideally sometime in December. Once the province approves that plan, the creation of a primary care network can begin.

A primary care network is created when local clinics and authorities pool their resources and come together to find ways to augment the services provided by family doctors.

One big boon, McDonald said, is that under a primary care network, doctors in Squamish would be able to work under different compensation schemes, which hopefully will provide further incentive to attract physicians to work in town. This could be a step in the direction of helping address the shortage of general practitioners in the community.

Currently, doctors in B.C. get paid under a fee-for-service model, which gives physicians a set amount of money per patient that they see. This amount does not change, regardless of how severe the patient’s needs are.

Many doctors have been critical of this model,

as they say money given per patient has not adjusted accordingly to cost of living for some time.

“The fee for service model has proven across the province to be just not functioning well right now,” said McDonald.

“If I’m a restaurant or a t-shirt company, I can change my prices; I can pay my staff more and keep them. Doctors don’t have that luxury. They’re tied to…whatever the current [government fee-for-service] rate is.

McDonald said that this model also does not

pay general practitioners for the hours of administrative work that are required to be done after patients’ visits.

“So filling out paperwork for patients, making sure that referrals are appropriately filed with specialists, following up on lab results — all of those things are generally unpaid labour,” she said.

Under a primary care network, doctors may have access to new forms of compensation, such as ones that could pay doctors for their currently-unpaid administrative work.

“A physician is not obligated to stay with that fee-for-service model. They can now avail themselves of different contracts and agreements,” McDonald said.

“Under these new contracts, there is room for physicians to receive financial support for the time they spend away from the patient [while] still tending to the patient’s needs.”

McDonald said that while this is one way to help address the shortage of doctors in Squamish, it’s not a silver bullet. There are many other factors such as housing affordability and more that need to be addressed.

McDonald said that the primary care network is a collaboration between many parties. In addition to the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice, this includes Vancouver Coastal Health, the Ministry of Health, the First Nations Health Authority, and the Squamish Nation.

A primary care network planning process has begun, hoping to ultimately increase access to general practitioners in the Sea to Sky

PHOTO BY CHARLES GULLUNG/GETTY IMAGES

A primary care network is created when local clinics and authorities pool their resources and come together to find ways to augment the services provided by family doctors.

IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE! IT’S A…PINK PIGEON?

Why locals have been spotting these special birds

HOLLIE MCGOWAN For The Squamish Chief

Have you spotted any white pigeons with pink feathers in your backyard or around town lately?

So have a few others in Squamish.

Despite what some people are assuming, they are not racing pigeons. Although they do fall into the ‘performance pigeon’ category, they are bred to be used in a different sport.

Krista Larson, BC SPCA Sea to Sky manager, said they are high flyer pigeons.

“They’re a special breed that comes from India and they’re under the fancy pigeon category.”

Unlike other racing pigeons, these pigeons’ purpose is to fly the highest. The pink you see on the tips of their feathers is so that they can be easily spotted while flying in the sky during competitions.

People apply the colour to the birds.

Usually, when performance pigeons are raised, they are given a band which will indicate such facts as when they were born, how old they are, and which country they are from. The bands are placed around the bird’s ankle and then registered with one of the clubs.

“If we have a domestic pigeon, it’s super easy for us to read the band, contact one the clubs and almost 100% of the time [or] 90% of the time, they can put us in touch with the owner,” said Larson.

Unfortunately, these birds have not been banded, therefore making it hard to trace the owners.

Previously, Larson said that the BC SPCA Sea to Sky has had a few pigeons come into the shelter. However, there were fewer of them, and the SPCA was able to locate their owners.

This situation has proven to be more of a conundrum.

“I have been in touch with different

organizations, pigeon organizations, who basically will not take these birds in because they’re not registered birds,” Larson said. “I don’t blame them with the Avian Flu being an issue right now, people are having to be extra cautious, and they’re not going to want to be bringing these birds near their flocks for obvious reasons.”

Although several have been spotted in Squamish, currently, no one has come forward

to claim ownership of them.

“We are a small shelter,” said Larson. “We don’t have the capacity to be able to take in six pigeons.”

Randi Olson, who runs the Sea to Sky NANA (Neighbourhood Animals Needing Assistance), said that in her experience, “owners do not take the time to catch the birds. They are left here; some are lucky and are caught and taken care of while others die from starvation and dehydration.”

“These birds aren’t taught where home is,” she said.

Olson has tried contacting all animal organizations and sanctuaries in the area, but with no luck. Each group is limited in space and knowledge of how to get the birds back to their owners.

“If we could potentially have people catch them and bring them in one at a time,” said Larson. “We could set it up so that basically they arrived at the shelter in carriers and then that person [would come] immediately and took the birds away so that way they’re not entering our shelter but we can actually get them somewhere.”

For those that come into contact with them, Larson said that it’s ok to leave bird seed or water out for them.

Larson said that the SPCA is still on the case and hoping to link the pigeons up with whomever they belong.

“We’ll just keep working on it,” said Larson. “Until we’ve exhausted every possibility.”

PHOTO BY MARIE-EVE TRIGG Pink pigeon spotted in Squamish.

DISTRIC TOFSQUAMISH

HOLIDAY HOURS

SEEKING TWOADVISORY DESIGN PANEL VOLUNTEERS

Applications arebeing accepted from those interested in volunteering on the Distric tofSquamish Advisor y DesignPanel.The Panel reviewsand provides advice regarding developmentpermit applications and any other matter referred forreview by Council.

ThePanel comprises twelvemembers including professionals nominatedbytheir institutes or associations.The Distric tiscurrently seek ing twoSquamish residents with an interest in local developmentand designtofill amember at large vacanc y.

TheAdvisor yDesignPanel Bylaw, meeting agendas, minutes and committee application form can be found at: squamish.ca/committees

Applicants should completeanapplication form and submit with their resume to:Charlene Pawluk ,Distric t of Squamish, 37955 Second Avenue,P.O.Box 310, Squamish, BC V8B 0A3 or by email: cpawluk@squamish.ca

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED before5p.m. on September 13, 2022.

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

Thefollowing newapplications have been added:

WSENIORCITIZENS’

•38925 Progress Way -Subdivision application

•1907 Maple Drive -Temporar yUse Permit

To review and commentonall ac tiveapplications: squamish.ca/showcase

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

•WasteWaterTreatmentPlantUpgrades -Request forProposals

squamish.ca/doing-business-with-the -distric t

WHAT’SHAPPENING IN RECREATION AND CULTURE

COMPLETE OUR SURVE Y!

Deadline September 10

Seewhat’sproposed and take the survey to shareyour thoughts

HERITAGESTRATEGY Last chancefor input!

We want to hear about the stories,places,and values thatare impor tantpar ts of Squamish’s heritage.Please completethe sur veyoruse our online mapping tool by September 9, 2022!

ZERO WASTE ACTION PLAN

Want asay in the update to the Distric t’sZeroWaste Ac tion Plan? What areyour ideas to reducewaste and suppor tthe growth of the circular economy? Completethe sur veyorshareyour stor ybefore September 4. Prizes to be won!

LetsTalkS quamish.c a

NEW! Af terSchool Care program

Thecommittee will collaboratewith and provide recommendations to Distric tofSquamish staff on programs and senior ’s relatedissues connec ted to the 55+ recreation and cultureprogramming in Squamish. Apply by September 6, 2022.

squamish.ca/committees

Look ing forafter school activities for your child? Join us forfun and games all week.Our walk ing ‘school bus’ will pick up at École Squamish Elementar yand École LesAiglons Thefirst hour will be spentoutdoors beforetransitioning over to The55 ActivityCentrefor some indoor activities

Sept.7through Dec. 16 Mondays through Fridays 3-6 p.m.

$1035.05/ 3.5 months

This program does not run on Pro-DDays or STAT Holidays squamish.ca/rec

Pool Update: ImportantDates

September 6

Join us forour back-to-school public swim. 9a.m. to 9p.m. September 7

Annual Pool MaintenanceClosure begins (toOctober 8).

DanceGroove

This kid'sdanceprogramisa fun and creativeway to keep your child active. We will work on basic dancetechniques while building muscle strength, coordinationskills,increased flexibility, and improved balance.

Tuesdays,Sept.13-Nov.1

5-7y /8-10y squamish.ca/rec

NE

RECREATION AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMIT TEE IS SEEKING MEMBERS

OcToBeR 15, 2022

VoTi Ng I nFoRmAtIoN

ELEC TOR REGISTRATION

MAIL BALLOT VOTING

GENERAL VOTING DAY

General Voting Day for the General Local Election will be open to qualified electors of the Distric t of Squamish on Saturday, Oc tober 15, 2022 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the BRENNAN PARK RECREATION CENTRE, 1009 Centennial Way, Squamish, BC.

SPECIAL VOTING OPPORTUNITIES

Two Special Voting oppor tunities will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2022 as follows:

i. at the Squamish General Hospital, 38140 Behrner Drive and Hilltop House, 38146 Behrner Drive; during the hours of 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

ii. at Shannon Falls Retirement Residence, 38225 Third Avenue; during the hours of 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Voting at these Special Voting oppor tunities is restricted to electors who, on the date on which the Special Voting oppor tunity is held and before the end of the voting hours for these Special Voting oppor tunities, are those who have been admitted as patients to the Squamish General Hospital, live in residence at Hilltop House, or live-in residence at the Shannon Falls Retirement Residence, or are persons who are at those locations for the purpose of their employment. Voting proceedings will be conducted at a central location in the Squamish General Hospital and in the Hilltop House, each followed by a bedside voting oppor tunity where required Voting proceedings in the Shannon Falls Retirement Residence will also be followed by a bedside voting oppor tunity where required

NOTICE OF ADVANCE VOTING OPPORTUNITIES

Advance Voting at the 55 Activity Centre at 1201 Village Green Way on:

Monday, Oc

tober 3,

Qualified elec tors who are not on the List of Registered Electors may register on voting day by producing at least two separate pieces of identification (one must have a signature) to prove identity and residenc y, and by mak ing a solemn declaration that you:

• are a Canadian citizen (no landed immigrants, permanent residents or corporations); and

• are age 18 or older at the time of voting; and

• not other wise disqualified by law from voting in an election; and

• have lived in BC for at least 6 months immediately preceding registering to vote; and

• are a resident of the District of Squamish at the time of registration; OR

• have been the registered owner of real proper ty (NonResident Proper ty Elec tor) in the District of Squamish for at least 30 days immediately preceding registering to vote

Acceptable ID includes:

• BC Driver ’s Licence

• ICBC Vehicle Insurance Documents

• BC Identification Card

• BC Services Card

• BC CareCard

• Passpor t

• Citizenship Card

• Social Insurance Card

• Utility Bill for electricity, natural gas, water, telephone or cable

• District of Squamish Proper ty Tax Notice

• Financial Institution Credit or Debit Card

Non-Resident Property Elec tors wishing to register on Voting Day are required to provide:

• two pieces of identification (one must have your signature); and

• proof of ownership of the proper ty (ie. recent copy of the Land Title Search Certificate available from the Government Agent or agencies with BC Online or the Certificate of Indefeasible Title); and

• written consent from the majority of all of the owners, if there are multiple owners of the proper ty, stating that you are the one owner who is designated as the Non-Resident Proper ty Elec tor for that proper ty

* To register as a non-resident proper ty elec tor phone the Election Office for fur ther information about documents required Note:

1. the owner and multiple owners must not be holding the proper ty in trust for a corporation or another trust. There is no corporate vote

2. Non-Resident Proper ty Electors may only vote once in Squamish regardless of the number of proper ties they own.

3. District of Squamish Tax notices may not show all owners of a proper ty Documentation from the Land Titles Office is required

Mail ballot voting will be available to all voters who meet the required elector qualifications as listed to the left under Elec tor Registration. In order to receive a mail ballot pack age, please complete the Mail Ballot Application available online at squamish. ca/votebymail, or you may submit the following information to the District office in person (37955 Second Avenue), by calling 604.892.5217 or emailing election@squamish.ca:

1. Full name

2. Residential address

3. Address of the proper ty in relation to which you are voting (for non-resident proper ty elec tors)

4. Method of deliver y of your mail ballot pack age:

• pick up at Municipal office, OR

• regular letter mail through Canada Post to residential address, OR

• regular letter mail through Canada Post to an alternate address that your provide when requesting the ballot pack age, and

5. If you are not on the list of electors, to ensure you receive the correct registration application form in your pack age, you must indicate whether you are going to be registering as a resident or nonresident proper ty elec tor.

