February 8, 2024 - Squamish Chief

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DEVELOPING SQUAMISH

WATER TANK HUTS?

More apartment housing coming

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

S Q U A M I S H C H I E F. C O M

DISTRICT LARGELY UNSCATHED FROM RECENT FLOODING

January had over 400 mm of precipitation ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

W

PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS

HEY, ROCKY: A local ‘trash panda’ in the Squamish Estuary. These opportunistic eaters seem to wash their hands before chowing down on mice, fish, frogs, insects, small mammals and the like, according to eco organization Treehugger.

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hile flooding occurred in some areas in and around Squamish, it seems to have escaped largely unscathed through the most recent barrage of rainfall.

Near the end of January, Squamish was pelted with rainstorm after rainstorm with elevated freezing levels.

“Freezing levels will remain around 2,000 metres through midweek. The combination of elevated freezing levels and heavy rain will result in snow melt, in addition to the already heavy rainfall,” read a special weather statement on Jan. 31 from Environment Canada.

“And that’s an unusual weather pattern,” Lisa Ervin, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told The Squamish Chief. “Usually, we see a little bit more of a

FLOOD: Continued on 5

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NEW 204-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING OK’D FOR DOWNTOWN

Council approved some slight height and parking variances for the mixed-use development by Polygon on Third Avenue ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

S

quamish council members authorized a development permit with some slight height and parking variances for a mixed-use development called Three Summits.

At a special business meeting on Jan. 30, District of Squamish council ultimately authorized a development permit by a 5-2 vote for the 204 residential unit development, with about 10% of commercial space, located on 38201 Third Ave. Councillors Lauren Greenlaw and Chris Pettingill were not in favour of the permit. A few members of the public spoke about the development and staff noted an array of other electronic public feedback.

For context, this area used to have senior living facilities, but was ultimately sold to the developer, Polygon, on a deal that saw Polygon first help build the Westwinds senior living complex. As planned, the new development will have 42 one-bedroom units, 120 two-bedroom units and 42 three-bedroom units across three buildings that will be six to seven storeys tall.

“This development with these apartments will be just a drop in the bucket compared to the demand that exists for more housing in Squamish and the variances being sought in my mind are reasonable in the current housing crisis that we’re enduring,” said Coun. John French in his support.

Three Summits will also have an inner courtyard for the residents and a public-use playground and park near the Eaglewind Boulevard and Pemberton Street corner. The intersection at this corner would also receive upgrades.

With the approval, there was a small height increase from 22 to 22.95 metres, a decrease in parking from 438 to 400 in the three-storey

PHOTO VIA DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH REPORT

Squamish council members authorized a development permit with some slight height and parking variances for a mixed-use development called Three Summits.

parkade, and an increase in projections of eaves and awnings into setbacks from 0.91 to 2.85 metres. The parking variance only affected the visitor and commercial requirements by combining into one group, now equalling 51 in total.

Language was added by council to ensure a left turn exit onto Eaglewind Boulevard from the parkade, in hopes drivers will head that direction and avoid potential congestion on other strata roads. A local traffic only sign for the strata road was already proposed as well.

The total parking amount and the left turn were some of the determining factors in Pettingill’s decision against approving the

permit.

“If we’re requiring those [parking] spots, we’re expecting people to use them. That’s a whole lot of new cars downtown when we’re saying we want to do a mode shift; we want to move away from cars. So, it seems completely at odds with our policy goals,” he said.

Coun. Andrew Hamilton, however, said the parking variance was not too far out of the realm of the existing policy.

“If we want our developers to have to bring us something different, we need to change our policies,” he said.

Furthermore, on the left turn language, Pettingill said he was more in favour of first

getting staff to analyze the costs to the District of adding such an exit before approving the go-ahead.

On the other hand, French said he did not want to see Squamish become known for new developments being “super difficult” to enter and exit.

“We have this about to become the reality at Redbridge thanks to decisions that were made many years ago by council members sitting in these seats. I don’t wish to repeat the oddity that we’re about to inherit at Redbridge for this proposal.”

DEVELOPMENT: Continued on 5

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 5

GOT NEWS? Email your news tip or story idea to: jthuncher@squamishchief.com ahughes@squamishchief.com

ACCOUNTANT ACCUSED OF $200,000 FRAUD PLEADS GUILTY Sentencing will begin in April for the Squamish resident whose victims included a North Van dentist BRENT RICHTER

North Shore News

A

Squamish woman accused of defrauding two employers of roughly $200,000 has pleaded guilty to two charges.

North Vancouver RCMP began investigating

FLOOD: Continued from 1 trend [where] levels go up, and then overnight cooling, the freezing levels come down. But with the persistent southerly winds happening over the province right now, the warm air has continuously pumped into the province, and the freezing levels have remained elevated even during the overnight period.”

This led to numerous flood watches and warnings for the Squamish River and tributaries like the Cheakamus River. Indeed, river levels rose and breached in parts as the Squamish Valley road was closed for several days due to flooding.

The District of Squamish through its SquamishAlert system urged preparedness and vigilance to residents at risk of flooding, including those in Paradise Valley and

DEVELOPMENT: Continued from 4 Overall, Coun. Eric Andersen approved the development permit, but offered feedback about adding public art potentially on flat, ground-level surfaces as there were no blank walls available.

Additionally, while he noted the advisory

accountant Allyson Steffensen in 2019 after her employer came forward with their suspicions.

A second business owner who Steffensen worked for reported a large sum of money missing in December 2020.

After a complex RCMP investigation, the Crown swore four counts of fraud over $5,000 and four counts of theft over $5,000 against Steffensen in February 2023.

Steffensen and her lawyer appeared by video in North Vancouver provincial court on Tuesday to enter guilty pleas on two counts of theft over $5,000.

Two businesses that were victimized by Steffensen were mentioned in the court proceedings – a Lynn Valley dentist and Pacific Blue Cross Health Benefits Society.

Her lawyer and the Crown requested that the

sentencing hearing be put off for three months “in order for Ms. Steffensen to essentially finish making restitution before the sentencing.”

Steffensen is due back in court in April.

At the time the original charges were sworn, Steffensen was working in a payroll position for the Sea to Sky School District. A spokesperson for the school district confirmed Tuesday that Steffensen is no longer employed there.

Brackendale and west of the highway in the Northyards and Garibaldi Estates. The District also noted on social media that crews worked in a couple of areas to pump excess water.

The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness told The Chief it also urged similar preparedness. It asked residents to “take precautions to ensure personal safety, including developing a household plan, putting together emergency kits, connecting with neighbours and learning about the local government emergency response plan for their area.”

Anyone who has spent a winter in Squamish knows that rainfall is part of the pattern. However, Ervin said that January sustained more rainfall than the average for the month. On average, January receives

about 326 millimetres of rain but this January wound up with 435.6 millimetres.

The most precipitation occurred on Jan. 29 with 62.8 millimetres.

David Campbell, a hydrologist with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship’s River Forecast Centre, said in his estimation the Squamish River experienced about a one-in-five-year flow.

“You kind of go through an average 100 years of record—roughly once every five years we see this kind of flow,” he said, noting at the time the flow could still increase some.

Fortunately, the rain eventually slowed and the sun even came out by Saturday, Feb. 3.

The flood warning on the Squamish River and tributaries were downgraded to a highstream advisory on Feb. 1.

Squamish’s Sea to Sky neighbours in

Pemberton saw greater impacts, as parts of the town flooded and people were advised to evacuate certain areas. The Village also instituted a local state of emergency near the start of the impacts, though the river warnings in the region have since subsided.

For a time near the end of January and early February, the avalanche risk in the alpine was considerable in the Sea to Sky Corridor, according to Avalanche Canada. Since then, however, Avalanche Canada has downgraded the risk to moderate with some forecasts of low risk.

If interested in learning more about some of the terms associated with these weather alerts, The Chief broke down some of the terms with Ervin which is available online. ~With files from Jennifer Thuncher and Roisin Cullen

design panel supported the existing colouring, he was more in favour of adding natural colours of the local temperate rainforest environment in Squamish. Currently, the buildings will have a cultured stone base with white splashes and additional wood traits.

Greenlaw said she also favoured these additional colours.

The feedback about colour sparked Coun.

Jenna Stoner to make a motion to review the colour guidelines, which was unanimously approved.

Council members also had a lengthy discussion about the Norway maple tree on the property, but it ultimately will be cut down.

“In compensation for the removal, several

areas for large trees are proposed in the site plan, including four new Norway Maples,” the staff report to council said. “In total, 70 new trees will be planted on site. The trees removed are proposed to be milled and donated to the local Men’s Shed.”

Watch the whole discussion on the District’s YouTube channel.

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TREK, HURFORD PURPORTEDLY RESOLVE LEGAL MATTER Hurford said the matter related to Trek and his business Republic Bicycles was resolved through negotiation ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

T

rek Bicycles Canada and Mayor Armand Hurford have purportedly resolved the legal matter between them through negotiation.

A payment hearing was scheduled for Jan. 17 between Trek and Hurford, which was related to the unpaid invoices between Trek and Hurford’s now-closed business, Republic Bicycles. However, court documents dated Jan. 16 show that the hearing was cancelled.

Hurford told The Squamish Chief in an email on Jan. 19 that the payment hearing was cancelled because the matter was resolved.

“This matter has [been] resolved, through a negotiated resolution making the Jan. 17 hearing unnecessary,” he wrote.

Numerous phone calls and an email to legal representation for Trek to confirm the resolution were not answered. As such, no further details of the resolution were given.

