March 14, 2024 - Squamish Chief

HOW WILL THE ONLINE HARMS ACT WORK?

Learn about the new bill

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2024

ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

She lost her daughter to a fentanyl overdose Now Squamish mom Brenda Doherty hopes a newly reintroduced bill,

dubbed the Safe Care Act, will prevent that from happening again.

On March 5, Doherty joined local MLA Jordan Sturdy in B.C.’s legislative assembly to introduce the Safe Care Act. It intends to give parents and some authorities the ability to

SQ UA

A spectacular view greeted early morning risers at Squamish Hospital and Hilltop House last Thursday

AFTER LOSING DAUGHTER, LOCAL MOM REINTRODUCES SAFE CARE ACT

Brenda Doherty and MLA Jordan Sturdy unveil bill intended to protect minors struggling with mental health and addiction challenges

hold a child who is facing serious harm due to addiction and mental illness.

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KEVIN FALCON HITS ALL THE TALKING POINTS

The opposition leader was in town to talk up policy and take questions

SCOTT TIBBALLS

stibballs@piquenewsmagazine.com

B.C. opposition leader Kevin Falcon faced a (mostly) receptive audience at a town hall event at Executive Suites Hotel in Squamish this week, touching on a wide array of BC United talking points and fielding questions from the floor.

About 50 locals turned out for the town hall on March 7, where Falcon tested their history knowledge and spoke at length about the BC United (formerly BC Liberal) record and what he described as a lack of results from the NDP government, hitting the tips of all the waves on transportation, infrastructure, investment, the budget, healthcare, drugs and mental health, education, housing and childcare to intermittent applause

Bureaucratic mire was a theme of attack that wound its way through the length of his talk, with Falcon saying the NDP was slow to make decisions, quick to increase administrative costs and eager to double down on bad policy

“If we’re spending all that money and piling on that debt, surely we can point to some really great outcomes, right? That would be a natural inclination, but I’m sorry to say that we’re not seeing that.”

The number of vice presidents in the B.C. health care system (71) was listed as an indicator of bureaucratic bloat, with outcomes in healthcare used as proof that the system was not working.

“Why is it that with all those vice presidents we have some of the worst results in the country? We have too many people in administration and we’re not focusing on the frontline, the nurses, the doctors, the care aides,

the allied healthcare workers—that’s a big part of the problem.”

To that, he said if he were premier those 71 administrators “better start getting their offices cleaned up,” and that he’d focus on cutting red

that the previous BC Liberal government made mistakes in the sector, and that a government led by him would invest heavily so that those in need could get off the street and into 24-7 care

To that, he moved on to drugs, saying the NDP were doubling down on policy that was making the situation worse.

“Instead of free drugs, I want to provide free treatment. I want to make sure those struggling with addiction have the best opportunity to get off of their addiction, and get better and become contributing members of society again.”

He reiterated plans to re-introduce letter grades in education and ban cellphones, and talked up his experience in the private sector in relation to housing before listing off four policy changes to come on that file: Removing PST for new homes; introducing 99-year leases for below-market rental housing; removing the transfer tax for first-time home buyers on purchases less than $1 million and the recently-announced ‘rent-to-own’ policy

QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE

Questions from the audience ran a similar gamut, with only one tough question on his record as health minister, to which he scoffed at numbers being cited from a CBC report in 2009 about funding cuts and challenged the premise.

In a sign the audience was mostly friendly to Falcon, they did not respond well to the challenge.

tape to allow more internationally-trained Canadian doctors to enter the B.C. sector Pivoting to mental health, Falcon said that B.C was doing “absolutely everything wrong, and we’re getting the worst results,” admitting

COVID-19 came up once, with Falcon responding to a question about the NDP stepping in to remove healthcare professionals from the sector due to their vaccination status

“We are the only jurisdiction in North America that has still got fired doctors and

PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

BC United leader Kevin Falcon was in Squamish for a town hall on March 7.

SAFE CARE ACT: Continued from 1

was given a bus pass to Vancouver, where she died on Jan. 22, 2018

Doherty told The Squamish Chief the act could have given her another option, at the very least, to help Lawrence

“If it was in place, we would have had another option to try,” she said “We wouldn’t have been out of options. I don’t think as a parent, you should ever be out of options to help save your kid’s life.”

Doherty previously told The Squamish Chief that Lawrence’s family doctor had signed a Form 4, which calls for the involuntary holding of a patient for 48 hours due to the person’s inability to make safe decisions.