The District will send out mail ballot pack ages and will have them available for pickup at Municipal Hall, as soon as the ballots are available. To be counted, your mail ballot must be received by the Chief Election Officer before 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2022. For more information on mail ballot voting, please visit the District website or call 604.892.5217.

VOTERS LIST

Until the close of general voting on Oc tober 15, 2022, a copy of the Voters List will, upon signature, be available for public inspection in the Squamish Elec tion Office, Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except statutor y holidays, and at the voting locations during Advance Voting and General Voting

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit squamish.ca, write elec tion@squamish.ca, or contact the Squamish Election Office, Municipal Hall, at 604.892.5217.

DISTRIC T OF SQUAMISH

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Tuesday, September 6, 2022 at 6 p.m.

WHAT’S PROPOSED:

Marine Zones - Zoning Bylaw Amendment

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS:

To establish five new marine -specific zones as well as marine use definitions and regulations to enhance the coordination, shared use and alignment of local land and water use regulations with stewardship objectives as set out in the District of Squamish Official Community Plan.

Zoning Amendment Bylaw 2771 includes an updated consolidated Schedule A to the District’s Zoning Bylaw 2200, 2011.

BYLAW:

Distric t of Squamish Zoning Bylaw No 2200, 2011 Amendment Bylaw (Marine Zones) No 2771, 2020

AFFEC TED LANDS:

New marine zones apply to both navigable and non-navigable marine and foreshore areas designated Marine Gateway and Mamquam Blind Channel in the Squamish 2040 Official Community Plan Bylaw 2500 (Schedule B).

Bylaw 2771 Schedule A incorporates previously adopted zoning map amendments, the new marine zones, several conser vation areas, as well as amendments related to housekeeping changes and mapping alignments and corrections for municipal, crown federal, provincial and a limited number of private parcels.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Tuesday, September 6, 2022 at 6 p.m.

WHAT’S PROPOSED:

Mixed-use development with childcare, rental housing and employment uses.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS:

To rezone the subjec t proper ty from the current Compehensive Development Zone No 79 (CD-79) to an all-new Comprehensive Development Zone No 79 (CD-79) to allow for a mixed-use development with a 100 space childcare facility, 40,000 sqft of employment space, and 44 purpose-built market rental apar tment units.

BYLAW:

Distric t of Squamish Zoning Bylaw No 2200, 2011 Amendment Bylaw (1001 Finch Drive) No. 2874, 2021

AFFEC TED LANDS:

1001 Finch Drive, Squamish, B.C.

HOW TO VIEW THE PROPOSED BYLAW

A copy of the proposed bylaw, mapping and related information that has been or may be considered by the Council may be inspected online or at Municipal Hall.

• squamish.ca/public-hearings-and-meetings

• 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, British Columbia, from August 25 to September 6, 2022 between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Questions? Contact the Planning Depar tment: 604.815.5002

All submissions will form par t of the public record. Council will not consider submissions received after the close of the Public Hearing

This is the second of two notices of Public Hearing Dated this 1st day of September at Squamish, British Columbia.

HOW TO VIEW THE PROPOSED BYLAW

A copy of the proposed bylaw, mapping and related information that has been or may be considered by the Council may be inspected online or at Municipal Hall.

• squamish.ca/public-hearings-and-meetings

• 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, British Columbia, from August 25 to September 6, 2022 between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Questions? Contact the Planning Depar tment: 604.815.5002

All submissions will form par t of the public record.

Council will not consider submissions received after the close of the Public Hearing

This is the second of two notices of Public Hearing Dated this 1st day of September at Squamish, British Columbia.

DISTRIC TOFSQUAMISH

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN APUBLIC HEARING

Persons who believethattheir interest in proper ty is affec tedbythe proposed Rezoning will have an oppor tunitytobeheard and to presentwritten submissions forthe Public Hearing.

Deliver awritten submission to hearing@squamish.ca, or drop off to the GeneralManager of Corporate Services at MunicipalHall before4:30p.m. on the date of the Public Hearing.

Written submissions arestrongly encouraged to be made prior to the Public Hearing

If technical issues occur foraperson during the Hearing, submissions maybemade by emailing hearing@squamish.ca and staff will distributetoCouncil and make available on the website. Forthose par ticipating via telephone or electronically,the District is encouraging written submissions to be made as well

Electronic Participation

Participate electronically through the use of the WebEx platformby visiting squamish.ca/public-hearings-and-meetings.Instruction forpar ticipation in the WebEx vir tual Public Hearing can be found at thatsite.

Visit squamish.ca/public-hearings-and-meetings in advanceofthe scheduled Public Hearing time for:

•Instructions on howtoset up WebEx and howtolog in;

•How to get on the speakers’list;

•Anoppor tunitytotest your computer ’s connection to the WebEx platform.

By Telephone

Participate by telephone during the Public Hearing by calling 1.604.449.3026 and entering the Access Code 146 367 8438

Dial *3 to ‘raise your hand’indicating thatyou’d like to speak. You will be placed on aspeakers’list and aler tedwhenitisyour turnto speak.You will hear amessage that“your line has been unmuted” when it is your turntospeak

Prior to the meeting,pleasevisit squamish.ca/public-hearings-and-meetings forinstructions

INFRASTRUC TURE PROJEC TS

INDUSTRIAL WAYSTORM INTERCEPTOR PROJECT

Upgrades to the stormwater system at the intersection of Industrial Wayand Highway99 areunder way. Work includes installation of an oil grit separator.

Impacts: Alltraffic from Industrial WayontoHighway99will be detoured onto Discover y Wayand Commercial Way. Traffic coming off Highway99ontoIndustrial Waywill be reduced to one lane.Best effor ts will be made to reopen this area as quick ly as possible. Discover yTrail will be closed near Industrial Wayfor four weeks from approximately August 25 to September 26. Adetour routeand signage will be in place.

Time frame: Approximately mid-August through October 19.

PIONEER WAY/QUEENS WAYINTERSECTION UPGRADES

Improvements to the east side of the Pioneer Way/Queens Wayintersection get under wayinlate August.Improvements include paving,curband sidewalk,multi-use pathway and lighting

Impacts: Expectsingle lane traffic on Queens Way

Time frame: late August through early November

squamish.ca/building- our-future

Youmay par ticipate in person during the Hearing in Council Chambers at Municipal Hall,37955 Second Avenue,Squamish. Spaceisver ylimited.

Downtown Viewsc ape Study

Duetospacelimitations in Council Chambers,the public is strongly recommended to par ticipate electronically via WebEx, by telephone and/or provide written submissions to hearing@squamish.ca

Watchthe Meeting without Speak ing

If youdonot wish to par ticipate but would like to watchthe meeting and hear the submissions,you can do so by watching the meeting at squamish.ca/live-meetings

squamish.ca/public-hearings-and-meetings

In Person

THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

ARE WE BEING FAIR TO THE GRANFONDO?

It is back.

After two years of being virtual, on Sept. 10, the RBC GranFondo Whistler returns to the Sea to Sky.

As locals know all too well, the “big ride” takes thousands of cyclists along a partially closed Highway 99 from Vancouver to Whistler.

This year, 7,000 registered cyclists are expected to zip through our town. According to organizers, this is a record attendance. The total attendance, including riders, supporters and partners, is anticipated to be 14,000.

It is a race locals love to hate because of the royal pain (pun intended) in the backside it becomes trying to get around all morning.

Because the highway cuts through the heart of Squamish, we are essentially trapped in our neighbourhoods until it passes. And it is traditionally held the same weekend as the Brackendale Fall Fair, dwarfing that homegrown event, causing traffic headaches and stealing volunteers from it.

Some folks likely don’t patronize local businesses to avoid traffic chaos because it is on.

How dare they shut down our highway for a morning, right? Hold up. Are we being fair to this event, or are we projecting all our transportation angst on it unjustly?

Were it not going through Squamish, it would sound like a pretty cool event. It attracts worldwide participation, with 48 countries represented, organizers say.

It is a legacy of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, which includes recreational cyclists of all abilities.

So far, 248 riders from Squamish have signed up.

Miller Capilano is employed for traffic management again. Other local businesses are involved as well.

“We make strong efforts to source our food from Squamishbased suppliers and local grocery stores,” spokesperson Oliver Cartmell told The Squamish Chief.

The GranFondo is also a relatively environmental gig. It isn’t like — say — a bunch of fancy cars speeding up and down our highway.

Also, the GranFondo raised over $41,000 for Food Banks Canada, Feeding America and Cycling BC youth programs just with its virtual 2020 and 2021 events.

If we had efficient public transit and effective traffic management to the point we could travel the highway without stress the rest of the year, we would likely embrace this ride.

But often, the rest of the year, we sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic waiting to get where we are going or across the dang highway to the other side to get home, work or the store.

So maybe that is where the focus of our anger is better placed — on those in power who keep adding to our communities and inviting the world to visit, but who don’t provide the infrastructure to absorb them?

Even if this event disappeared, it wouldn’t take our traffic problems with it for the rest of the year. RBC will have a cheer station at the Garibaldi Highlands pedestrian overpass, where locals are invited to head to cheer on riders. See you there?

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT ‘VIRGIN RIVER’

story unfolding before your eyes with a backdrop of West Coast waterfalls, rivers, mountains, and the ocean?

Of all the show’s trivia that the flourishing fanbase has been swapping information on, the shot locations for Virgin River are certainly the most talked about.

it as the show’s character Jack’s Fishing Cabin.

Iwas recently in a nail salon in Vancouver when I overheard two women talking about the hugely popular Netflix series, Virgin River

Now in its fourth season, Virgin River had garnered more than 105.4 million hours viewed worldwide by midsummer.

It has also remained on Netflix’s Top 10 most watched list in Canada since airing the current season on July 20, 2022.

This should come as no surprise; it’s a romance series filmed in various lush and cozy locations throughout the Lower Mainland, Sea to Sky, and Metro Vancouver (13 locations, to be exact).