A number of legal proceedings took place in the last six months related to the matter.

In July 2023, Judge Joseph Galati granted a

PHOTO BY ANDREW HUGHES/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

The former Republic Bicycles, which is located on Government Road in Brackendale.

default order that required Hurford and Republic Bicycles to pay about $26,700 for 10 unpaid invoices dated between September 2021 and July 2022 to Trek Bicycle Canada.

The original notice of claim from Trek said the invoices were for “various bicycles and bicycle components.”

Neither Hurford nor legal representation for

him or the business attended the default order hearing in July.

Later, Hurford did not attend a scheduled payment hearing on Nov. 14, and subsequently a warrant of arrest was issued for him. The Small Claims Rules stipulated that Hurford could voluntarily contact the registrar and attend court at a later date which would cancel the warrant. Court documents show he appeared in court on Nov. 20, cancelling the warrant and scheduling the Jan. 17 payment hearing.

The Chief has inquired with Hurford about the legal proceedings numerous times since they developed. Most recently, in a December 2023 interview, Hurford said he was committed to his work as mayor.

“I’ve been doing my best to stay focused on the tasks that I’ve been elected to do by the people in the community. That’s where my focus has been and I’ll continue to do that,” he said.

Hurford closed Republic Bicycles, which is located on Government Road in Brackendale, in December 2022 just a couple of months after he was elected mayor. No new business has since moved into the location. Hurford told The Squamish Chief he ran the business for about 16 years.

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COUNCIL APPROVES REVIEW OF PARTNERSHIP AND GRANT POLICIES Review to add clarity to these two policies

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 7

Join us for a virtual reality tour of the future Woodfibre LNG facility!

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PHOTO BY ANDREW HUGHES/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Squamish Arts receives $54,000 to distribute as community grants.

ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

C

ouncil OK’d a review of two separate partnership and grant policies at a recent meeting with aims to have a short turnaround for the policy recommendation.

At the Jan. 23 committee of the whole meeting, council approved a review and potential update of the community partnership policy and community grant policy after a short presentation by Sarah Morris, District manager of arts

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| THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH PUBLIC NOTICE

What could you do with $10,000?

TEMPORARY USE PERMIT

"

!

To allow for a sales centre in one of the residential units on the property shown on the Location Map below.

Share your thoughts and ideas by taking the survey.

EXISTING ZONING: CD-101 AFFECTED LANDS: 2027 Finch Drive

Visit LetsTalkSquamish.ca

• 2027 Finch Drive - Temporary Use Permit squamish.ca/review

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

• Canoe Procurement Group Purchasing - Notice of Intent squamish.ca/doing-business-with-the-district

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2027

• 37322 Sp’akw’us Landing - Carbon Engineering Temporary Use Permit Renewal

Learn More!

WHAT’S HAPPENING

RAVEN DRIVE

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

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PROPOSED TEMPORARY USE

The District of Squamish is developing a Splash Park & Playground at Brennan Park Recreation Centre.

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Valentines Crafts Create some Valentine’s Day cards for your family and friends using a variety of mediums including simple printmaking, embossing, drawing, painting, and collage.

February 11, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Go for a Swim Youth Swim Saturday, February 24 VIEW ONLINE SWIMMING SCHEDULE HERE.

squamish.ca/pool

Go for a Skate Valentine’s Public Skate Wednesday, February 14 VIEW ONLINE skating SCHEDULE HERE.

squamish.ca/ice

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for details and registration visit: squamish.ca/rec

FINCH DRIVE

HAVE YOUR SAY A copy of the Temporary Use Permit application and related information may be inspected at Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, British Columbia, from February 8 to 19, 2024 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday excluding statutory holidays. Enquiries regarding the proposed Temporary Use Permit may be made to the Planning Department at 604.815.5002.

A copy of the proposed Temporary Use Permit No. DTU00030 can be emailed out by requests sent to planning@squamish.ca, from February 8 to 19, 2024.

The documents can also be reviewed on the District’s online Development Showcase at squamish.ca/development-review. Enquiries regarding the proposed permit may be made to the Planning Department at 604.815.5002.

Public input will be considered by the District in review of the application. Persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the proposed temporary use permit may submit written submissions to planning@squamish.ca or, in person to the Senior Director, Community Development. Written submissions can be addressed to the Director of Community Planning and will be received up until 4 p.m. February 20, 2023.

All submissions will form part of the public record.

Dated February 8, 2024 at Squamish, British Columbia.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 9

BRENNAN PARK UPGRADE INFO NIGHT DRAWS CROWD The DOS put its Phase 1 plans for Brennan Park on display SCOTT TIBBALLS

stibballs@piquenewsmagazine.com

S

quamish residents had the opportunity to learn a little more about what’s coming down the pipeline for Brennan Park on Thursday, Feb. 1, with an Upgrade Information Night at the eponymous recreation centre.

Between 100 to 120 people turned up to ask questions of District of Squamish staff, employees of the various companies working on the project, and District councillors.

“We’re delighted with the number of people and the quality of people here,” said Coun. Eric Andersen, “We’re not only sharing information about the projects here, but looking for input on the future.”

Andersen said that the District was looking to draw on the public’s expectations for Brennan Park and experiences from going to other rec centres as valuable input, noting that given capacity constraints at the Squamish facility, many locals were going further afield to get their children into programs.

“We know they’d like to not have to do that.”

Andersen also talked about the community’s understanding that Brennan Park would be even more of a vital community hub in the future, so its potential was also a discussion point.

All four Squamish councillors approached by the Chief said the same thing regarding what

PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Between 100 and 120 people stopped by the event on Feb. 1.

they were hearing: relief it was going ahead and questions on when they could expect upgraded pool and ice rink facilities.

“We’re a growing community. Most of the people I’ve spoken to have said they really want this stuff, and they understand what we’re balancing out,” said Coun. Chris Pettingill explains the staggered approach to the Brennan Park master plan.

The pool and the rink upgrades, for the record, are currently represented by ‘placeholder’ items in the five-year financial plan out to 2027-2028— meaning that while they’re both on the wish list, they currently don’t have funding attached.

The larger project for Brennan Park’s overhaul

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has a price tag of over $100 million, with much of the $21 million in funding for the first stage—the Green and Accessibility Retrofit Project—coming from an $11.7 million grant an Infrastructure Canada grant under their Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program.

The District is also waiting on a Clean BC grant fund decision that would also go toward the project.

That project, which was the star of the show at the Feb. 1 information night, will break ground in early April, with use of the wider facility to continue around the works.

The project will include reducing carbon emissions and heating costs, improving air

quality in the building through energy efficiency upgrades, increasing accessibility in the building by adding an elevator and universal washrooms, renovating the ice rink change rooms, creating more programming area due to a re-design of office space and the lobby, and generally prepare Brennan Park for future upgrades by futureproofing the main thoroughfare and access points to the facility.

As explained by councillors and materials at the event, the first phase, which will take up to two years to complete, will allow the District to ‘plug in’ future upgrades to the facility more efficiently—such as a future rink and pool— while also priming the District in its efforts to apply for more grant sources.

Facilities at Brennan Park will remain open during construction, with “minimal” disruptions planned.

Also on display at the event was information about a new playground and splash park at Brennan Park, which is currently budgeted at $1.7 million, with those funds to come entirely from Community Amenity Contributions, funds drawn from developers undertaking large projects in the District.

That project is in the early engagement and planning stages, with the District of Squamish seeking design input through early 2024 for construction in 2024-2025 and an opening date in 2025.

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10 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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COUNCIL APPROVES NEW TUP FOR CARBON ENGINEERING After a lapse in two temporary use permits, DOS staff recommended a new TUP ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

S

quamish council approved a new temporary use permit (TUP) for Carbon Engineering after discovering a lapse in permits.

At the Jan. 30 special business meeting, council members unanimously authorized a new TUP for the company—which develops technology for direct air capture of carbon dioxide—under TUP categories “research and development” and “business and professional office minor.”

As explained to council by Jessie Fletcher, a municipal planner, it was discovered when Carbon Engineering sought a business licence renewal in 2023 that two separate TUPs for these uses expired in 2021 and 2022.

Subsequently, Fletcher said District of Squamish staff recommended a new three-year TUP for both uses, which could be potentially renewed by staff for another three years when it expires.

Fletcher said it is unlikely that these uses will continue for the full six years as the area is concurrently being developed by Matthews West, which also maintains a lease agreement with Carbon Engineering.

FILE PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS

The Carbon Engineering research centre on the Squamish oceanfront.

“I’m happy to grant this extension,” said Mayor Armand Hurford. “I think it’s totally appropriate and I do think it’s unlikely to be renewed, as the pace of change down there is moving quite quickly at this point.”

Coun. Chris Pettingill sought clarity on what would be considered research and development, given the broad nature of the term, noting Carbon Engineering was purchased by U.S. oil company Occidental

Petroleum in August 2023.

But, as far as staff were concerned, the permit only applied to the current application and use.

“It wouldn’t be transferable to a different use,” said Jonas Velaniskis, the senior director of community development.

Another query was sparked by the fact that Carbon Engineering has operated at the location since 2015. Coun. Jenna Stoner noted this was beyond the typical maximum of six years for a TUP. Fletcher said the planning department interpreted the legislation as allowing a new permit to be sought after expiry. This would apply to this particular permit since they combined the uses into one permit.

However, she said the legislation was nuanced and “unclear” what exactly qualified as a new permit.