FALCON: Continued from 4

nurses not allowed to come back into our health system because they were unvaccinated back in the day, and they were unvaccinated—many for very good health reasons,” he said

“Either we know something the rest of North America doesn’t know, or we’re wrong and we’ve got some ideologues that are keeping these folks we desperately need in our system right now helping us out in the midst of a healthcare crisis out of the system They’re coming back under Kevin Falcon within minutes.”

On drug policy, one audience member asked what guardrails he would put in place to ensure that cancelling decriminalization of drugs didn’t create a pipeline to the criminal justice system for people in need of treatment, to which Falcon said he believed free treatment rather than free drugs was the best guardrail.

A regular issue locally is regional transit—a question from the floor was what a government led by him would do, to which he returned to the theme that the NDP was paralyzed by process.

When Lawrence’s care was assessed by the Patient Care and Quality Review Board, the review said the form was invalid, because Lawrence’s family doctor had not seen her in the 14 days leading up to her visit to the emergency department

“It was basically a technicality,” said Doherty on March 5 about her daughter’s care “So they threw it out, and they let her go.”

A news release from BC United said the goal of the act is to “authorize a parent, adoption director, child and family services director, or safe care director to apply to the provincial court for the limited involuntary apprehension of a child facing serious harm through addictions and mental illness.”

“It’s all process [right now], they love meetings and emails and sending things back and forth and doing studies and all the rest—but you have to get beyond that, somebody has to make a bloody decision and say ‘we’re going to get regional transportation on the Sea to Sky Corridor, and I want it done, I want to see a plan on my desk in the next 60 days and I want to get going so we can execute it and make it happen in our lifetime that’s how I found things have to get done.”

Asked about support for small businesses, Falcon touched on the budget, and shared anecdotes about a “sense of impunity” among criminals due to a lack of consequences

Overall, besides the one question of funding cuts 15 years ago, the audience was receptive of Falcon’s message.

The party he leads, BC United, is yet to announce a new candidate for the local riding, with current MLA Jordan Sturdy having announced he would not be running earlier in 2024.

Falcon said that the party would announce a West Vancouver-Sea to Sky candidate within the next 45 days

The next provincial election will take place on or before October 19 of this year

“This bill is a last-resort tool that will provide further options to parents seeking to keep their kids safe, while also respecting the rights and well-being of the youth,” Sturdy said in the release.

In the news release about the act, Elenore Sturko, BC United’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Addiction, Recovery and Education, said involuntary care is sometimes needed.

“Any decision to implement involuntary care should not be taken lightly,” said Sturko “However, we stand firm in our belief that there are times when compassionate involuntary care is necessary to save lives.”

The Safe Care Act has been introduced several times throughout the years but has

not been made into law. In 2023, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Jennifer Whiteside, told The Squamish Chief the ministry was focused on voluntary treatment.

Moreover, Premier David Eby told The Squamish Chief in 2023 that in his conversations with health officials about involuntary care, there is a concern it may deter people from seeking care during an overdose Yet, he said if that concern can be addressed, then he’s open to the idea

Several steps are needed before the current iteration of the Self Care Act can become law, but, ultimately, Doherty hopes it can be a piece to help fill the gaps in care.

-With files from Jennifer Thuncher

PHOTO BY LYDIA PROSKO/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF FLY IT FORWARD: Glacier Air held its Fly it Forward event at Squamish Airport on

The goal of the annual event, which takes place during Women of Aviation Worldwide Week, March 4 to 10, is to expose and inspire women and girls to pursue aviation

COUNCILTO HEAR WOODFIBRELNG’S FLOATELTUP AT ENDOFMARCH

Afterinitial meeting, councilwillscheduleapublichearing anddecisiondate

ANDREW HUGHES ahughes@squamishchief.com

Squamishcouncil will soon hear the temporary usepermit(TUP) application for WoodfibreLNG’s proposed floatel workforceaccommodation.However,the separate TUPfor theFortisBCworkforce lodge does notyet have aset date forwhenitwillbe in frontofthe council.

As part of theDistrictofSquamishstaff update at councilonMarch 5about the WoodfibreLNG (WLNG) projectand FortisBC EagleMountainpipelineproject,itwas revealedthatcouncil will hear thetemporary usepermitapplication onWLNG’sfloatel at an upcomingcommittee of thewhole meetingon March26.

Afterthatmeeting,the District andcouncil will schedule adatefor apublichearing plus a decision on theTUP.

Thefloatel worker accommodationisaship slatedtobemooredatthe WLNG site,which is aboutseven kilometres away from downtown Squamish in Howe Sound. Estimatessay the floatelwillhouse about600 workers.

In recent months,the ship in question,the MV Isabelle,has made itsway to B.C. andthe B.C. EnvironmentalAssessmentOfficehas giventhe go-ahead forthe facility.The TUPis

anotherpermitrequiredtooperate thefloatel.