Who can’t resist a passionate romance

Squamish alone has four spots on this list, including Shannon Falls Provincial Park, the Klahanie Campground, The WaterShed Grill and Chances Casino.

However, when you dive a little deeper into the fun fact world of Virgin River, you can certainly discover a thing or two that might surprise you.

For one, the Caretaker’s Cabin in Murdo Frazer Park is actually a filming hotspot which has been featured in 15 other TV shows and movies.

It has been used in series ranging from detective shows to horror to science fiction—even the popular late 90s/early 2000s Showtime series, Stargate SG-1 used

Additionally, Shannon Falls Provincial Park has also been on a few shot lists for other TV series including Supernatural, MacGyver, and The Big Year Apparently, fans of the show are not the only ones who enjoy taking in the scenery of the hit series.

Virgin River star, Martin Henderson, was also showing off his off-set adventures on his Instagram account, while filming in B.C. Looks like he is also into water skiing, like many Squamish locals.

If you take a look on the series’ Instagram account, I’m sure you’ll find a spot or two that you frequent.

You’ve probably been in that exact same spot where they took a photo of Henderson holding a menu board outside the WaterShed Grill, in fact!

Hollie McGowan is a recent Langara Journalism school grad and freelancer for The Squamish Chief.

GUEST COLUMN HOLLIE MCGOWAN

PUBLISHER SARAH STROTHER sstrother@wplpmedia.com PRODUCTION JULIE GAMACHE jgamache@squamishchief.com

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@ squamishchief.com follow @thuncher

CHUA steven@ squamishchief.com follow @S_chua

Ha7lh skwálwen cht kwis emút cht iy sts’its’áp’ cht iy kw’shétsut cht na7 tkwa temíxw tl’a Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw

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

CHANGE IS INEVITABLE, SO PREPARE FOR IT

affect.

Take climate change, for example.

YOUTH COLUMN GRANT BOGUSKI

It might feel like the school year has crept up on us all, but we’ve got to accept that it is right around the corner. Some of us might still be stuck in summer vacation mode even after the start of the school year.

This is something that happens to me. The first day of school is like jumping into an ice bath. It’s so abrupt. I feel overwhelmed. Confused. A little bit disappointed even.

This is how I feel when I’m going through change.

Change is happening all around us all of the time, whether it’s a transition that’s hard to accept or not. Change isn’t negative or positive. We don’t have to treat change as if it’s something we do not

Climate change isn’t something we should treat as a lost cause because we can choose to fight it.

What if we repeated the same thing every day? We wouldn’t learn anything. We wouldn’t experience anything new. We would never need to worry about anything because we would already know the outcome. Risks would have no effect.

The world would be full of reused ideas. Change is normal — so routine that we don’t even realize it.

We should long for change. Change means more adventure. It means more creativity. More excitement. More surprises. If we reject change, then we reject the possibility of something new.

Change can create strong emotions, like sadness and fear. This year, some parents will see their child go off to university, and that will surely ignite some sadness but also some fear. Of course, we will feel sadness, but it’s the fear of the unknown that takes over. It’s the absence of what we know that scares

us. You need to conquer the fear of the unknown in order to grow.

If we apply this mindset to the new school year, we will surely have a better start. If we sit around and just accept that the school year is approaching us without acting, we’ll be left unprepared for it. Instead, we should act and prepare ourselves because it’s something we need to do.

One way to adjust to change this school year is to live in the present. We need to stop worrying about what could happen or what has already happened or what we did or didn’t do in the past. We can’t look down on change. Change is inevitable. It’s how we prepare ourselves for change that we should focus on.

How am I preparing for the change that’s about to arrive? I’m trying to savour the rest of summer, but still get stuff done. I should start by getting my school supplies.

Grant Boguski is a Squamish resident, student and member of the Squamish Youth Council.

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PHOTO BY @CANDICE.M.PHOTOGRAPHY

CONGRATULATIONS!: Ella and Cole Pe eloped on Tantalus Range, in front of the Jim Haberl Hut. A beautiful spot and couple.

ARMAND HURFORD SEEKS THE MAYOR’S OFFICE

The one-term councillor and owner of Republic Bicycles is aiming for the District’s top job

STEVEN CHUA steven@squamishchief.com

After serving as an elected official for a term, Coun. Armand Hurford will ask voters to promote him to the mayor’s office.

Hurford, the owner of Republic Bicycles, is a fourth-generation resident of Squamish. He is a founding member of SORCA and the master of ceremonies (MC) at the Squamish Days Loggers Sports events.

Speaking with The Squamish Chief on Aug. 30, Hurford said there were three pegs to his election platform — affordability, growth and development management, and finding common ground between community members.

He said that as a renter, he is aware of the issues surrounding affordability in town. “I’m a renter, and I’ve experienced this directly,” said Hurford. “I think I’ve lived in three different places during the pandemic… So it’s very much a lived experience for me on the affordability side.”

While there are no silver bullets to solve this issue, he said there are some further things the municipality can do to address this problem.

One way is by supporting the District’s Squamish Community Housing Society, which seeks to increase housing accessibility, he said. Another is by altering community amenity

contribution requirements to compel developers to offer more affordable housing. Other conditions can be added. This can include a requirement for developers to give land or donate residential dwelling units to the housing society.

Regarding his next pillar, the management of

growth and development, Hurford said one priority would be to ensure that Squamish doesn’t turn into a bedroom community.

“Development can’t be housing only,” he said. “We need to make sure that we’re doing what we can to create mixed-use areas and neighbourhood nodes. All these things come into play to

make sure that we’re increasing employment space. So there’s opportunity here to bring our workforce home.”

He also advocated for a community-driven approach to development.

For the Cheema lands, also known as District lots 509 and 510, Hurford said that it’s necessary for the developer to provide as much information as possible so the community can make a sound decision as to whether it should be considered.

“I’d like to see as much detail as I can,” he said. “So the community understands what we’re actually contemplating.”

He said while developers shape the town, this should be done as directed by the community. Hurford added that he is not receiving support from any developers or special interests and will continue on that track throughout his campaign.

His platform’s final pillar involves finding common ground, or fostering more public engagement.

One way this can happen is by creating more standing committees for public input. An example would be to create a seniors standing committee, he said. This could help the town create conditions that would prevent the flight of long-time Squamish residents as they age. Finally, he added that the climate emergency is an overarching issue that needs to be incorporated into how the District makes all its decisions.

The municipal election will occur on Oct. 15.

Land Act: Notice of Intention to Apply for aDisposition of Crown Land

Take notice that Hilltop Mountain Biking Inc. from Garibaldi Highlands, BC,has applied to the Ministry of Forests Lands Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNROD), Surrey for a Commercial Recreation –miscellaneous tenure in the vicinity of Squamish, BC situated on Provincial Crown land located at THAT UNALIENATED AND UNENCUMBERED LAND SITUATED WITHIN LILLOOET DISTRICT, as indicated on the attached tenure map.

The Lands File Number for this application is 2412478.Comments will be received by the Ministry of Forests Lands Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development until October 1, 2022. Comments on this application may be submitted in two ways:

1) Online via the Applications and Reasons for Decision Database website at: https://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/applications

2) 2) By mail to the Senior Land Officer at 200 –10428 153rd Street, Surrey, BC V3R 1E1. Comments will be received by the Ministry of Forests Lands Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development until October 1, 2022. Comments received after this date may not be considered.

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. For information, contact Information Access Operations at the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services in Victoria at: www.gov.bc.ca/citz/iao/

SUBMITTED PHOTO Armand Hurford.

JENNA STONER SEEKS SECOND TERM IN OFFICE

Stoner has served as a municipal councillor and works at a nonprofit promoting sustainable fisheries

STEVEN CHUA steven@squamishchief.com

Coun. Jenna Stoner is looking to keep her seat at municipal hall.

Stoner has served on council for one term and currently works as the aquaculture program director at Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, a U.S.-registered nonprofit that seeks to promote sustainable fishing and rebuild fish stocks.

She told The Squamish Chief on Aug. 30 that she was interested in having another go at elected office to build upon this council’s progress.

“The key thing for me is there’s a few ongoing pieces of work that I really want to continue to see through and shepherd a little bit,” said Stoner.

One of those things has been the municipality’s response to the climate emergency.

“Climate change adaptation and mitigation, I think, is really foundational to everything that the future councils need to do, because if we think about the IPCC goals, we need to reach net zero by 2050,” said Stoner. “And that’s not going to be easy to do. We also need to prepare our community to mitigate against what we know is coming in terms of a changing climate.”

Stoner said that the District’s existing Community Climate Action Plan provides a good roadmap for the steps the municipality needs to take, but the data should be refreshed

to make sure the town is focusing on the right things.

She cited land use planning, transportation and addressing waste as big items in the plan.

Council’s decisions on prioritizing active

transportation have had some people interpreting these moves as anti-car.

Stoner said the goal is to give more options.

“I don’t think it’s about taking away the option of a personal vehicle, but I see it more as

providing alternatives,” she said. “This is important from a climate perspective. I think it’s important from an affordability perspective.”

Another pillar of her platform is reconciliation with the Sk w x wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).

She said she wants the municipality to continue to improve its relationship between its staff and that of the Nation, among other things.

Economic development is another priority for Stoner, who said she’d like to see more green tech jobs come to town. She also said the community needs to protect its existing commercial and industrial land.

“It’s building on the employment space demand model that we’ve done in this term. And using that information to really inform future land-use planning,” she said.

Municipal infrastructure is another goal of Stoner, who said she wants to continue the work laid out in the Real Estate Facilities and Master Plan, which called for the replacement of the fire halls and the public works facility, as well as upgrades to Brennan Park Recreation Centre.

While residents’ first vote against approving a loan for the public works facility was an unprecedented setback, Stoner said that COVID restrictions made it challenging to convey the need for this building.

However, the return of face-to-face engagement appears to be making a difference.

“I think being able to be back in the community and have those conversations has been extremely valuable,” she said.

The municipal election takes place on Oct. 15.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Jenna Stoner.

SCHOOL BACK TO

Tu esda y, Se ptember 6, 20 22

For moredetailed informationonthe firstday of school start andend times, registration andbussing,check out the 2022-2023 BacktoSchool Packageonour districtwebsite.

www.sd48seatosky.org

HOW TO PREVENT BIRD STRIKES

Squamish Environment Society needs your help with its mission to protect birds

HOLLIE MCGOWAN

For The Squamish Chief

Squamish is not just a destination for people who like the great outdoors, but also for birds. However, an influx of birds also means an increase in bird striking — birds hitting windows.

“We are hoping to get certified as a bird-friendly city and that’s through a designation through Nature Canada,” said Tiffany Brunke, Squamish Environment Society’s BC Nature Club representative.

“We have started up an initiative called Bird Friendly Squamish for this certification essentially. It’s aimed at trying to make Squamish safer for birds.”

This initiative includes reducing bird threats, promoting habitat protection, restoration work, climate resiliency, and outreach and education.

According to the Government of Canada website, window collisions kill 16 to 42 million birds a year within the country.

“There’s a lot that can be done,” Brunke said. “And if we are able to get stats and numbers from monitoring specific buildings [in Squamish] hopefully we can work towards getting bylaws or something more towards planners planning for bird-friendly windows in our buildings moving forward.”