Though ultimately voting in favour of the TUP, Pettingill wished there were “a few more checkpoints.”

Coun. Andrew Hamilton boiled down his comments into a land use question.

“The core of a temporary use permit is: Is this land use appropriate for that space? And I see no indication that the land use there is inappropriate,” he said.

Learn more about the TUP through council’s Jan. 30 agenda online.

SQUAMISH EATS:

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS •

University Reservoirs 2 & 3 - Construction is ongoing, with the two glass-fused steel reservoir tanks now beginning to rise on-site. These tanks have diameters of approximately 17 metres and a height of 10 metres each.

•

Wastewater Treatment Plan Expansion and Improvements – Concrete base slabs for the new circular treatment tank and new septage receiving station are now complete. Construction of the walls will continue through June. Learn more: squamish.ca/wwtp-expansion

•

Queens Way Lift Station Manhole – Ongoing construction.

•

Water Meter Installations – Water meters are being installed at Industrial, Commercial, Institutional and multi-family residential properties in Squamish. This work will take place through February at approximately 50 properties. Affected properties will be notified directly and installation times can be booked at the property owner’s convenience. Learn more: squamish.ca/water-metering-FAQ

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GRANTS: Continued from 7 and culture. Morris said the review is warranted for several reasons, one being to improve clarity.

“There’s a lack of clarity for staff, the community and for council and how to process and fund any new community partnership proposals that come forward,” she said. “In addition, there’s often confusion between the community grants and the community partnership policies.”

A report given to council at the meeting clarifies the differences between the two policies.

While there are numerous differences, the main is that the community partnership policy involves collaborations with local groups. In contrast, the grant policy simply provides funds for local projects or non-profit organizations.

Moreover, the report states the community partnership policy has “remained unchanged since its approval in 2007” and the agreements with community grant organizations are due for renewal this year. Morris said they aim to have policy recommendations in about six months, during June 2024.

Coun. Jenna Stoner called the timeline “quite tight,” but important nonetheless.

“I think [this] will be a really important piece of work, to add clarity to council’s decision making, to staff’s process, and most importantly to our community to understand what the various processes are for engaging and working with the District.”

Coun. Andrew Hamilton said the policy review and potential update would result in more

transparency for Squamish residents.

“And when I say transparent, I don’t mean things are hiding. I mean, transparent as in people know what’s happening, what’s available and where are tax dollars being spent more broadly.”

Several examples of both partnership and grant agreements were given in the report, but not all of the agreements the District maintains.

“We are looking to do an inventory of all existing partnership agreements within the District as part of this process,” said Morris. “In addition to, looking at the permissive tax exemptions and whether or not grants and partnerships and permissive tax exemptions should be provided to the same organizations and the fairness in that.”

Among the examples given in the report, the two highest District funded organizations for 2024 are the Squamish Community Foundation and Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA).

The community foundation receives $131,000 from the District to distribute as community grants. Similarly, Squamish Arts receives $54,000 to distribute as community grants.

Meanwhile, SORCA’s District grant is $110,000 for trail building and maintenance.

Our Squamish and the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association have partnership agreements with 2024 funding of $30,000 and $45,000, respectively.

For more information, watch this portion of the Jan. 23 committee of the whole meeting on the District’s YouTube channel, which begins at about the 1:06 mark.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 11 Britannia Mine Museum gratefully acknowledges their community sponsors:

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12 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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Reproduction of any material contained in this publication is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publisher.

EDITORIAL

HELP ON THE WAY

I

f you checked the emergency department wait times online on Sunday evening, you would have seen a big red exclamation mark beside Squamish Hospital.

While the 2.32 hours to be seen and 3.18 hours to be discharged, listed on the website www.edwaittimes.ca, was less time than many other hospitals on the B.C. list, the red explanation meant that the local emergency room was ‘abnormally’ busy and potential patients were advised to consider going elsewhere, if possible. We know that our devoted local healthcare folks on the frontlines are feeling the strain of our increased population in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

But the good news is, the health authority seems to have heard the locals’ concerns and is working toward resolving them.

Just check out the recently published Health Vision Sea to Sky engagement report that outlines what was heard in Phase 1 of Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) engagement.

Usually, such documents are drier than Kamloops in the summer, but this one is worth a local read.

This phase of engagement focused on “asking people about critical gaps and challenges around current health services in the Sea to Sky Corridor, as well as future priorities and opportunities.”

It is validating, though not surprising, that the services engagement participants noted were most needed included more primary care, diagnostic imaging services, and mental health services.

“Residents of the corridor want to see a wider range of health services available locally, to reduce the amount of travel required to access services within and outside of the corridor,” reads the report.

Though beyond its scope of study, the report notes that our lack of public regional transit makes travel to appointments more of a burden for some.

More specifically, main challenges with healthcare in the corridor that were mentioned by corridor respondents—Squamish residents made up 64% of the respondents of the report—were: the lack of access to a family doctor and/or nurse practitioner (70% of respondents); access to specialist care without having to travel (61%); access to diagnostic imaging services (48%); and receiving timely care for emergency issues (41%).

There will be more engagement to come this year.

Ultimately, VCH is developing an “integrated high-level” health services master plan for our region.

In the meantime, smaller but significant changes are already underway, such as newly available Indigenous navigators at the hospital.

Of course, this does nothing today or next week for those of us struggling to access care or our overworked medical professionals, but it is some comfort that concerns are being heard and that solutions are on the way.

BIRDERS HELP WORLD’S LONGESTRUNNING CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT NATURE NOTES ALISON WALD

S

quamish is well known for its annual Eagle Count. Less known is our contribution to another winter bird count and the longest-running citizen science project in the world: the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC).

The CBC was borne from a bloody Christmas tradition called the “Side Hunt,” where teams of hunters competed to kill as many birds and mammals in one day as possible. In 1900, with bird populations already in decline, an ornithologist from the Audubon Society suggested that birds be counted, not killed.

Thus began the first Christmas Bird Count in the U.S. and Canada.

In modern times, on any day between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, thousands of volunteers from more than 2,000 locations throughout the Americas count as many birds as they can within fixed geographic “count circles.”

Squamish birders joined the count in 1980 and have participated every year since.

Marcia Danielson has been co-ordinating the

Squamish count for 20 years, rounding up volunteers to brave the elements and count birds from dawn to dusk. She recalls many highlights over the years, including spotting four different types of owls on a count almost cancelled because of gale-force winds.

While volunteers look forward to these rare moments, the total numbers gathered from counting all the birds contribute to one of the most extensive sets of wildlife survey data in the world.

Such long-running data has helped scientists monitor the abundance and diversity of bird species in the Western Hemisphere and track population trends over the years. This information has helped focus conservation resources to protect more vulnerable species and can also predict how climate change might affect the ranges of birds in the future.

This year, Marcia will step down from her role as CBC co-ordinator. We want to thank her for all her hard work and we hope there are others who will take over to continue the CBC in Squamish for at least another 43 years!

Visit Birds Canada for more information about the Christmas Bird Count, or to volunteer locally, go to the Squamish Environment Society website.

Alison Wald is a director with the Squamish Environment Society.

squamishchief.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 13

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

JOIN US ONLINE

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

DEMOCRACY UNDERMINED BY NDP’S LAND ACT PLANS GUEST COLUMN

CAROLINE ELLIOTT

O

ver the weekend, the NDP minister of water, land and resource stewardship was forced to defend his government’s troubling proposed amendments to the Land Act. These amendments will have massive impacts on how the public interest is considered when it comes to outdoor recreation, mining, forestry, agriculture and more.

If the changes to the Land Act are made, the minister insists “the public will be engaged as they are now on decisions on public land.”

The reassurance that public engagement under the amended Land Act will be just ‘as it is now’ is laughable, given the glaring inadequacy of the engagement currently underway on those very amendments before they’ve even been passed.

Last week it emerged that the government is undertaking a quiet, rushed consultation on the proposed Land Act changes. The timelines of that consultation reveal the process to be a farce: the legislation being ‘consulted’ on will be near-final before the virtually-invisible public comment period even ends, and it’ll be brought forward in the final weeks of the legislative session with little time for meaningful debate.

The proposed amendments themselves are even more concerning, especially when considered in relation to fundamental democratic principles.

The NDP government is proposing to

enable the minister responsible for the Land Act, who is normally charged with making decisions in the public interest, to enter into consent-based decision-making agreements with Indigenous governing bodies who have no such responsibility to consider the broader public interest.

In a democracy, the principle of inclusion demands that those affected by collective decisions have the right to participate in making those decisions. We generally do this by electing representatives who make decisions on our behalf, and we hold them accountable in subsequent elections, helping ensure they act in our interests.

Through this process, we have a say in the rules we live by, and our many and sometimes competing interests are considered by decision-makers. Not everyone will agree with every decision, but we do get to reward or punish our representatives at the ballot box.

This will not be the case if Indigenous groups are vested with decision-making authority over public land, since over 95 percent of British Columbians who are not Indigenous have no role in electing Indigenous governing bodies. In fact, Indigenous people themselves have no ability to select the leaders of the 200-plus Indigenous communities in B.C. other than their own.

When one combines non-Indigenous and Indigenous populations, there is a lack of an accountability relationship between any given Indigenous governing body and about 99.9 percent of the public.

Moreover, the government’s amendments to the Land Act do not appear to limit the lands to which such agreements could apply. With 95 percent of B.C.’s land

mass claimed as unceded traditional territory by one or more of the province’s many Indigenous groups, this is a recipe for serious uncertainty and strife.