Brunke says that the Squamish Environment Society hopes locals can monitor and then submit any strikes that they see either at businesses, homes or any hotspot locations around the town.

“The sooner we can get to birds, the better we can get them to a rehabilitation centre to help save them,” said Brunke. “So that’s part of the monitoring as well.”

Brunke said that the Bird Friendly Squamish initiative is not to condemn local businesses or buildings, but to work with them so that the organization can move forward with a plan of action to prevent bird strikes better.

“We’re looking at buildings that have a lot of glass … and then a lot of natural landscaping around it,” said Brunke. “They’re reflecting the natural landscapes causing the birds to [fly into them] because they don’t see windows. They’re just seeing trees and shrubs. So they’re striking the windows because they think they’re just flying through the trees.

In helping to prevent bird strikes, Brunke says that there is a business called Feather Friendly that sells special dots that people can apply to their glass to help notify birds that they are heading into a window and not the forest.

Brunke said that the stickers are spaced out at a two-inch distance apart, which is the best distance to prevent bird strikes.

Being along the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south flyway for migratory birds extending from Alaska to Patagonia, Squamish is a place for the birds to take a break from their long journeys.

“It’s important for these birds to be able to refuel,” Brunke said. “It’s a very long, arduous journey back and forth. And so we have an important bird area within our Squamish Estuary which provides a place for them to rest and refuel.”

“The more we can do to help support them, the better it is for the birds and our biodiversity of birds.”

To volunteer or learn more, email tiffany. brunke@gmail.com.

PHOTO COURTESY TIFFANY BRUNKE/ SQUAMISH ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY This bohemian waxwing was injured from a bird strike.

SERVING WHISTLER, PEMBERTON AND SQUAMISH

DARTS & DAFFODILS

A bouquet of daffodils to the person who found my keys in front of Chef Big D’s on Aug. 23. I appreciate your kindness in turning my keys into Diamond Head Medical Clinic.

Bunches of daffodils to Tim Hortons for helping sailors get out of bed in the morning and to Nesters Market for always having our back with the Sailor’s Banquet.

Got something nice to say or some constructive criticism? Send your Darts & Daffodils: Email: news@squamishchief.com or drop off at The Chief office (38117 Second Ave.) during business hours. Deadline for submissions is Monday at 4 p.m. for Thursday’s paper. All submissions must be signed and include a phone number for verification. Maximum length is 75 words. Darts are intended to be an anonymous critique between private parties. Darts must not directly or indirectly identify an individual or business.

STOKE BUILDERS CREATOR HONOURED FOR HER DEVOTION TO DIRT BIKING COMMUNITY

Carla Rae Carey surprised with donations to share — and a commercial

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

When Carla Rae Carey’s husband suggested a date night on a Thursday night, she turned him down.

The Squamish mom and creator of dirt biking organization Stoke Builders couldn’t imagine taking a night for a date two days before a dirt biking race she was organizing at Cat Lake.

There was so much to do before the June 25 event.

“Are you crazy? That is two days before the race,” she told him.

Eventually, he was able to persuade her.

And boy, is she glad he did.

The “date night” was a ruse to get her up to Cat Lake for a big surprise.

They had gone for a drink and then were heading back home when he turned to the lake.

“He pulled off the highway and there was a guy standing there,” she said.

That “guy” was Jesse Storey, TV producer of shows like Amazing Race

He was there to shoot a commercial for TD Bank that was honouring Carey for her service to her community.

Carey started Stoke Builders, an off-shoot of

the Squamish Dirt Bike Riding Association, of which Carey is a director, in 2019. The organization works to get more kids out riding and learning from each other and helps supply them with gear.

After donning a microphone, a bewildered Carey continued the drive up to the area where SDBA usually meets.

There were about 50 people gathered. The commercial’s host and professional snowboarder Craig McMorris was waiting for her along with a camera crew.

“Leaving me speechless is a difficult task... just didn’t know what to say I was so in shock.”

The shock continues, as witnessed in the commercial, with Carey being awarded gear to share for Stoke Builders, a trailer and a new dirtbike for herself.

She had been nominated by her friend Erin Kennedy, a personal banking associate at TD.

“Carla’s dedication to uniting local youth around a shared passion has helped build a stronger community,” reads a news release from the bank.

The campaign is part of TD’s annual TD Thanks You campaign, which recognizes those who give back to improve their communities.

Carey is a customer of the bank.

Carey originally started Stoke Builders in April of 2019 as a way for her own blended family of five kids to have others to ride and

share gear with.

“I started the program to get the community members involved — to get my kids out there and give them access to other kids that were riding their bikes and just create this community feel to promote youth in dirt biking,” she told The Squamish Chief.

“Kids learn really, really well from each other. So, you know, that was really important to me.”

In the first session, she had her kids with one other child who showed up.

“It wasn’t the most successful, but it’s just grown like crazy,” she said.

These days she gets about 30 youth out on any given day.

And she has had a couple of gear swaps over the years that were “really successful.”

She notes that dirt biking isn’t the most accessible sport with the cost of the bike and the gear — especially given how fast kids grow out of it.

She has already given some of the TD-gifted gear away, will continue to do so, and will use her new bike to help teach the Stoke Builders program.

She said while the recognition was aimed at her, none of what she does would be achievable without support from others in the community.

“This would not be possible without all the guys and girls that come out, volunteer their

time to lead the groups, to teach the kids,” she said, adding that local businesses like No Limits Motorsports and On The Pipe Squamish (OTP) have always supported her initiatives.

HOW IT IS GOING

While she won’t take the credit for it, Carey notes that the SDBA membership has grown since she started Stoke Builders from about 100 to about 500 members.

As the calendar co-ordinator for the Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Association (PNWMA), she organizes the association’s Squamish events.

And women’s riding has increased by a lot, she said.

Recently, she helped bring a dirt biking celebrity, extreme enduro rider Graham Jarvis to town to sign autographs and run clinics, including one just for women riders.

Jarvis noted the strong contingent of female riders in Squamish. With very little promotion beforehand, his clinic attracted 16 women riders.

“He said, ‘I have never done an all-women’s clinic before. There’s nowhere else in the world that I could pull this off,’” Carey recalled. Find out more about the Squamish Dirt Biking Association on its website and social media channels.

Find Stoke Builders on Facebook.

PHOTOS COURTESY TD CANADA TRUST

Carla Rae Carey helps young dirt bikers gain experience — and gear.

EvolutionSails, A Frame Brewing , White Space Design, T im Hor tons, Valhalla Pure, Nester s Mar ket, Helly Hanson, Mar tin Marine, Canadian Coastal Sailing and Keith Scott.

TrafficPatternChanges:

Highway 1and Sea-to-Sky Highway 99

RBC GranFondo Whistler Cycling Event

Saturday,September 10, 2022

Aplanned cycling event will takeplace Saturday, September 10, 2022, on Highway1and Highway99, bet ween Vancouver and Whistler

Themajority of riders in the RBC GranFondowill depar tfromStanley Park in Vancouver bet ween 6a.m. and 7a.m. and cycle over the Lions Gate Bridge,upTaylor Wayand along Highway1and Highway99 to Whistler.Some riders will also travelupCypress Bowl Road before continuing to Whistler

Riders on anothercourse will depar tfromWhistler at 9:15 a.m., cycle south along Highway99, tak eCallaghan ValleyRoad to Whistler Olympic Park and then returntoWhistler along the same route.

This event will result in temporar ytrafficpatternchanges,delays and some stoppages on September 10, as outlined below:

Traffic Pattern Changes:

• DowntownVancouver -5:30 a.m. to 8a.m.

• Nor th and West Vancouver -5a.m. to 11 a.m.

• Squamish -8a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Whistler -9a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Highway1Lane Closures in West Vancouver:

• Upper Levels Highway-eastbound lanes will be closed between Horseshoe Bayand Taylor Wayfrom5:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. UseMarine Driveeastbound as alternativeroute.

Motorists areask ed to allowextra traveltime or plan alternative routes.Please exercise caution, watch fortraffic control personnel and obeyall signs along the route.

Your patience during theevent is appreciated

Formoreinformation on traffic impac ts, visit drivebc.ca or september10.info

CYCLIST TRAVELLING THROUGH B.C. ON A TREK FROM ALASKA TO PATAGONIA

The 25,000-kilometre trip is to fundraise for the Amazon

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com

If you spot Oscar Lang along his journey, give him a wave.

The 27-year-old is riding his mountain bike from Deadhorse, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina as a fundraiser for the Amazon Watch, a non-profit that works with Indigenous communities to protect the Amazon rainforest.

His t-shirt gives away his motivation for the trip.

It has pictures of trees and says, “Respect Your Elders.”

“The Amazon is the biggest rainforest we have on Earth,” he said. “So anything that happens there ends up having an effect on the entire planet. So it just makes sense. And it’s also in the Americas. I wanted to fundraise for something on the continent I’m cycling on.”

All of what he raises will go to the organization. He is self-funding his trip expenses from his savings.

He has had a variety of jobs, most recently as a wildland firefighter in the north.

He could afford the trip by being frugal, he said.

He wild camps and finds places to stay with other bikers on the Warmshowers app.

He started his ride from Alaska on June 26 and stayed overnight in Squamish on Aug. 25.

In early August, he spent a week within the Wet’suwet’en camp opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

“I got to see the pipeline and the river they want to go under,” he said, adding he went through an application process to be allowed to stay there.

“It was super nice. Great people.”

He anticipates the whole trip will take 18 months.

A native of France, Lang is tackling the roughly 25,000-kilometre trip without a sponsor or team support.

He tries to travel along trails rather than roads whenever possible.

So far, he has maintained the original front tire of his bike and changed the back twice already.

Along the way, wildlife has kept him company. Everything from muskox to Arctic fox to caribou to grizzly bears — black bears, obviously.

“I think I saw my biggest grizzly bear in the Chilcotin mountains,” he said.

He is now headed through North Vancouver, to Vancouver and on to Vancouver Island before crossing into the U.S. Find his campaign, “Biking from Alaska to Patagonia for the Amazon,” on Every.org.

You can follow his trip on Instagram @ oscar_lang.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF Oscar Lang during his stop in Squamish.

The Amazon is the biggest rainforest we have on Earth,” he said. “So anything that happens there ends up having an effect on the entire planet.

OSCAR LANG

The Squamish Yacht Club and SOAR Comommittee would li l ke to thank the generous contribuutions of our sponsors that madeththe SOAR Regatta for202 2 a great success.

BACK TO SCHOOL: HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR LGBTQ2S+ CHILD

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com

Back to school is an exciting but also a challenging time for many children, teens and their parents.

How can parents or guardians best support their LGBTQ2S+ youngsters?

The Squamish Chief sat down with Sea to Sky Allies’ Kristin Trotter, a therapist, and parent Catherine Trueman for a chat about just that. For clarity, 2SLGBTQIA+ is an acronym for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and additional sexual orientations and gender identities.

Trotter noted that children, especially young people approaching puberty and going through their teen years, are struggling to figure out who they are and their identity.

“And so there is a natural tendency to explore your gender and your sexuality in that period of time, right? And so... following your young person’s lead,” she said.

Trotter added that it can be painful for youth when parents make dismissive comments about shifting gender identities as being just a trend or because of the influence of a friend group rather than an important milestone.

“It’s important, and who knows where or how that journey will unfold, but... find ways to lead from behind,” she said, meaning parents can be supportive of wherever their kids are at. She also noted that we all shift and change and try on new identities as teens as we become ourselves. It is a natural part of growing up, in other words.

Trueman said she sometimes gets questions from parents concerned about how children want to dress or do their hair when they return to school.

“And I think if your kid wants to go and shop in a different clothing section or get a different style, or try a different haircut, or whatever it is, let them explore and try that. This is their chance to figure out who they are. Be supportive, and it might change; it might not. If it ends up being consistent, insistent and persistent, you know that maybe there’s more to look into, but let them just try to figure out who they are and be supportive and say, ‘Do you want to try that? Let’s try it. And if it doesn’t stick, that’s OK.’”

Trotter noted that mental health outcomes, and outcomes of all kinds, are better for kids who feel supported at home.

“There’s not huge consequences or huge stakes to exploring a different expression of yourself,” Trotter said.

ADVOCACY

Trueman noted that if a child has made a change over the summer — to their name, or pronouns, for example — it is best if parents or caregivers reach out to the school and the teacher beforehand to set that expectation that this is what they want to be called in the classroom, right off the bat.

Parental support and advocacy at home for a 2SLGBTQIA+ child is important, but what if there is an injustice at school — a teacher refusing to use preferred pronouns or bullying from other students — but your child doesn’t want you to step in?

Trueman said supporting but also letting the child lead is key.

“I think that something that my son has always said is just be open to listening to your child, and what they want to do and how they want to proceed. So definitely letting them lead. But saying, ‘Here are our options on how we can deal with this; we can go to the principal, the administration; I can send an email and have a conversation with the teacher directly. You can go and talk to the teacher and explain again, and if it hasn’t changed, then you can come back to me, and then we decide what other options there are. But let me know how you want me to proceed for you.’”

Supporting your 2SLGBTQIA+ child doesn’t mean pushing them beyond where they are at in their identity journey.

Some may want to use their preferred pronouns at home, but not at school, for example, and that is OK.

“I think it’s really important to acknowledge where the child is at with that,” Trotter said.

“Coming out comes in many stages, right? And considering safety is really important all along here. So we might honour that by saying, ‘OK, I’m hearing that,’ and also maybe connecting them with support around what could that look like? Because, on the one hand, you’re really excited about what you know about yourself in your identity. And on the other, you’re not feeling safe enough to explore that further than our home now.”

She added that it is never a good idea to push someone into a place that they’re not yet prepared to be.

“But we can acknowledge that not being able to be yourself can have mental health

consequences...And so when we see that struggle in that, how can we support them with continuing to explore their identity and ways of being safe with that?”

TEACHERS SET THE STAGE

Teachers have a big role in whether any student feels comfortable at school. Setting out expectations from day one of school sets the stage for the rest of the year. Parents can be advocates for what their child needs to feel safe.

For teachers, this means addressing acceptable class behaviour from the outset.

“It is having teachers on day one in the classroom saying this is an inclusive, safe space. We don’t tolerate any bullying, name calling — anything like that. And if that occurs in the school in our classroom, you will be asked to leave our classroom,” Trueman said.

Trotter said the lens could be pulled back further from the classroom teacher to the school itself.

“The expectation that the school is going to support your child,” said Trotter. “That’s going to help to resolve any concerns or problems.”

Parents can advocate for safer spaces, for using safe and gender-neutral washrooms and change rooms.

And for not having gender divides of boys and girls for teams.

Physical education class can be an uncomfortable environment if consideration is not given to everyone in the class, both Trotter and Trueman said.

“There are standardized tests that they have to do, as female or male. And so stepping in and maybe talking to the teacher, if your child wants you to... and say, ‘Look, he’s wearing a binder, he can’t have the same lung capacity that everybody else does, it’s difficult for him to do some of the things,’” Trueman said.

“It’s stepping in [as a parent] and having those conversations and teaching the teachers so that they know, for future students coming in. They’ve had that experience, and they know they can make different lesson plans or know better for next time.”

Trotter noted that Squamish schools are evolving, which is encouraging to see.

Don Ross Middle School underwent a significant renovation to create a gender-neutral washroom, which was completed in 2019, for example.

“Just the fact that they thought that it was important enough to create that space is

amazing,” Trotter said.

The goal is also that these washrooms are easily accessible and do not require the student to ask for a key or travel to the other side of the school to use them.

“That’s what we hope all buildings move forward to considering... all-gender washrooms are the way that we do things.”

Both Trotter and Trueman say adults in the home being proactive can help make for a smoother year for their child, no matter how young the child is.

“This conversation [is] for anyone with school-aged children or youth, for sure, because we know that there are gender diverse and gender creative youth in Squamish,” Trotter said.

FOR CISGENDER YOUTH

Parents of cisgender youth — meaning youth who identify as the gender they were presumed to be at birth — can also set expectations for inclusivity.

“They need to know that they need to make this a welcome inclusive space for all of their peers,” Trueman said.

“Making sure that you’re using their correct name, their pronouns; making sure that they’ve checked in and know what everybody’s using, right? It’s being respectful of that. And it’s just a matter of respect. Right? So setting that expectation that we’re going to be respectful of everybody in the classroom.”

When it comes to bullying, Trotter said as a sexual health educator, when she goes into grade 10 Phys Ed classes, she focuses on having cis students understand the impact of their words and actions.

“Highlighting that it’s not about your intention. The intention isn’t to harm, but the impact is significant,” she said, noting she does hear that slurs and statements like ‘That is so gay,’ are still said by youth, which is hurtful.

Parents can advocate with teachers to consistently intervene and let students know that those types of slurs are not accepted.

The pair say they aim to create a workshop for teachers on creating inclusive classroom spaces.

Sea to Sky Allies hosts monthly socials on the second Wednesday of every month for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ2S+ youth, wherever they find themselves on their journey. The next gathering is Sept. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Common. Pride Squamish also has socials that can be valuable for youth and adults. Check their social media channels for the latest.

Supporting youth can look like stepping in, stepping back, asking questions — but always letting the child lead

STATE OF THE UNION:

HOLLIE MCGOWAN

For The Squamish Chief

As with many communities throughout B.C. these days, the Squamish labour industries are feeling the pinch.

As the world slowly recovers from a pandemic-induced recession, skyrocketing inflation rates, costly real estate, and loss of big industry have made survival a battlefield for workers.

Labour strikes among various industries have recently been popping up all over the province.

Tuesday, BCGEU’s Public Service Bargaining Committee stood down its job action at BC Public Service worksites after getting back to talks with the BC Public Service Agency (PSA).

Earlier this year, Unifor was also able to make headway in their fight for wage increases, better pensions and benefits for part-time as well as full-time Sea to Sky transit employees.

Yet, the general fight for workers in these industries is nowhere near over. Employees in all labour industries feel the struggle to make ends meet in today’s climate, labour leaders say.

“They’re facing [the same problems] just like everybody else is,” said Rob Ashton, who represents International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU), including workers at Squamish Terminals.

“Inflation is hitting everybody in the pocketbook pretty severely.”

Ashton said that current wages do not compensate for the high cost of everyday living expenses such as fuel and food.

“For your average worker, the price of driving to work now … it’s almost not even worth the paycheque.”

Another looming concern is the cost of renting and buying homes in today’s market. Today, the goal of investing in property is becoming far less tangible.

“Right now, to buy a house, you got to be damn near a millionaire to get into the market,” said Ashton.

“People that are just trying to get into the market, it’s going to be impossible for them no matter what industry they live in or they work in. With interest rates going up, it’s going to make it even worse.”

“It’s a huge issue,” said Sylvia Fuller, a UBC professor of sociology whose research includes labour issues. “The housing costs have been just completely out of control for a very long time and the rental rates in Squamish are completely out of whack … with what’s affordable for people. So, yeah, it’s really a crisis situation on a lot of levels.”

In addition to being hit with the rising costs of fuel and real estate, labourers in Squamish are also facing the loss of industries that once sustained their economy.

“But … a lot of that’s gone. And so… we have to be very careful with communities because if you take all the big industry out, then what are you left with? You’re left with, I don’t know what Canadian Tire pays now, but I’m sure it doesn’t pay me like Woodfibre [Pulp Mill] used to pay,” Ashton said.

In addition to losing big industries that once fuelled the economy, Squamish is also going to eventually face a wider issue

that other communities within the same size category are coming up against: a population predominantly made up of retirees.

“We have that large bulk of people who are starting to transition out of the workforce and into retirement,” said Fuller.

The pandemic has also added several layers to the problem.

“First, [there were] fewer folks coming in through the sort of immigration streams, while all those restrictions were in place with the pandemic,” Fuller said. “That’s a source [of the problem], for everybody to be replenishing the labour

force.”

Further, the pandemic has weighed heavy on employers as well as employees. Over the past two years, COVID has caused major setbacks and roadblocks to business, affecting companies from top to bottom. The hardest hit being the small companies.

“Employers haven’t been willing or able to sort of really adjust to improve those working conditions to attract or retain their workers,” said Fuller. “Because, you know, they face those economic uncertainties as well.”

As a result, many employees left their workforces during the pandemic to go

IMAGE BY SASIN PARAKSA/GETTY IMAGES

If your union wasn’t mentioned in this story and you have something to say about the state of labour relations in the Sea to Sky, write us a letter to the editor: editor@squamishchief.com.

Skyrocketing inflation and costly real estate lead unions to demand higher wages and improved working conditions for their members

back to school and retrain for another industry.

“Those jobs were particularly disrupted,” Fuller said. “So you look around and you think … ‘OK, but suddenly my job got a lot more dangerous, more difficult [and] more insecure, because of the sort of uncertainties around demand and closures and all those kinds of things.”

TAKING HEALTH CARE WORKERS’ TEMPERATURE

“Health care workers have been under a tremendous amount of strain over the last two and a half years because of the pandemic,” said Mike Old, co-ordinator of policy and planning of the Hospital Employees’ Union.

“That has exacerbated staffing shortages across the system.”

“Staffing is a really critical issue and there’s so many ways that we can address staffing shortages,” he added. “We need to make sure that we’ve got the kind of compensation packages in place that will keep workers in health care and attract the workers there. That’s how we can build our workforce for the future.”

Old said that injuries among healthcare workers are also a major concern within the industry.

“Healthcare workers experience some of the highest injury rates of any sector of the economy in British Columbia,” Old said. “And that’s especially true in extended care.”

DEMANDING SOLUTIONS FOR WORKERS

With today’s high cost of living and skyrocketing inflation rates, Squamish employees and union workers are calling for wage increases and improved working conditions and benefits.

“Employers have to pay more,” said Fuller. “The wages have to be better.”

Ashton says that corporations, particularly those that benefited from the pandemic, should be allowing those economic boosts felt by the companies to also go to all of the employees.

“There’s industries out there that are making [good profit] since COVID started for whatever reason, and others are taking the hit.”

Old said that healthcare unions are asking for wage increases among healthcare staff as they look for ways to maintain staff, a discussion that is part of a larger province-wide collective bargaining.

“Health care workers are looking for solutions to the retention crisis,” he said. “Like, will there be more staffing or will there be higher rates of compensation, the kind of compensation that will attract more people to the sector?”