It must be emphasized that Indigenous groups themselves are not responsible for the problems identified here. Their task is to look out for the interests of their own communities, and there’s no reason to believe they wouldn’t continue to do so under the Land Act changes.

In contrast, the provincial government is the only body that is responsible for representing the interests of British Columbians as a whole, and these amendments threaten the ability of this and future governments to do that.

To be clear, meaningfully seeking input from Indigenous groups is entirely consistent with democratic principles (in fact, it’s an integral part of inclusion) and is already required by the courts. However, entering into agreements that give Indigenous groups the power to make public land decisions that affect all British Columbians is not.

The legitimacy of our governance system is founded on the democratic principle of popular rule: that “the people” are the authors of the rules that bind them, through an accountability relationship between governors and the governed.

The NDP’s proposed Land Act amendments undermine this simple principle and thus cannot be justified. At stake is the very foundation of legitimacy for the whole democratic ideal.

Caroline Elliott is a PhD Candidate at SFU specializing in democratic theory and Canadian government. She is vice-president of BC United. Views expressed here are her own.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LOVE THE LIBRARY

I

just wanted to commend the Squamish Public Library over the excellent work they do in our community.

They host many education events at the library and provide an excellent level of service to the public from lectures to innovative services such as their curbside pickup program.

Often when it comes to municipal budget

time, groups like this are overlooked for the more flasher or trending groups and it gets forgotten the good service, they quietly provide the community!

Glenn Stainton, Squamish

THE GYM WITH NO GYM

J

ust came back from the information gathering at Brennan Park.

I can’t believe there will be no gym

again. I like to workout then hot tub and swim. For example, like in Whistler and at the West Van rec centre.

The new buildings look great in the photos. I might even use the facility if it had a well equipped gym.

To paraphrase Peter Sellers, the gym with no gym.

Joe Filler Squamish

LETTERS POLICY The Squamish Chief welcomes letters to the editor of up to 400 words. Letters should be exclusive to this publication and are meant to respond to a local story in The Squamish Chief or raise an issue happening in town. Please include your name, neighbourhood and daytime phone number. The deadline is 5 p.m.

Monday to be considered for Thursday’s edition. Full names and neighbourhood will be published with the letter. The publisher reserves the right to refuse and edit letters for length and clarity or to address legal concerns. Email letters to: editor@squamishchief.com.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK Have you had to leave Squamish for medical treatment in the last year?

Have your say at squamishchief.com

LAST WEEK’S QUESTION

If you were voting today, who would you be supporting to form the next B.C. government? (Top 4) BC NDP BC CONSERVATIVE GREEN PARTY BC UNITED

36% 25% 14% 11%

MOST READ STORY

B.C. judge approves process to sell Garibaldi at Squamish

TOP TIKTOK OF THE WEEK This week, reporter Andrew Hughes visited the Ninja Gym, which recently returned to Squamish helmed by an enthusiastic and invigorated team. Go to @ squamishchief on TikTok to see this and many other local videos.

NEWS

14 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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FASCINATING FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT OCTOPUSES IN HOWE SOUND

‘They’re way more interesting than they are creepy, once you start to learn about them,’ says Vancouver Aquarium curator according to the Aquarium’s website.

Octopuses have good eyesight for the type of animal they are, and they are fairly intelligent, though Kent cautioned that their smarts can be overstated.

“I think people sometimes put them on a bit of a pedestal in terms of their intelligence. But, compared to their closest relatives like a clam, then yes, I would say they’re pretty intelligent.”

The suckers on the limbs are very strong, Kent noted.

“They can ... rip clams open and rip crabs apart,” he said, adding they also have a parrot-like beak.

“The only real hard part on them is a beak,” he said.

“And basically, anything that’s big enough to fit the beak through that they can pull their whole body through. So they’re really good at that.”

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

I

n the Lower Mainland, octopuses take a back seat to the Instagram marine darlings, whales.

There aren’t a lot of t-shirts or plush toys that feature their likeness compared to seals and sea lions either.

Likely, a big part of their lower ranking among locals is that they prefer the deep ocean and to hide away rather than to splash about and make a ruckus like their more popular fellow residents.

Some folks even find octopuses scary or creepy.

(Fear of octopuses is called chapodiphobia.)

But diver and curator at the Vancouver Aquarium, Danny Kent, thinks they are pretty darn cool.

“They’re way more interesting than they are creepy, once you start to learn about them,” he said.

Take their blood, for example.

“Our blood gets its red colour from the iron part of the hemoglobin molecule; they have copper-based blood, so they have more of a greeny-blue coloured blood,” he said.

The most iconic and the main species in Howe Sound is the giant Pacific octopus, he said.

“For short, GPO is what we all call it,” he said.

“It’s common. It’s just not commonly seen.”

HOW LONG DO THEY LIVE? PHOTO COURTESY OF VANCOUVER AQUARIUM

As the water the aquarium takes in from the ocean has gotten warmer over time due to climate change, the aquarium has compensated by putting extra chillers on some of the systems to keep the water cooler, Kent noted.

Kent has seen octopuses many times in Howe Sound.

There are a few other species of cephalopod— which includes squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus—in Howe Sound.

Kent said the next most common type is the red octopus, also known as the ruby octopus.

“They don’t get very big compared to the giant Pacific octopus,” he said.

He added the smooth-skinned octopus may be very deep in Howe Sound too.

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Kent said in the case of the giant Pacific octopus, when they are babies—as larvae— they’re planktonic, which means they free float in the water column.

“They’re just sort of controlled by the tides and currents,” he said.

As an adult, they will float to the bottom and become bottom-dwellers.

“Once they get to be an adult, and they find a decent den, they probably have ... a home base that they forage out and around and then make their way back to the base,” he said.

They can not only move around by crawling, but they can also use jet propulsion, Kent said.

They use their siphon—a funnel-like hole—to blast water out of and push their body in the other direction.

They also use it to spray their ink out when they are scared or in danger of being preyed on, Kent said.

OTHER COOL CHARACTERISTICS Octopuses have extremely sensitive skin.

“Basically, like one big tasting organ,” Kent said.

They taste, smell and touch everything to see their world, he added.

And they can change colour in the blink of an eye.

“They can be red one second and white, the next second.”

They also have three hearts, which is unique.

Two hearts pump blood to the gills; the third heart circulates blood throughout its body,

The giant Pacific octopus can live approximately three to five years.

They typically are sexually mature at about three years to four years old.

This is a long time for an octopus, with most other species typically living one year.

Once they have mated, they die, though the female stays around and protects her eggs first.

“She’ll sit there and blow water across them and clean them and guard them from anything that can eat them,” Kent said, adding this can take months.

“She won’t eat the whole time that she’s doing that. So she slowly starts to atrophy and getting weaker and weaker .... Sort of her last hurrah is basically when the eggs start hatching.”

MALE OR FEMALE? Kent said the way to tell the difference between a male and a female octopus is if you’re looking straight down on top of an octopus head in the direction that its eyes are facing, count three arms to the right.

The third arm on the right, is specialized in a male, with a hectocotylus.

“It is basically the thing that passes the sperm packet to the female,” Kent said.

HOW CAN PEOPLE HELP THEM? To thrive, octopuses need clean and cold water and food, so anything people can do to protect and improve the ocean will help them.

“As an invertebrate, they’re more sensitive to certain chemicals in the water than, say, a vertebrate—something with a backbone. And their skin is so chemical sensitive ... so, they’re probably even more sensitive to chemicals,” he said, adding that octopuses don’t do well when the water gets warm because warmer water holds less oxygen.

Therefore, the warming of the ocean is not a positive for the octopus and other marine life.

“Making sure you’re looking after your own backyard and you’re looking after the ocean as much as you can,” he said.

Find out more about the octopus, and even see one close up, at the Vancouver Aquarium.

NEWS

squamishchief.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 15

SQUAMISH GENERAL HOSPITAL: A BRIEF GUIDE

Did you know there are now Indigenous navigators, accessible parking, and healthier food vending machine options?

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

N

o matter your age, going to the hospital can be intimidating and scary unless you are a medical professional. The fear comes from the unknown.

After all, most of us only go to the hospital to care for ourselves a handful of times over the course of our lives, so it isn’t a familiar experience.

Heidi Butler, coastal director for Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), says that the first thing locals need to know about Squamish General Hospital is that staff are there to help, so patients can feel comfortable asking questions.

Butler said nurses, physicians, social workers and registration clerks are all accommodating and able to help guide you.

HOW TO SHORTEN THE LAB TEST WAIT TIME Squamish General Hospital provides both inpatient and outpatient lab services.

“So we are busy because the lab is providing both of those services,” Butler said.

Fortunately, most tests can be done at Squamish Hospital. For example, a lot of blood work can be done in-house, with only a few specialty tests requiring patients to have them done elsewhere, usually with a specialty provider, according to Butler.

“One way to make it a little bit easier for patients, and maybe less time-consuming when they do come visit, there is an online booking system for the lab,” she added.

Patients can go to www.labonlinebooking.ca to book ahead.

“There’s only so many a day that we can book, and then the rest are for walk-ins. So, if you weren’t able to get an appointment in the booking system, you can still walk in and they will still welcome you.”

SURGERIES There is a wide range of surgeries that Squamish General Hospital provides that both visiting and local surgeons perform.

“We do general surgery and orthopedics; we do dental. We do ear, nose and throat, urology, plastics, obstetrics and gynecology, and some endoscopy scope work,” Butler said.

PRE-OP When patients come into the hospital on the day of surgery, they’re greeted by a registration clerk, who will guide them to where they need to go to check in with a pre-op nurse who will walk them through what to expect during their surgery, Butler explained.

“That gives them some information and handouts to take with them when they go home,” she said.

In December, a new pre-anesthetic clinic program started at the hospital for certain

PHOTO BY MYKEL THUNCHER/FOR THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Unlike at many other hospitals, parking remains free at Squamish General Hospital. And recently, the lots were paved, making them more accessible to folks with mobility issues.

surgeries and patients with more complex medical histories.

Those patients will be asked to come to the hospital for a session before their surgeries.

“What this clinic does is it provides the patient an opportunity to meet with a screening nurse.

So, they explain the patient’s medical history, and then [patients] also meet with the anesthesiologist. And this is really just to make sure that they are safe and appropriate to have their surgery done. And, they give them any information at that time ... in terms of what [patients] need to expect,” Butler said.

“That’s new and exciting. Because previously, what would happen is patients would need to get out to Lions Gate [Hospital] to have that done.

Now, they can stay locally and see the nursing team and their anesthesia team before the surgery.”

POST-OP Only day surgeries are performed at Squamish Hospital.

After surgery, specially trained nurses will monitor the patient when they are waking up from their surgery. The nurses monitor pain management so patients go home with their pain under control.

When appropriate, medical staff will take the patients to the front of the hospital and right to

their designated driver’s car.

“So, we ask that patients have a designated driver to pick them up after surgery,” Butler said.

“And at that point, if there’s anyone that’s picking them up who needs any more information, we can share that at that time as well.”

FOR INDIGENOUS PATIENTS There are Indigenous patient navigators available at the local hospital.

“These are people who are trained to help guide Indigenous patients through their health care journey and be that advocate and support and be able to connect them with an Elder in their area if they need,” Butler said, adding that hospital staff just need to know ahead of time so they can have the navigator on hand.

“All of our staff are encouraged and many have received Indigenous cultural safety training, so that is certainly helpful in trying to better support the needs of those patients.”

HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS For loved ones waiting for a relative to come out of surgery or waiting at in the emergency department, there are now new vending machines in the cafeteria that have healthy, fresh options 24 hours a day.

“It’s tap accessible for cards, so it makes it

easy,” Butler said.

There’s also a new coffee machine available.

There is also the Squamish General Hospital Auxiliary Society Gift Shop, which is run by volunteers from Monday to Friday.

“They also stock a lot of various things in there to help people. If they’ve got a bit of a headache, or for things they might need while they’re waiting—some snacks and whatnot,” Butler said.

FREE & MORE ACCESSIBLE PARKING Unlike at many other hospitals, parking remains free at Squamish General Hospital.

And recently, the lots were paved, making them more accessible to folks with mobility issues.

“We added accessibility parking right in the front of the hospital and some short-term parking as well as expectant parents’ parking and seniors’ parking,” Butler said.

The Sea to Sky master planning process started back in June, Butler noted, and Phase 1 of engagement is complete.

The report of what Vancouver Coastal Health has heard so far is available online at engage. vch.ca. The webpage is also a place where people can ask questions and leave comments that are regularly answered by the VCH project team.

16 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

squamishchief.com

WATER TANK ALPINE HUTS: A LOCAL DIRECTOR’S TALE Save the Date: Catch ‘Mountain Turks’ in person on Feb. 25 in Vancouver, or stream it online JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

A

lpine huts made out of gigantic water tanks? This idea might sound unconventional to us on the West Coast, but it is already a reality in the mountains of New Zealand.

The story of how they came to be and their mountaineer inventor is the subject of the film Mountain Turks by Squamish director Mark Johansson.

It is playing at the upcoming Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) in person in Vancouver on Sunday, Feb. 25, and will be available online from Friday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, March 24.

Mountain Turks started as a side project for Johansson when he was living in New Zealand, during the pandemic.

He had heard of avid mountaineer Erik Bradshaw making alpine huts out of water tanks and also was intrigued.

“I asked Erik if I could make a little five-minute documentary about him. And then the more I learned about him and his history, the more I ... latched on to this story, and I just kept digging and more interesting stuff kept coming up. So, before I knew it, it had turned into a longer 40-minute piece.”

Bradshaw has a whole backstory that includes parents who were pioneering geologists.

His mother, Margaret, was the first New Zealand female—and the second woman ever—to receive a Polar Medal.

She even has a peak in Antarctica named in her honour—Bradshaw Peak.

Bradshaw has spent most of his life in the mountains of New Zealand.

“He was the first person to ever ski-traverse the entirety of the Southern Alps of New Zealand,” Johansson said.

The past and present came together in a special way when an organization had Bradshaw go to the Antarctic to install some of his huts for people working in the Antarctic, the location so monumental for his mother.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THESE HUTS? Bradshaw’s huts—or turks—are made from 30,000-litre, plastic water tanks.

They are about the size of a small yurt.

Once built, it has bunks and a little cooking bench, and other comfort features.

The coolest thing about it, Johansson said, was

COURTESY MARK JOHANSSON

Erik Bradshaw with his wife, Christine Ryan, and his son Tyge (on the right) and daughter Kaja (on the left).

the community of people it brought together to work toward a common goal.

Bradshaw started up his own club, The Mountain Turk Club to build the huts.

He collected donations and contributions toward the cause, and lots of people got behind it.

“His ethos is he just wants to get as many people out into the mountains and make it as accessible as possible,” Johansson said.

“He’s also just like a big inventor type; he just loves creating new things working with his hands. So, he also believes that there’s a lot of value in making things. He combined those two passions and ended up coming up with the membership model of joining by contribution.”

In the end, Bradshaw turned his “crazy idea of building backcountry huts out of water tanks into New Zealand’s first ski traverse,” the film’s description says.

Unlike the typical alpine club, where members might pay a yearly fee to be a part of the club, to

be a member of Bradshaw’s club, you contribute labour and that makes you a member.

“If you put 10 hours of work into helping build one of the turks, then you’re now a member. And then through the process, it just built this wonderful community. And it just grew and grew from there.”

As for if the huts could work here, Johansson said, maybe, if it had a raised platform. The Sea to Sky mountains get more snow than Bradshaw’s turks are exposed to.

“The New Zealand mountains, they can get like good dumps of snow, but where [the huts] are located, they’re not really at risk of getting buried in metres of snow. So I think that would be the main concern,” he said.

Johansson said his biggest takeaway from Bradshaw and the film is “you can build a thriving mountain community where people are working together for a good cause.”

Find out more about Johansson and all his work on his website.

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to Jamie at Sunflower Bakery for your kindness in the form of a free cinnamon bun.

You made my day.

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.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 17

PROM FASHION SHOW FUNDRAISER ON FEB. 24 TO SUPPORT GRADS Dresses picked: Now it’s time to plan the party

We thought it was a good way to bring the community together and support local businesses.

JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

T

hey have their dresses for prom already.

While 2024 has still got its new year shine, Howe Sound Secondary Grade 12 students Chloe Young and Siena Steffensen have their sights set on the middle of June when they will graduate.

Both have already picked out their dresses, now they are part of organizing a way to help pay for the event.

To help fund their prom, the 2024 Grad Committee, including Young and Steffensen are planning a “New Horizons” fashion show at the high school on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m.

Other members of the committee include: Kylie Bloom, Bella Askew, Sydney Vanzella, Annie Derrick, Daelyn Joseph, Riya Sandhu, Reese Winn, Kianna Heisterman, Nicole Mcleod and Julie Schaber.

The student-run event will include an array of clothes provided by the downtown business Wild & Heart, which students in grades 10 to 12 will model.

There will also be a mocktail bar, food provided by Peak Provisions Mountain Grocery & Goods, clothes and vendors on display, and a live auction with donated items

CHLOE YOUNG

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Chloe Young and Siena Steffensen (right) are organizing for their prom on June 15.

valued at over $500 each.

The idea was inspired by a similar event done to raise money for grads in Whistler.

“We thought it was a good way to bring the community together and support local businesses,” Young said.

The fashion show will take place in the

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Eagle Eye Theatre, while the other features will be in the multipurpose lobby of Howe Sound Secondary.

The funds will help pay for the prom at the Cheakamus Centre which is set for June 15, the day after commencement.

“We’re just raising money for the

Cheakamus Centre, which includes our catering and stuff. … And it is also for our entertainment and just kind of whatever we want to have at prom and our transportation as well,” said Steffensen, adding that the forest scenery of the centre fits with their diamond and enchanted forest theme.

The grads hope to bring the community out to support the graduating class of 2024.

“We would love to bring the community together and also raise money for our events.

Most of our revenue is going to come from ticket sales,” Young said.

“Also, just coming to support students and the graduating class. It’ll be super fun to bring everyone together.”

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through Eventbrite at New Horizons; a Howe Sound Secondary grad fundraiser.

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‘MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE’: AVALANCHE TRAINING Black Tusk Snowmobile Club offers AST-1, AST-2 and wilderness first aid courses JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

F

riday the 13th of May 2022 was a very lucky day for Squamish snowmobiler Brandon Gray.

The experienced rider suddenly found himself buried in two metres of snow during an avalanche in Brandywine Falls Provincial Park.

He felt himself getting close to passing out, so he started saying goodbyes in his head, including to his wife and two kids, he recalled to The Squamish Chief.

But, lucky for him, he was with well-trained companions.

“Three other very knowledgeable gentlemen were there and that probably made all the difference to me coming home that day,” Gray said. “[That] companion rescue was spot on. It was dialed in—they knew what they were doing.”