Old said that there have been positive

Top right: Hilltop House food service workers have been brought back under the jurisdiction of Vancouver Coastal Health.

Middle: Striking Squamish Unifor transit workers earlier this spring.

Bottom: Squamish Terminals, where some workers are represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU).

advancements made in his industry recently, however. When the B.C. government made a commitment to bring healthcare workers back to the public sector in August 2021 after a period of privatization, employees in the industry were able to receive better wages and benefits in improved working conditions.

“At Squamish [General Hospital] and Hilltop [House], food service workers were brought back in-house in July, and the housekeeping staff are going to be brought back in October,” he said. “That’s a big deal; reversing privatization, bringing wages and working conditions for those workers into line with other health care workers.”

Although some improvements have been made, Old said more work could be done to reduce levels of injuries to healthcare workers. Hiring more staff is one way to prevent injuries.

“We need to make sure that we’ve got the training programs in place so that people can kind of train up to be health care workers, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a while to train a health care worker. So those are kind of the main things to do, and that’s how we will deal with the high levels of burnout our members are facing.”

Old said that information received from recent polls taken among members revealed that one out of three healthcare workers is considering leaving healthcare in the next two years due to stress from the pandemic.

“It’s a serious problem,” he said.

“Workers in Squamish … they gotta demand more,” said Ashton.

“Don’t be ashamed of it. Don’t be afraid of it. A worker’s value is what they provide to the community.”

Health care workers have been under a tremendous amount of strain over the last two and a half years because of the pandemic.

MIKE OLD

PHOTO (TOP) BY EMILY RICE; (MIDDLE) BY STEVEN CHUA; (BOTTOM) BY CRHIS DALE

BRITANNIA MINE MUSEUM’S COPPER & FIRE EVENT RETURNS

Plenty of shopping to be had on Saturday, Sept. 17

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com

Would you like to pick up something special for yourself or start your holiday shopping early?

Here’s an opportunity to get some unique gifts.

The Britannia Mine Museum’s annual Copper & Fire Arts community event is back on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The annual event features local and B.C. artists displaying their unique metal and earthen crafts.

“The event celebrates the arts and visitors

can come experience the unique and creative ways minerals from the Earth can be showcased through art,” reads a news release about the event.

The family-friendly Copper & Fire Arts features earth-inspired jewelry, sculpture, copper work, gemstone art, pottery and painting, all inspired by the landscape of the Pacific Northwest.

“Our annual Copper & Fire Arts event is our signature fall community gathering to show the connections between mined materials and the arts, and to illustrate the importance of mining in our everyday lives,” said Elena Whitman, guest services manager at the Britannia Mine Museum, in

the release. “Our goal is to showcase local B.C. artists, explore their visions and learn how they create unique pieces of earthen arts using mined materials.”

Artists this year include Brackendale’s own Angela Muellers. She is a classically trained portrait and landscape artist.

Local Martin Vseticka, an award-winning jewelry designer, will also be on hand with his gold and silver work.

Mission jewelry maker Ania Kyte will be showing her latest wares. She also will provide hands-on instruction to students interested in the art of glass bead making.

Vancouver jewelry artist Hazel Cruse is back with her custom handmade pieces.

Finally, Wayne Buhler of North Vancouver will be showcasing his oil painting on copper.

And there will be music.

Coldwater Road, Canadian indie folk/rock musicians, will be performing.

The band is releasing a new album this year focusing on Canadian History, including the song “The Mine and the Mill,” which was inspired by a visit to the Britannia Mine Museum, the release states.

The Britannia Mine Museum recommends pre-purchasing tickets online as events tend to sell out. For more event details and to purchase tickets online, go to www.BritanniaMineMuseum.ca.

PHOTO COURTESY BRITANNIA MINE MUSEUM

Plenty of shopping opportunities at the upcoming annual Copper & Fire Arts community event.

DIVING FREE: A Q&A WITH A LOCAL FREEDIVER

Luca Malaguti teaches others in the Sea to Sky how to explore under the water’s surface

While oceans make up about 70% of the Earth’s surface, more than 80% of it has never been explored by humans, according to the National Geographic Society.

Squamish freediver Luca Malaguti has likely seen more of what is under the water’s surface than the majority of folks.

Freediving involves diving underwater — often in deep water— without using any breathing apparatus.

Malaguti is a Canadian freediving record holder in the Aida Freediving World Cup, diving to -84 metres (-275 feet).

The former geotechnical engineer teaches freediving and spearfishing with Sea to Sky Freediving Co.

The Squamish Chief caught up with Malaguti at his home base in the Highlands in between underwater adventures for a chat about his sport, how being underwater can help overcome fears, sustainable fishing and much more. What follows is an edited version of that conversation.

WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM?

I was born in Italy and came to Canada when I was seven years old. I grew up in Montreal, and then I moved to Vancouver and found myself spending more and more time in Squamish.

I ended up having a strong connection with Squamish from the backcountry skiing, freediving, and just exploring nature. And then, when I started travelling a lot around the world and living in different places — the Philippines, Egypt and the Caribbean — I’d always be back in the summers, at least.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO FREEDIVING?

When I was seven or eight years old, we would go to Greece and to Croatia and the south of France — in Europe, it is very easy to travel from one country to the other. Then, when my sister was living in the Caribbean, I was about 17 or 18, and I would visit her, and I started spearfishing — I was doing it the wrong way, but I would try to catch lobsters for dinner, that kind of thing.

Then I had a very bad surfing accident about 12 years ago.

I shouldn’t have walked away from that one. And it was great, actually, because that one kind of got me into depression and survivor’s guilt and all of that, but it was through freediving that I gradually made a connection with the ocean again.

THEN YOU NEVER LOOKED BACK AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT SINCE?

I did look back for a long time, actually.

I was on just the regular path that everybody takes. I did a master’s at UBC. I became a geotechnical engineer.

I worked for the government and privately. The work was interesting — I loved it — but the culture was toxic.

There was no regard for a connection with nature and spending time outdoors and just wanting some time off — no regard for mental health and all that.

And so I was just like, I want to pursue

something that I really love right now, even if it means going against all social norms.

So, I followed my passion. I opened Sea to Sky Freediving and started teaching people here, and I opened up a freediving school in the Philippines. I travelled a lot. I became a professional freediver and started competing. And just last November, I set the Canadian record.

Since then, I’ve just been teaching and helping people connect with the water, overcoming their fears, and learning how to connect with their lungs since COVID. That’s been a big one, actually.

And just teaching people fun skills — how to better have a breath hold and stay underwater. Also, teaching them about spearfishing and harvesting and where their food comes from; catching your own fish in the most ethical and sustainable way, which is actually shooting your fish. It’s not catching it on a line.

WHY IS THAT WAY OF FISHING BETTER?

To be absolutely clear, I have nothing against fishing. A lot of my buddies do it. I have been on a boat and done it. It is just understanding the reality of it.

A lot of people talk about catch and release, but I always say, unfortunately, it’s catch and let’s kill.

We know that the mortality of the fish from having a hook in its mouth is actually quite high.

When I’m down there, holding my breath, I’m levelling the playing field, so to speak, I’m essentially hunting like a seal. And I have a pole spear or a spear gun. I’m looking at the fish. There’s guilt before shooting, pulling that trigger. I am looking at whether it’s the right size, I’m looking if it is the right species, whether it’s a female or male. And I’m doing all of this in a matter of seconds as I’m holding my breath. And so I think that’s a much better connection

to where your food comes from them than being on a boat and just hoping you catch the right fish, which is not always the case. GOING BACK TO COVID, CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE WHAT YOU MEANT ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR LUNGS?

By putting your body underwater, your lungs become more flexible — the diaphragm increases its range of motion.

You become better at transferring oxygen from the alveoli in your lungs to the tissues and muscles. Your arteries become more elastic and become better at promoting blood flow. You increase literally the sites where oxygen is diffusing. We know this through tests done on freedivers.

When you use something more, it becomes stronger.

COVID is a virus that attacked the lungs. What we saw was a lot of people who hadn’t taken care of their lungs for years or that maybe had emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the elderly, especially, the virus could really have a damaging effect.

So, a sport like free diving or just breathwork, breathing pranayama yoga — everything that’s involved in freediving — strengthens your lungs and makes sure that as you age, that lung capacity is there to support you.

We’re so concerned about going to the gym and getting big biceps and nice abs, but we are actually not training our diaphragm, our second heart, as it is called. It is kind of ironic.

WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT FREEDIVING?

I think they think it’s a very dangerous and extreme sport. It really isn’t. It’s actually a very accessible, safe sport. In fact, if you have a young child, the best thing you could do is start getting

them introduced to water for their safety, their confidence and their well-being.

But there is a wrong way to approach freediving that is dangerous. But it is the same thing as going into the backcountry.

When you don’t have the right education, you don’t have the lenses to understand the dangers.

If I have glacier crevasse training and avalanche training, my eyes see something different than someone that doesn’t have that training.

With the right training and supervision, freediving can be the safest sport.

YOU HAVE BEEN TO SO MANY PLACES IN THE WORLD, CAN YOU COMPARE FREEDIVING IN HOWE SOUND TO OTHER SPOTS YOU HAVE BEEN TO?

I’ve been very fortunate to see a lot of beauty around the world. But there’s such a misunderstanding of what we have here. It’s incredible. What you see above and the beauty that we actually take advantage of and appreciate above the water is about 50% of it. There is a whole other world beneath. The problem with Howe Sound is it is murky for the first two meters. It is dark and cold. But it is teaming with life.

When you adapt your eyes, you will see stunning things. You will see cloud sponges, which are essentially corals that are thousands of years old. You will see soft corals. At Porteau Cove, there are shipwrecks covered in a forest of white with big ling cod being chased by seals, and rockfish everywhere. There are octopuses, crabs, sea cucumbers, and starfish.

The biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest is unique in the world. And when people don’t know about something, or they can’t connect with it, they won’t love it. And if you don’t love something, you won’t protect it. It’s just that simple, right?

That’s a very important thing for people to understand. Like there’s something below these waters, which is very unique, and it’s worth protecting.

HOW DOES WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT FREEDIVING IMPACT YOUR LIFE ON LAND?

When you hold your breath, and you’re down there, there’s not much else you can really think about. You have to be in the present moment. When we talk about relaxation and mindfulness, it’s really about being in the present moment. You can give me someone who’s had the most difficult time in the world; when you hold your breath, a primal instinct kicks in. And it doesn’t matter about your taxes, the money in the bank, your social status, or your traumas. When you’re down there, holding your breath, the whole world, the whole universe, becomes quite simple. It’s pure.

WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE FOLKS TO KNOW ABOUT FREEDIVING?

They need to know that it is for everybody, regardless of age, gender, culture, sex — doesn’t matter. That’s very important to understand. We can all be weightless in the water. We can all learn to relax and meditate while being in the water and learn to be comfortable and let go.

Find out more about Malaguti at Sea to Sky Freediving Co.

About a local is a regular column about an interesting Squamish resident. If you have an idea for who we should cover, email jthuncher@ squamishchief.com.

PHOTO COURTESY LUCA MALAGUTI Luca Malaguti on a Howe Sound dive.