Being trained and sledding with others who are also well prepared if things go sideways makes all the difference, Gray said, which is why he enthusiastically promotes the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club’s avalanche training courses at the Alpine Learning Center atop Brohm Ridge.

The courses are open to the public.

Gray is an active member of the club and is now in his second year as an apprentice avalanche instructor underneath the main,

veteran avalanche safety instructor, Niko Weis.

STAYING SAFE Offering avalanche training isn’t a new thing for the Squamish club—courses first started back in 2003—but as the sport has increased in popularity, they are becoming more vital.

“We’re pushing the information and the knowledge as much as we can. Everybody in our friend group and our riding group is definitely becoming more and more aware,” said Payam Kavousian, communications director for the club, speaking of the growing awareness of avalanches in the region and beyond.

“There’s more people joining the sport. The backcountry is getting more and more busy.

There’s a lot more snowmobiles being sold and the sport is definitely blowing up.”

According to the BC Snowmobile Federation, in 2022, there were close to 115,000 registered snowmobiles in Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C. and Washington State.

In Canada, in 2022, about 51,000 new snowmobiles were sold; about 50,500 were sold in 2021, a 16% increase over the previous highest year of sales in 2000.

Squamish’s No Limits Motorsports has seen the uptick, too.

“Snowmobiling has grown immensely over the past decade,” said the local company’s Patrick Larkin.

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PHOTO PAYAM KAVOUSIAN

Avalanche courses give participants hands-on experience.

“Advancements in the machines and technology have made it easier to get into. Like many recreation activities, there was a huge boom during COVID. Also, the popularity of skiing and snowboarding has brought a lot of people into the sport to access the mountains and get away from the resort.”

The annual Black Tusk club’s Alpine Safety Series courses (AST1 & AST2) are taught at the Chalet.

The course fee includes training, accommodation at the lodge and several meals.

Not to mention learning the history of the Chalet, which includes Frank Sinatra, according to Kavousian.

The AST-1 course is suitable for riders who are total newbies, but there will also be plenty for those who have been sledding for years to take away, too, the men said.

“You will learn the skills and knowledge required to understand the risk of avalanches, recognize terrain and conditions that create them, reduce or manage risk while sledding in avalanche areas, utilize public avalanche bulletins and other decision-making tools, and effect a self or companion rescue using beacon probe and shovel,” the course description reads.

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These days, with climate change, the conditions are often changing and riders need to know what to look out for.

“Our avalanche instructor has a saying. He says, ‘Normal is a setting on your dryer,’” said Kavousian.

“There’s no normal anymore. Every year, it’s just curveball after curveball. Every day, it’s a different scenario, different snowpack. Different weather patterns just result in different conditions.”

WHERE NEW RIDERS GO WRONG Kavousian said the biggest mistake he sees

new riders make is not knowing what they don’t know, which creates a false sense of security.

“They see their friends going out and they might see other people in front of them do something, and then they follow through with that and they might get into trouble. They don’t know what the dangers possibly are.”

While it is life-saving training, it is also hands-on fun, stressed Gray.

“It’s really cool when you really dive in and we do the companion rescue training. We hide beacons. We’ll hide two, three, four beacons for them and we make them find them in groups,” he said. For those doing it for the first time, that initial try is “carnage and chaos,” he added.

“But after we’ve done a couple good demonstrations. It’s amazing how much someone can progress in one hour by just doing some of these companion rescues, compared to not doing them and then getting thrown into the real-life scenario.”

Ideally, more families will take the course, the men said.

Gray’s nine-year-old son has taken three avalanche courses and loved it, he said.

There is a special deal for families with kids.

(Contact info@btsc.ca for more information.)

The next level of Avalanche Training, AST 2 is being offered in March. That session is already full, but if there is enough interest, another session may be added.

“I’m pretty sure that every one of our students walks away with the impression that they’re not going to ride with people that do not know how to use this equipment properly and have not done the training,” Gray said. “Once they’ve done this, they realize that the people that they ride with are very, very, very important.”

OTHER COURSES A 40-hour wilderness first-aid course is also offered at the Alpine Learning Center.

“Which is another wealth of information and like an amazing set of skills and knowledge,” Kavousian said, adding he and Gray recently took that course and highly recommend it.

That training has already been put into action.

On Jan. 6, during an avalanche training course at the Chalet, they heard about a rider, not in the course, who had hurt his back.

He was out on his own in the late afternoon, as the sun was going down.

A team on hand at the club, including Gray, worked to reach, stabilize and take the man out by helicopter.

“The students then realized at the same time how important it is to have this [training]. They realized how much things actually can happen in the backcountry,” Gray said.

“That [wilderness first-aid] course that we did made me feel a lot more confident being there in that situation.”

The Alpine Learning Center also hosts other groups, like search and rescue organizations, so they can offer advanced education courses for SAR members.

Find out much more about courses offered on the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club website.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 19

LOOKING FOR FRESH FAMILY ADVENTURE VACATION IDEAS? From thrilling activities to cultural immersion: Unlocking the best family far-flung vacations JENNIFER THUNCHER

certain places to the point she is sure to look up the conditions in the location each time she is working with a client.

She gave the example of Mexico being a traditionally great place for families to go in March, but not anymore due to sargassum, or seaweed, clogging up beaches.

“With all this red seaweed coming in ... the beaches are terrible in March.”

With more and more awareness of the damage overdoing tourism can do to local environments, Manchester is highly conscious of steering clients to areas where tourism is sustainably managed and where tourists are welcome.

“I want my clients to be good ambassadors,” she said.

“I want them to be a reflection of how I feel about sustainable travel.”

She said there’s a lot of advocacy and social awareness needed in her job these days.

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

H

ave the winter blues got you dreaming of a memory-making, far-away family adventure?

Squamish travel advisor—and intrepid mom traveller—Jordana Manchester has plenty of vacation locations that are just right for adventurous Sea to Sky families.

We aren’t talking about the typical Disneyland, Mexico or Maui kid-friendly vacations (which are fine) but destinations where locals—known for loving high-octane outdoor fun—and their children can let their adrenaline freak flags fly.

Manchester said she has served clients with kids of all ages.

“Because we’re in Squamish and so many people are so adventurous, and they want to live their lives regardless of the fact they have kids or not, I have families that take their infants on the road all the way up to 17 or 18 before they head off to college,” she said, adding that the core of her client base are families with children in the seven to 10-year-old age range.

“The teenagers, they like some adventure things, but they also want to bring their friends.

So, they tend to just sort of rent a place somewhere and hang out. And they do hub and spoke kind of vacations where they rent a car and they go off and do things.”

WHAT DOES ADVENTURE MEAN TO YOU? It is important to define what a family means by adventure, Manchester said, as it can mean different things depending on the individual.

For some families, adventure means ziplining across a tree canopy in a jungle, for another family it may mean an archaeological tour with their kids in Egypt, she said.

“So, I start off there by asking them, ‘What is your definition of adventure? What is it that gets your heart going?’”

Wherever you want to go, Manchester said the key is planning and booking early.

Ideally, people are planning for next Christmas holidays now, she said.

“You can put a deposit down for most things. If it takes you a long time to pay it off, whatever, but plan in advance. Don’t wait last minute, especially when you’re travelling with kids.”

SAY ‘KIA ORA’ TO NEW ZEALAND If the family’s idea of adventure is physical— such as hiking—Manchester suggests New Zealand, the North Island especially.

(New Zealand actor Martin Henderson, who plays Jack Sheridan on the Squamish-shot Netflix show Virgin River would likely concur.)

“There’s a ton to do, “ Manchester said, adding there’s everything from so-called “soft-adventure” such as easy hikes and kayaking to whitewater rafting and bungee jumping.

There’s also lots of cultural experiences to be had, she added.

ACCOMMODATION Manchester said most of her clients with kids stay in independently owned short-term rental apartments or villas, followed by lodges and then hotels.

PHOTO BY JHORROCKS/GETTY IMAGES

The South Pacific country of Fiji is a popular spot for Squamish travelling families, Jordana Manchester said.

“And I have people who bring their little tiny, teeny tiny humans all the way up to their teenagers on those particular trips,” she said.

Manchester notes that the dollar value in New Zealand is similar to Canada’s, though this is not a cheap vacation.

“There’s not really any such thing as that anymore,” she said.

SAY ‘IO’ TO FIJI The South Pacific country of Fiji is a popular spot for Squamish travelling families, Manchester said.

“I think I booked a good 10 or 12 families to Fiji just in December,” she said, adding some folks were on their way to Australia and Fiji was a nice stop on the way.

“You can do lots of adventure—a lot of water-based adventure—activities in Fiji [such as] snorkelling, and diving and all of that. And it’s not busy, “ she said.

“It’s a much calmer kind of pace of life there in Fiji and people like that. Not to mention the beaches are stunning.”

UP-AND-COMING DESTINATIONS While it is not necessarily easy or inexpensive to get to, Manchester recommends the South Asian island country of Sri Lanka as a family destination.

“I have whipped a bunch of people into a tizzy about this destination,” she said.

“The doors are flung open in terms of hospitality.”

There is a lot of child-friendly programming at

resorts there, with programs geared to nature and cooking fun for kids, she said.

“They absolutely adore children.”

While not inexpensive to access, once you get there, it is cheaper than other locations, too.

Other up-and-coming areas for families to visit are Colombia in South America and Belize in Central America.