ABOUT A LOCAL JENNIFER THUNCHER

STAYING SAFE IN THE SEA TO SKY BACKCOUNTRY

BC AdventureSmart helps you prepare for a safe adventure

HOLLIE MCGOWAN For The Squamish Chief

We all want to get out into the backcountry when we can, but none of us wants to end up hurt — or worse — on our next excursion.

Data from the BC Search and Rescue Association shows that the top three reasons adventurers call search and rescue in British Columbia are: injury, getting lost and disoriented, and exceeding abilities, according to Sandra Riches, executive director of BC AdventureSmart.

She said that people often get caught up in the excitement of exploring and forget to prepare fully.

To avoid dangerous pitfalls, BC AdventureSmart promotes the three Ts: Trip planning, Training, and Taking the essentials.

“Getting lost and disoriented can be mitigated, or it can not happen at all, when people trip plan and have navigational skills and route-finding ability,” Riches said. “They have the knowledge and the decision-making skills, and the tools and the equipment, and they know how to use it all together to make informed decisions about risk management.”

TRIP PLANNING

Adequate trip planning will help set the stage for safe travel. Whether devising an adventure with friends, family or going at it alone, Riches said that letting others in during the planning stage will help ensure that everyone knows what they are getting into.

“Let’s say everyone’s a part of that process, and they’re having conversations and discussions about where they’re going,” said Riches. “They’re checking maps or looking online about where they’re going to go for this adventure and researching it prior to see what gear they need, abilities, and skills. How do we access this terrain? Is this terrain meeting our abilities as a group, as group dynamics? What’s our destination?”

TRAINING

Riches says that it’s essential to ensure you are physically ready for any kind of extreme sports in the backcountry and know what you are really getting yourself into. Commonly, people head out only to discover while on their journey that the trip was more difficult than they had initially thought.

Communicating with your crew and being honest about your physical capabilities — and limitations — is one of the best ways to keep the trip from becoming dangerous.

“Making that decision on the trail to

IF THINGS STILL GO WRONG

Even with the best effort, getting lost can still happen.

Riches said that instead of moving in hopes of finding civilization, the organization advises that people stay exactly where they are.

Stop, Think, Observe, Plan (STOP), she said. She said that people often try to figure out their own rescue plan under severe stress and panic.

Often they will find a body of water such as a river and assume that following it will lead them to civilization. However, this is a common mistake and can prove difficult for search and rescue teams working to locate an individual or group.

“Everyone needs to stop moving. So, stop. Stay in that one location. Make sure it’s a safe location,” she said.

If you have let others know when to expect you back, they will send for help when you don’t return on time.

This is another reason proper preparation for any excursion is necessary.

maybe turn around and save it for another day can be some of your best outdoor skills that you apply as well,” said Riches.

TAKING THE ESSENTIALS

Making sure you have all the essential equipment one needs for a deep woods excursion is also paramount.

“Everything from a light source, fire making kit, a signalling device of sorts — which can be a whistle or mirror to signal to aircraft — extra food and water, clothing, extra layers, navigation and communication.. a first aid kit, knowing how to use it and emergency shelter, a utility knife of sorts and sun protection.”

“Then you’re observing for hazards,” said Riches. “You’re looking around to make sure it’s a safe space for you to create a shelter and stay in that location. And then you get to plan [how you are going to continue taking care of yourself while you wait for search and rescue]. You’re going to pull out the layers from your pack that you brought. You’re going to maybe address any first aid...have a little snack, have some water. Your planning goes into place, but you’re not moving.”

FALL MEANS CHANGE

Summer is quickly fading to autumn.

Folks who head out on a hike in the early fall can forget the light also changes. “Subjects often say, ‘Man, we were so surprised how dark it was out there and how cold we were and how much we wished we had a really good light source,” Riches said, adding to check when sunset is and bring layers for the cooler temperatures.

Find more tips at www.adventuresmart.ca.

PHOTO BY ALEX RATSON/GETTY IMAGES

Come fall, the Squamish backcountry changes and it is cooler and gets dark sooner. Something to keep in mind as you head out on adventures, says BC AdventureSmart’s Sandra Riches.

PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS

BEE MINE: Have a fantastic photo to share? Send it to news@squamishchief.com.

GOT SPORTS?

‘VIBES WERE HIGH’: LOCAL RACERS EMBRACE CRANKWORX’S RETURN

Local riders excelled at Whistler festival’s comeback

DAN FALLOON

For The Squamish Chief

One of Canadian mountain biking’s marquee events rose from the pandemic ashes after two summers away, and Squamish athletes were front and centre.

Several local riders claimed podium finishes at Crankworx Whistler, held this year from Aug. 5 to 14.

While Crankworx has long provided an opportunity for locals to compete on the world stage, the extra energy from the event returning for the first time since 2019 gave riders a jolt.

“It was awesome. It was so cool,” said Jacob Quist, 16. “Vibes were high. Everyone was there. All the pros. All your friends. All the people you happen to know through riding all happened to be there, riding, laughing, competing.”

Quist placed second in his division in the Enduro World Series race and third in the Ultimate Pumptrack Challenge. Succeeding in two fairly different disciplines was a boon for Quist.

“I just wanted to get them done, have a good time and ride the best I could,” he

said. “It was good switching things up, tapping into all aspects of my riding abilities, having a bit of variety.”

Squamish’s Lucy Van Eesteren also garnered two first-place finishes at Crankworx in the U19 category.

Another podium finish went to Jack MacLeod, who snagged a second-place showing in the Specialized Dual Slalom event.

MacLeod, 16, credited his BMX background for his success in the dual slalom, as many of the skills, such as pumping, are central to both disciplines.

“I had a really good feeling for the course. I really felt strong in the corners,” he said, adding that he also rolled and pumped effectively. “A lot of the training I’ll do is in flat corners and I’ll work on a lot of cornering in training.”

MacLeod said it didn’t occur to him that he might be in contention for a podium finish until he was in the final four, then bested American Hayden Damon to advance to the big final.

MacLeod posted strong results across the board at Crankworx despite fracturing his ulna and tearing a tendon in his elbow after a crash during the winter, which set back his training schedule.

Still, MacLeod improved his riding by leaps and bounds since 2019, and was able to make an impression coming back to Crankworx.

“The last time I did it, I wasn’t as fast and didn’t have as much experience, so I was in the middle of the pack,” he said. “I had time to get faster, so this year, I was closer to the front of the pack.”

For Coen Skrypnek, who moved to Squamish to pursue a biking career, Crankworx was a chance to reset his season after some struggles earlier in the year.

“Riding Crankworx was super epic, just because it’s a home race and all the events are always so fun,” he said.

Finding he truly focused on process rather than results, Skrpynek placed fifth in both the RockShox Canadian Open DH and the AirDH, but particularly enjoyed competing in the Official Whip-Off World Championships after making his whip-off debut last summer at Innsbruck, Austria.

“My mindset has been way better,” he said. “It has helped a heap.”

Skrypnek, speaking from Les Gets, France, where he finished 25th in the junior men’s division of the UCI MTB World Championships on Aug. 27, was

content placing in the Top 25.

“I’m quite happy with how the weekend went. I do wish things had gone a little bit better in my race, but at the time, it was the best I could do, considering the conditions,” said

Mateo Quist, meanwhile, topped the podium for his division in both of his downhill races.

Though the courses posed challenging conditions, his familiarity with them helped put him over the top.

“The Canadian Open was totally one of the gnarliest courses ever,” said Quist, 14. “But I feel natural riding those because I ride Whistler every day. It wasn’t too bad. It was pretty good.”

In their respective divisions, other outstanding results came courtesy of: Jackson Goldstone (1st in Official Whip-Off World Championships and Canadian Open DH); Ryan Griffith (first in AirDH and third in Canadian Open DH); Elly Hoskin (first in Enduro World Series); Seth Sherlock (first in Enduro World Series); Emmett Hancock (second in Enduro World Series); and Remi Gauvin (third in Enduro World Series).

Complete results are available at www. crankworx.com.

PHOTO COURTESY GRACE MACLEOD

Several local riders claimed podium finishes at Crankworx Whistler, held this year from Aug. 5 to 14. Jack MacLeod (far left) takes his place on the podium.

42ND ANNUAL TERRY FOX RUN BACK IN PERSON

Fun run is set for Sunday, Sept. 18

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com

Had he survived, Terry Fox would have been 64 this summer.

He died from cancer in 1981 at 22 years old.

Since his death, Canadians have carried on his Marathon of Hope, his fundraiser for cancer research that aims to find a cure.

Squamish’s annual Terry Fox Run is set for Sunday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m; at the municipal Brennan Park Campground.

This will be a fully in-person event.

The location is a change from previous years when the race started in the Brennen Park Rec Centre parking lot.

The move makes it safer for participants and drivers, organizers said.

The goal for 2022 is to build on the $14,000 raised by 250 participants at the hybrid online/ socially distanced event in 2021.

As always, folks can run, walk, ride, or wheel for a cure.

Dogs are welcome.

“This year, with everyone able to get back together in one place, we are hoping to raise $20,000,” said event co-organizer Amber Pascual in a news release. “Our best year, pre-pandemic, was $18,000, and we’re confident that now that we can go at this full-pull, Squamish can easily come out and beat that.”

With funds raised across Canada this year, the Terry Fox Research Institute is expanding its

scope to support two unique initiatives.

The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network unites the country’s cancer hospitals and research centres to create the “Team Canada” of Cancer Research.

“Empowering members to work together to make precision medicine for cancer a reality,” reads the release.

The Digital Health Discovery Platform provides the infrastructure to allow the sharing

of large amounts of health data generated through the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network.

“We all know someone — friends and families — who has been affected by this terrible disease,” Pascual added. “But we also know the power of the community here in Squamish. I’m excited to see that community out in person — united, having fun, and fighting together to end this terrible disease. Terry Fox didn’t give

up, and neither will we.”

For fellow race organizer Judy Pace, this fundraiser hits close to home.

Her 11-year-old nephew had osteosarcoma — the same cancer Fox had — and eventually succumbed to the disease in 2009, she told The Squamish Chief.

Pace recently got to meet virtually with Fox’s brother Fred and even with the nurse who was Fox’s oncology nurse throughout his treatment.

Hearing stories about the young man participants run for brings into sharp clarity the real person behind the icon he has become.

“She was telling about how he could be really feisty, but then he could be really warm and caring. You got a complete inside view of what had happened with him. It was pretty amazing,” Pace said.

For Pace, in addition to raising money for vital cancer research, the community’s support for the race keeps her coming back to help organize it.

“In the last couple of years, it’s been pouring rain, and we’ve had so many people come out... I’ve goosebumps literally right now because every time you’re putting it [the race on], you think, ‘No one is going to come, no one is going to come,’ but in Squamish, the support that they have for this race is absolutely unbelievable,” she said, adding that local businesses like Nesters Market, Fergie’s Cafe and Sunflower Bakery and Cafe Squamish are helping make the race happen this year.

Register online or register starting at 9 a.m. on the day of the race.

PHOTO BY BRIAN STABLYK/GETTY IMAGES

Memorial statue of Terry Fox who attempted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

SCRIBBLE BOX

HOROSCOPE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1 2022 - SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

ARIES

March 21-April 19

You’ll score a fantastic travel deal. You’ll have enough money but may lack time and availability. You must be patient and methodical when planning this incredible escape.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

It’s time to change your lifestyle to boost your morale and improve your physical health. You’ll be prompted to make a change after a traumatic experience. You may also feel the need to switch jobs.

GEMINI

May 21-June 20

You’ll be focused on your love life this week. You’ll make unforgettable memories with your significant other. If you’re single, you’ll meet your soulmate and quickly consider building a life together.

CANCER

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers

1 through 9 only once.

Each 3 x 3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3 x 3 box.

June 21-July 22

You’ll get a well-deserved raise. You’ll also tap into your leadership skills and start an at-home business. This venture will be a huge success thanks to your creativity and imagination.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

You’ll boost your self-esteem. Buying new clothes or getting a new hairstyle will make you feel better about yourself and help you stand out from the crowd.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

You’ll redecorate your home to suit your unique style. You may also find some money you thought you lost at the bottom of a pocket that will allow you to spoil yourself.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

You’ll clearly express yourself and speak openly about your emotions. You’ll come into your own and stand out, which may cause some people to be jealous.

SCORPIO

Your artistic talents will allow you to create a second stream of income for yourself. You’ll create a masterpiece. Despite being short on time, you’ll have a lot of fun this week and incorporate some exercise.

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

SAGITTARIUS

Good things are on the horizon! You’ll have to make some adjustments and compromises at work and home to reach an agreement.

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

CAPRICORN

This is an excellent week to recharge your batteries. Treat yourself to a massage or another form of pampering to unwind. You’ll also appreciate a little solitude.

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

You’re very popular this week. You may have to dress up a few times. Your friendly attitude will help you grow your social circle and put you in touch with likeminded people.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

You must learn to delegate to take some pressure off at work and home. You may find yourself worrying about your loved ones. Your children can’t stay at home forever; trust them.

SUDOKU

Lorne Walters

November 9, 1939 – August 20, 2022

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Lorne Walters. He was 82 years old.

Lorne was born in Vancouver, BC on November 9, 1939.

He was the eldest of three children, having two sisters, Denise and Cheryl. He grew up in the Harrison Mills area, where his father was the �mekeeper for the Fleetwood Logging camp.

He started working in the bush when he was 13 years old. At the age of 18 he joined the Royal Canadian Navy. He served 5 years in peace�me, travelling to the Orient and Alaska.

When he re-entered civilian life, he went back to the Harrison area where his family lived and started logging again. He married Lois Rempel in 1963 and they had two children, Cur�s in 1964 and Lori in 1966.

Lorne moved his family to Squamish, BC in 1968 and other than a couple of years in Langley, BC in the late 70�s, this beau�ful valley was his home base for the rest of his life.

He married Dwight McLaren in 1997 and they had many good years together un�l her passing in 2011.

Lorne spent most of his years in the cab of a truck, whether it was a logging truck, long haul or driving a snow plow. He was always working, whether it was in camp or locally. He could fix just about anything, and he could build just about anything.

Dad was a colourful character with a million stories to tell, and he delighted in telling them. He could remember the most minute details, and he was very precise.

In 2015 Lorne became the resident Groundskeeper at the Squamish Valley Rod and Gun Club. He took great pride in his work there, and was very content to spend his days cu�ng the grass and doing the other various jobs he did there.

Lorne was pre-deceased by his parents, his two sisters, and his wife Dwight Walters.

He is survived by his children, Cur�s Walters and Lori Walters and grandchildren Laurissa Walters and Benjamin Hockin.

There will be no service, at his request.

GOLD, SILVER and platinum buyers purchasing all gold and silver bullion, jewelry, coins, nuggets, dust, scrap, pre-1968 coins, bulk silver, sterling. Numismatist purchasing entire coin collections and accumulations, Royal Canadian Mint coins, world collections, old $$$. 250-864-3521.

EVR

Fine Homes is looking for exceptional people to join our team.

and can view our work at www.evrfinehomes.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Job ID: #OPS1249

Title: Equipment Operator

Location: Harrison Lake, BC

Do you have working experience with heavy equipment operations?

Are you interested in renewable energy?

Do you want to be part of a growing company and a team of experienced professionals?

Why should you join our team?

Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. is an independent renewable energy producer with an extensive and growing portfolio of assets in Canada, the United States, France and Chile. The Corporation develops, acquires, owns and operates hydroelectric facilities, wind farms, solar farms and energy storage facilities.

For more than 30 years, Innergex has believed in a world where abundant renewable energy promotes healthier communities and creates shared prosperity. We are convinced that generating power from renewable sources will lead the way to a better world. We remain committed to responsible growth that balances people, our planet, and prosperity. We believe in offering an engaging, inclusive and supportive work environment where each team member can thrive.

Your contribution!

Reporting to the Assistant Manager – Operations and Maintenance, the Equipment Operator will work together with the Operations team and be responsible for the following primary duties:

Your day-to-day!

· Safe and efficient operation of on-site mobile equipment (excavator, backhoe, boats etc.);

· Light maintenance, cleaning, and routine servicing of mobile equipment, and coordination of significant equipment maintenance;

· Assist Plant Operators and Managers to carry out all actions required to optimize the output and production of the power plants;

· Participate in monitoring and execution of a Preventative Maintenance program for facility equipment;

· Participate in the daily work planning and operations activities;

· Assist any specialized contractors needed to perform maintenance and repairs of the facilities;

· Adhere to and work within the Occupational Health and Safety standards at Innergex.

The site and work details:

· The site is a remote work site located approximately 120 minutes out of Pemberton and Harrison Hot Spring (the marshalling points);

· Employees’ work schedule is 8 days on and 6 days off at 10 hours per day for a total of 80 working hours per two (2) week period. Travel time between the marshalling point and the site is included in these hours;

· Employees are provided with a pickup truck for travel between the marshalling point and site and for use on site;

· Employees are provided with furnished accommodation while working on site: cable TV, telephones and internet access are available;

· Employees are provided with a Living out Allowance for each day they are on site.

Your skills, our requirements!

· Grade 12 education or equivalent;

· Must possess a valid Class 5 BC driver’s license (class 1 is an asset);

· Minimum of 3 years working experience with heavy equipment operations, is required;

· Experience with 4-wheel drives and ATVs, is required;

· Experience with boat and/or crane trucks, is an asset;

· Experience as an industrial mechanic or electrician, is an asset;

· Experience with hydro plant operations is an asset.

Our benefits!

· Opportunity to contribute to building a better world;

· Competitive wages;

· Group benefits with 100% paid premiums (medical/dental/vision/extended health/RRSP/ESPP/PTO);

· Career development opportunities;

· Ongoing training;

· Dynamic work environment.

Additional considerations!

· The position is based at our hydroelectric power plants at the North end of Harrison Lake.

· Willing to commit to further education relevant to the role (Innergex provides formal and in-house training, as required).

Innergex is an equal opportunity employer that values each person’s unique background, diversity, experiences, perspectives and talents. Innergex is committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment and bases all employment decisions on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications. The key to our success as a global company is to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

WE ARE HIRING

Utility Operator 1 – Water Distribution – Regular Full-Time

Utility Operator 1 – Water Distribution – Temporary Full-Time

Manager of Procurement – Regular Full-Time

Recreation Program Leader – Regular Part-Time (4-19 hours)

Recreation Booking and Office Services Coordinator – Regular Full-Time

Recreation Program Coordinator – Temporary Full-Time (Approx. 3 months temporary assignment)

Emergency Program Technician – Regular Full-Time

Labourer 1 – Temporary Full-Time (Multiple Positions)

Victim Services Crisis Worker – Casual/On-Call

Recreation Facility Attendant 2 – Regular Part-Time

IT Systems Specialist – Regular Full-Time

Senior IT Business Analyst – Regular Full-Time (Multiple Positions)

Watch Clerk – Regular Full-Time (Multiple Positions)

Financial Services Specialist – Temporary Full-Time

Truck Driver Class 1 – Regular Full-Time

Utilities Technician – Regular Full-Time

Custodians – Casual/ On Call

squamish.ca/careers

www.whistlerexcavations.com

The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company.

We are currently recruiting professionally minded people to join our team:

Equipment Operators

Class 1 Truck Drivers • Pipe Layers Construction Labourers

*Competitive wages, extended health bene ts (after 3 months)

Email resume to: info@whistlerexcavations.com

Vacasa’s forward-thinking approach and industry-leading technology help set us apart as the largest full-service vacation rental company in North America.

We are seeking individuals with a passion for providing exceptional vacation experiences for our Owners and Guests.

We offer competitive wages and bene ts: Travel allowance for Squamish/Pemberton-based employees OR Ski Pass/Activity allowance, Extended Medical, RRSP match, Recognition Program, Fun & Safe Work Environment-Great Team, opportunities to grow and more.

**SIGNING BONUS** $1000 (FT)

Housekeeper - Full or Part time Housekeeper Runner - Full or Part time Guest Service Agent - Full or Part time (year-round)

Apply online today! https://www.vacasa.com/careers/positions or email: paul.globisch@vacasa.com or call to nd out more details at 604-698-0520

We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

www.whistlerexcavations.com

The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company.

We are currently recruiting professionally minded people to join our team.

Required:

Heavy Duty Red Seal Technician or Apprentice

Heavy Duty Technician

*Competitive wages, extended health bene ts (after 3 months)

Please send resume to: Email: info@whistlerexcavations.com

Sports/news reporter

Pique Newsmagazine has a rare opportunity for an experienced and committed journalist to cover local sports, news and mountain culture in North America’s premier mountain resort.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Pitch, write, edit and post stories.

- Take photos and videos that are eye-catching, clear and engaging.

- Assist newsroom colleagues in creating social posts across channels—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, as well as monitor comments and direct messages on those platforms.

- Assist newsroom colleagues in monitoring Google Trends and analytic tools to make improvements to both coverage and digital publishing practices.

- You are passionate about sports and community journalism, and know what makes a compelling community news story.

- You have experience covering various beats, including community events, elections and governments at all levels.

QUALIFICATIONS:

- Journalism degree, diploma or equivalent program.

- Familiarity or willingness to learn audience engagement concepts, including social media storytelling and SEO.

- Pro ciency in digital photography.

- Knowledge of CP style.

- Knowledge of InDesign and newspaper layout.

- Ability to work ef ciently, in a deadline-driven environment, both independently and constructively in collaboration with a wider team when required.

THE ESSENTIALS OF WHAT WE OFFER:

• Competitive salary

• Comprehensive health and dental coverage and extended bene ts, including recreational perks.

• Ongoing training and support.

Located in the mountain resort town of Whistler, British Columbia, Pique Newsmagazine is the unequivocal leader in reporting, interpreting and understanding the culture of the Coast Mountains and what it means to those who live, work and play in Whistler. At 27 years young, we’ve established ourselves as the locals’ publication that’s inquisitive and edgy, provoking conversation and building community. With our peers we’re acknowledged perennial winners at the BC & Yukon Community NewsMedia Awards (BCYCNA) and Canadian Community Newspaper Awards (CCNA) for general excellence and reporting categories, as well as several Webster Awards honours over the years.

To apply, send your resume, clippings, or other relevant materials, as well as a cover letter making the case for why we should hire you, by 4 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2022 to editor Braden Dupuis at bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com.

Pique Newsmagazine