In her experience, with these places, the parents may have been there before without kids and are going back to regions they enjoyed, this time with the whole family, Manchester said.

“It’s less like hardcore adventure in Colombia.

It’s more just immersing themselves in the culture and exploring colonial cities,” she said, adding this vacation may be more geared for teens.

Belize is good for older kids too, especially for those who like watersports.

“The ones with the tweens and teens are doing lots of ... ocean kayaking and snorkelling,” she said.

Other areas for families interested in scenic nature adventures are in Africa, again, especially for those with older kids. Recommended destinations include South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Tanzania.

“Ghana is up and coming,” she said, and Rwanda is great for older kids interested in the wildlife gorilla treks.

CLIMATE CHANGING TRAVEL TIMES Manchester said climate change is shifting the time of the year when it is best to go to

DIET AND MEDICAL WORRIES The nature of families means there is often sure to be one picky eater and one tummy bug on board every trip.

Manchester says to pack your own dry snacks with you so there is at least some comfort food for the picky eater.

Eating out, too, allows for choices that may interest little eaters.

“I book a lot of luxury travel and the luxury lodges and hotels … are really good at catering to kids,” she said, but added that trying new things, including what they eat, is not a bad experience for kids.

“It’s one of those things of travelling. I would say do not let it prevent you from travelling. But do as much prep time in advance as you can do.

That’s really all you can do because the only way they’re going to learn about different foods is trying them.”

In terms of illness on vacation—something Manchester dealt with herself with her child on a recent trip to Mexico—she said planning ahead is key.

“You go to your doctor, you get those antibiotics, you put your kids on probiotics before you go. You get those little tummies ready to go,” she said, adding that she lets clients know the lay of the land in terms of where the hospital or medical help is wherever they are going. “You carry your emergency medical kit with you. ... You just arm yourself so when you hit that emergency, you don’t feel like you’re floundering.”

To learn more, follow Manchester on Facebook at Jordana Manchester - Adventure Travel Specialist or go to her website: www. storiedlandstravel.com.

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‘EVERYONE’S SMILING’: NINJA GYM RETURNS TO SQUAMISH Helmed by a new team, the gym opened on 118-39455 Discovery Way with a variety of activities for kids, teens and adults ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

A

fter a couple years of closure, the Ninja Gym recently returned to Squamish helmed by an enthusiastic and invigorated team.

Armed with a team of six people, the Ninja Gym opened with a soft launch near the end of January at its new location on 118-39455 Discovery Way near the Sandman Hotel and Suites. The gym is already being rediscovered as dozens of kids enjoyed themselves as they climbed over and around an array of obstacles when The Chief stopped by to interview the new team Thursday night.

“Everyone’s smiling; there’s so much positive response,” said Richard McRae, one of the new partners at the gym. “We’re excited.”

The gym closed in 2021 when the building where it was housed was sold. Then-owner, Gary McFarland, sold the business to employees Luis

PHOTO BY ANDREW HUGHES/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

L to R: Shaun Stephens-Whale, Oscar Alarcón, Sujey Villalobos, Emma McRae, Richard McRae, Luis Alarcón.

Alarcón and Shaun Stephens-Whale.

A little while later, Oscar Alarcón, Sujey Villalobos, Emma McRae and Richard McRae joined the team to bring the gym back to life.

Though a lot of time passed between the

closure and its recent opening, Luis said one of things that pushed him to reopen the gym was the positive energy the gym exudes.

“It’s a good energy—it’s a very good energy— and we want to keep that going,” he said.

Meanwhile, Emma said she saw an opportunity to provide more local indoor kid and teenager activities, especially during the winter months when the weather isn’t great. Beyond the typical drop-in sessions, the gym hosts classes, lessons, birthday parties and camps on days off of school.

But the gym has activities geared towards adults too, as there are parents alongside tots sessions, plus adult workout groups and classes.

“The mentality is that the Ninja Gym is just for kids, but it’s actually [for] adults too,” said Oscar.

Already, it seems some adults have taken a liking to the gym’s return.

“The adults are very excited as well,” said Villalobos.

Moreover, Stephens-Whale added that they are

open to bringing people what they want beyond what’s already in play, whether it be private events, dance, movie nights, laser tag or other ideas.

“We want input,” he said.

He added that more and more classes are coming online in the coming weeks.

Ultimately, the team really emphasized the joy and the impact the gym and its atmosphere can have on the community.

“It’s a workout place, but you’re having fun,” said Luis. “You don’t realize you’re working out.”

“Coming here makes you feel happy,” added Oscar.

Notably, it’s even having an impact on them.

“I’m pretty straight-faced a lot of the time,” said Richard. “And coming here and enjoying it has been honestly thrilling.”

For more information, including class scheduling and pricing, visit the Ninja Gym’s website at theninjagym.ca. Keep your eyes peeled for a grand opening event to happen in March 2024.

‘REFLECTION’: SQUAMISH FILMMAKER DELVES INTO LOCAL ATHLETE’S MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY Tori Wood’s vulnerable story told through the lens of a mountain biking documentary at VIMFF JENNIFER THUNCHER

jthuncher@squamishchief.com

Content warning: This story discusses an eating disorder.

I

t is a vulnerable mental health story wrapped in a mountain biking film.

Reflection, directed by Squamish filmmaker Casey Dubois, tells local Tori Wood’s story of how traumatic experiences when she was a young gymnast were followed by depression, anxiety and an eating disorder that accompanied her into adulthood.

Reflection is playing in person in Vancouver on Saturday, Feb. 24 and online Feb. 23 to March 24, as part of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF).

“After winning the overall women’s pro category in her first season, Tori is setting her expectations high to follow up her breakout year.

As her second season begins without the same level of success, the trauma she’s been trying to confront creeps back into her life. Tori needs to change her perspective as an elite athlete to reflect newfound priorities,” reads the film’s description.

SHARING IS CARING Wood told The Squamish Chief, the 20-minute documentary came out of conversations she had about mental health struggles with Dubois, who is a friend.

“Because of the approach that [Dubois’] The Grove Films has centred on mental health, we

started putting the idea out there and saying, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we could make a film about your story and about your journey,’” recalled Wood over the phone from Australia where she is currently on a mountain biking trip.

“And somehow use that [story] as a way to help others and help reduce stigma and encourage people to be vulnerable.”

That was a few years ago.

YOU CAN’T COMPARE YOUR TRAUMA Wood notes that her trauma didn’t involve death or sexual assault, or other dramatic forms of abuse others may associate with the word trauma, but it is impactful nonetheless, which is hopefully a takeaway from the piece.

“It highlights even more the importance of validating that trauma looks like many different things. And there can be big T trauma, there can be little t trauma,” she said.

“You can’t compare your trauma to anybody else’s. If it was significant enough to affect you in your adult life, then don’t feel ashamed about that, and don’t try to tell yourself that it’s not worth working on. And it’s not worth acknowledging just because it doesn’t look like somebody else’s trauma.”

SPORTS AND MENTAL HEALTH Wood noted that her eating disorder as a young athlete is not uncommon in aesthetic sports and those that are contingent on the athletes body composition, and what they look like.

In her case, in gymnastics when she was

involved years ago, the tinier she could be, the better she would do in her sport.

“The smaller you were as an athlete, the more successful you would be, the faster you could flip ... [and] it was easier for coaches to spot you, and that kind of prototypical gymnast of being super, super tiny, tiny, almost childlike,” she said.

“And also, the immense pressure that athletes put on themselves to be in complete control over all of the variables to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome. And so that control might look like a very, very strict diet and a very, very strict exercise regime because of the pressure that they feel to be successful, and also what they see in other successful athletes at that level.”

She noted that eating disorders can be an issue for all genders, but that young females are bombarded with images and expectations that play into their disorders.

“I am not saying that men don’t experience this as well, because they definitely do but in a different way. [There’s ] pressure on them to look bulky. It goes both ways, for sure. But I think there’s just so many influences coming from different angles that could create the perfect storm [for women].”

In mountain biking, she found freedom and a need to respect her body and what it can do, not just how small it can be.

Not to say she doesn’t still struggle with negative self talk about her body, and feel her eating disordered thoughts creep back in. She said they still do, but she has arguments against that disordered thinking.

“I also began to realize that, hey, if you want to

do this sport, which is inherently quite dangerous, you need to be switched on. And to be switched on, you need to have energy in your body; you need to have muscle and you need to be able to hit the ground and be OK and get back up again,” she said. “I’ve talked about this in the film, but it’s like, I finally found something that was more important to me than what my body looks like.”

IT’S NOT ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING Having the film now come together and be out for public consumption is a bit “overwhelming,” Wood said, but she added that she is proud of how it turned out.

Like anyone whose personal life is in the spotlight, Wood said she did have fears of judgment from others, but keeps coming back to why it is helpful to talk about mental health struggles. She hopes it resonates with people— even non-mountain bikers—and that they see they aren’t alone if they struggle, too.

“It’s not about mountain biking, and it’s not about me trying to get recognition or for people to slap me on the back and validate me and be like, ‘Oh, good job. You did such a great thing.’ It is truly about wanting to connect with other people. And to help people understand that being vulnerable and talking about their struggles and their trauma and their own mental health —it’s the only way to grow and to move forward in their lives.”

Find out more about Reflection and other films at the film festival on the VIMFF website.

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She loved hiking all over Squamish and took many hiking trips with a great group of much loved hiking buddies and loved to travel anywhere.

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Patricia Inez (McGregor) Marini born December 22, 1940 Meadow Lake Saskatchewan, graduated Kelowna High School, graduated Vancouver School of Nursing 1963. Predeceased by husband Bruno Francesco Marini, survived by brother Robert McGregor, son Michael Marini, daughter Paula (Rick) Ward.

EMPLOYMENT

ITES T SmUish S E G ua LAR in Sq

- Squamish BC -

YOU ARE SOME WOMAN FOR ONE WOMAN!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 | 21

Previously Century 21, our office has been providing exceptional real estate sales and rental accommodation services in the Sea to Sky Corridor & throughout BC.

Automotive Service Advisor

Experience and vehicle knowledge an asset.

Responsibilities include scheduling appointments, generating work orders, preparing estimates and ordering parts Requirements: Valid class V driver’s license Full time Competitive wage with benefits Email resume to: dhmaccounting@yahoo.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 benefits: Travel allowance for Squamish/Pemberton-based employees OR Ski Pass/Activity allowance, Extended Medical, RRSP match, Fun & Safe Work Environment-Great Team, opportunities to grow and more.

CLICK OR CALL TO VIEW...

Owner Relations Manager

SERVICES

www.prmbc.ca 604.892.5954

Full Time all year round

WILLS & ESTATES

Unit 101-38142 Cleveland Ave, Squamish

Westcoast Wills Westcoast Wills & Estates & Estates

Wills and Probate made easy.

Probate made easy.

Let our experienced lawyers help you.

604-230-1068 | westcoastwills.com 604-210-2211 *A law corporation

$55,000 per year

Apply online today! https://www.vacasa.com/careers/positions or email: paul.globisch@vacasa.com or call to find out more details at 604-698-0520 We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

HOME SERVICES CLEANING Cleaning, Housekeeping, Windows.

Squamish Home 604-898-2333

THANK THANK YOU YOU FOR FOR RECYCLING THIS RECYCLING THIS NEWSPAPER.

NEWSPAPER.

22 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

BUY

RENT

WORK

FIX

DRIVE

SHOP

EMPLOYMENT

Structural Steel Project Manager Squamish Based Ironworker

squamishchief.com

Currently Hiring:

CLASSIFIEDS.SQUAMISHCHIEF.COM

We’re Hiring!

CLASSIFIEDS.SQUAMISHCHIEF.COM

Certified Heavy Duty Mechanic, Certified Commercial Truck Mechanic, 3rd or 4th year Heavy Duty Apprentice $40-$50 per hr. depending on experience and extended benefits after 3 months

Must have a valid BC driver’s license.

Send resume to kelly@kjcltd.ca or call 604-892-7874 These are rewarding career opportunities in the structural steel industry.

Both positions are integral members of the project team.

PM is responsible for all stages of structural projects of varying size and complexity.

Ironworker will assist senior installer and crews on various Squamish sites.

Full-time permanent positions, competitive wage & benefits package.

Send Application to - info@wwswelding.ca

PLAY HERE

WE ARE HIRING! DHD CONSTRUCTION LTD., a Squamish-based, full-service construction and development company is HIRING THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: 2 ASSISTANT SITE SUPERVISORS SITE FOREPERSON CARPENTER APPRENTICES LABOURERS CONSTRUCTION SAFETY OFFICER PROJECT COORDINATOR COMPETITIVE SALARIES EXTENDED HEALTH & DENTAL BENEFITS PERSONAL TOOL PROGRAM Be a part of the DHD team and our exciting project – Finch Drive. A 20 acre, master-planned community using modern building technologies to achieve some of Squamish’s most energy efficient, multi-family homes.

» squamishchief.jobfind.findem.ca

For more information about DHD, full job descriptions and how to apply, visit www.dhdev.ca.

squamishchief.com

CIVIL CONSTRUCTION AND SNOW SERVICES BUILDING AN EXCELLENT COMPANY, PEOPLE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND RESULTS

PROFESSIONALISM

RELIABLE AND HONEST

PROBLEM SOLVERS

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

STRONG WORK ETHIC

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES HYDROVAC OPERATOR - Valid Class 1 or Class 3 with air brakes required.

Manual transmission. 2 years experience preferred. $32-$37 per hour.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, Squamish - Minimum 5 years or 5,000 hours operating experience on excavator. Full-time, Monday – Friday. $33-$42 per hour.

HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC, Whistler – Red Seal Certified, Commercial Truck & Transport, Transport Trailer required. CVSE Inspector’s ticket, Air Conditioning ticket, Class 1 or 3 with air brakes preferred. Toolbox available for rent. $37.70-$39.80 per hour.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SPECIALIST – Keen eye for detail and proficiency in data entry and management required. Completion of accounting courses preferred. $24-$28 per hour.

ACCOUNTANT – Prepare financial information, statements, reports and develop internal control procedures. CPA or working towards designation preferred. $26-$32 per hour.

Y APPL

coastalmountain.ca/careers instagram.com/coastalmountainexcavations

TAKE A BREAK

squamishchief.com

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1. Cloud’s place 4. Enthusiastic 8. Melt 12. Less than dos 13. Judge 14. Holiday season 15. Divine occurrences 17. Hit repeatedly 18. Watch your ____!

19. Host 21. Partake of 23. School papers 27. Storage huts 30. Colony insect 31. Lawyer’s charge 32. Canola ____ 33. Chinese animal 35. Tavern order 36. Give weapons to 37. Slick 38. Canvas covers 40. Mineral spring 42. Jinx

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Compassion Grocery reminder Throb painfully ____ hour Lunchtime Mentally healthy Lower digit Tinting agents Smack “On My ____”

DOWN 1. Totals 2. Make, as a sweater 3. Past years 4. Circle segment 5. ____ parking 6. Piece of gossip 7. Move down 8. Kinds 9. Tinge 10. Everyone 11. Waterlogged

Mimicked Manor Strive Off yonder Squeal Glimpses Fly aloft Employ Shady trees A few Leading lady Car’s wheel bar Portents Laughing ____ Animal’s nail Hooked on Hide Formerly As well as Artfully shy Garden implement Dog’s doc

March 21-April 19

LIBRA

Major changes are on the horizon in various areas of your life! You’ll feel justifiably proud of your achievements and will make the necessary efforts to ensure your business runs smoothly.

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

TAURUS April 20-May 20

May 21-June 20

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

July 23-Aug. 22

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

At work, you’ll see the benefits of your work, even if it means feeling exhausted. As your customer base grows, you’ll need to double down your efforts to solidify your financial future.

SAGITTARIUS

You’ll manage a large-scale project. This will bring together various people around you. Despite the challenges of getting donations from those involved, you’ll be incredibly efficient and receive praise for your success after some effort.

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Your self-esteem needs a boost. You passionately devote yourself to others. However, it’s important to direct some of that attention toward yourself. This is especially true if some people tend to take your kindness for granted and don’t recognize your sacrifices.

CAPRICORN

CANCER June 21-July 22

Although there may be some tension, your strong teamwork skills will help you make great progress. If you’re in a new relationship, you’ll have to overcome concerns that challenge your commitment and define a better future between you.

SCORPIO

It’s time to rejuvenate yourself; bask in the present moment and relax. Someone close to you will require your help.

If you’re an artist, you’ll find inspiration this week. Inner guidance is within your reach..

GEMINI

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.

SCRIBBLE BOX

HOROSCOPE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 8, 2024 - FEBRUARY 14, 2024 ARIES

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.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

Big responsibilities await you, both at work and at home.

Your dedication will be noticed and could be rewarded with a promotion and a pay raise. There’s plenty to celebrate!

You’ll devote a substantial amount of your time to family this week. You may think about moving in the short term.

At the very least, a significant change in your personal or professional environment will be beneficial.

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

LEO

AQUARIUS

The idea of embarking on a spiritual journey will take root in your mind. It will require several months of careful preparation to blossom and become a source of inspiration, ultimately allowing you to find profound meaning in your existence.

You’ll expand your social circle, thanks in large part to your increased presence on social media. Your talents and professional activities will become better known, improving your financial situation.

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

VIRGO

PISCES

Emotions are powerful around you. You may need to rethink your relationship to flourish. At the very least, you’ll no longer accept compromises. You’ll need to reflect deeply about your relationship.

You’ll be given the green light to finance a project. Act now!

This will be a good week to pay off some of your debt, making your financial situation more flexible. Think of it as a kind of fresh start.

Feb. 19-March 20

The Parish of

YOUR PLACE OF

St. John , the Divine Squamish

Holy Communion and Morning Worship

Sundays at 10:00 AM Rev. Cameron Gutjahr

1930 Diamond Road 604-898-5100 www.squamishanglicanchurch.ca info@squamishanglicanchurch.ca

Exalting Jesus, Equipping His Followers, Engaging the World

Worship Service Sundays 10am on our website and Facebook Live

Coram Deo

Reformed Presbyterian Church

2262 Read Cres.

604-898-3737

2:00 Lord’s Day Worship Service Held at Centrepoint (United Church) 38014 Fourth Ave

www.squamishbaptistchurch.org

Coramdeorpc.org

See Website for Service times and location

Share your PLACE OF WORSHIP with Squamish for $10.25/week - Call today to book your spot 604.892.9161

24

| THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024

squamishchief.com

Small Business Booster for February

FEBRUARY ONLY! 35% off *Premium Half page or Full page Colour ads

Package A - Half pages with Community Display

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Half page ad

Full page ad

Regular rate $780

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*Premium Ads include digital CD & Print

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(per week, includes community display digital)

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Savings of $273

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Contact your sales representative today at 604 892 9161