AseparateTUP is required forFortisBC’s proposedworkforce accommodation, whichis being proposed to be locatedoffthe Mamquam Forest ServiceRoadnearthe Carpenter’sSon bridge near Capilano University (formerly Quest University campus). That TUPapplication,however,doesnot have aset date although it is estimatedtobeafter Marchinthe staffmemoabout theprojects.

District plannerVrish Prahalad told the council that FortisBC is developing acontingencyplanfor incoming workersarriving in

June or July.

“Due to thepotential timing of theworkforce lodgeoccupancy beingpost-summer 2024, FortisBC is developing acontingency plan to temporarily houseanadditional100 non-local workersinthe summer.Atpresent, approximately180 non-local workersare temporarilyresidinginthe Squamish community,”hesaid.

Prahalad said thecontingencies include housingworkers at theWLNGfloatel or in the Lower Mainland,travellingtoSquamishvia theIndianArm Forest ServiceRoad. He also said that FortisBC hasnot yetconfirmed if it is using living-out allowances for2024.

Coun.Jenna Stoner wasparticularlycritical of developing acontingency plan this late.

“Not having aworkforce lodgecontingency at thebeginning of March—when we’rejustafew monthsawayfromaddinganother 100folks to theirworkforce—isunacceptable,”she said. “I’mstill baffledthatthisiswhere we’reatin theconversation.”

Stoner addedFortisBCis“dragging their heels” in regardstoproviding informationfor theTUP applicationsothataworkforce lodge maycometofruition.

“Sothisisapleatothe proponenttofigure outaplanand figure it outquickly and communicatethattocouncil andour communitybecause we deservetoknow.”

Therewas some conversation aboutsharing informationabout theprojectswiththe Squamish-LillooetRegional District (SLRD) andits board, as theboard recently referred a TUPapplication foroffices andamenities at theWLNGsitebacktothe SLRD staffaswellas sharingitwiththe District of Squamish

MayorArmandHurford commentedthat alignmentoncommunication betweenWLNG andFortisBCwould help improvecommunication overall.

Laterinthe meeting, twomembers of the public askedquestions aboutthe impact of theseprojectsonlocal housing.

In response,Hurford said having a temporaryworkforce in town is “verylikely” affectingthe affordabilityand availability of housinginSquamish, estimating thevacancy rate between0.5%and 0.7%.

Coun.LaurenGreenlawalsobelievedthisto be true.

“I thinkthere’s little chance that they arenot alreadydetrimentally impactingour housing stock. It’s abig concernbecause rentingto Fortis with theirunconfirmed,officially, live-out allowancewillhavedetrimental impactsonour community,”she said

Councilunanimously votedtoreceive the staffmemoonthese projects.Viewmorefrom this meetingand thestaff memo on council’s agenda at squamish.ca.

REGIONAL DISTRICT MUSES WOODFIRE LNG-RELATED NOISE COMPLAINTS

The SLRD board encouraged residents to register their complaints with the DOS

SCOTT TIBBALLS stibballs@piquenewsmagazine.com

Noise complaints about ongoing work at Woodfibre LNG are impacting residents of nearby Britannia Beach, according to local area director Tony Rainbow.

Speaking at the Feb. 29 board meeting, Rainbow reported that residents had approached him with concerns about works being carried out late in the evening, in contravention to SLRD bylaws—but not in contravention to the District of Squamish, which is where the site (mostly) sits, and which issued a noise bylaw exemption to the project for tunnel boring.

Britannia Beach is southeast across Howe Sound from the Woodfibre LNG site on the west shore, and according to some residents of that community, construction noise was impacting them.

“Sound travels across water, especially at night,” wrote Rainbow in his directors report to the board, where he asked the regional district to consider a formal cross-jurisdictional process for dealing with complaints

Rainbow stressed that he had no issue with what had taken place procedurally, in that the DOS had issued an exemption to Woodfibre LNG, and that complaints about noise to him

and the SLRD had been forwarded over to the DOS—but that he wanted a formal process considering the works on the site were estimated to go on for years.

“My point is that it’s more regional in nature, it does affect Britannia, and I’d like us to have a formal way of dealing with that, and that would be that District staff would contact our communications staff, and then there would be a communication to Britannia,” he said in speaking to his motion

The noise exemption issued to the project is to allow for tunnel boring works to continue 24-7, with the contractor, Frontier-Kemper Michels (FKM), saying that continual operation of boring machinery was required for safety reasons.

The works are expected to continue into 2026.

Director Jenna Stoner, who is also a councillor with DOS told the board that noise bylaws were delegated to District staff, and that the bylaws were complaint-based. She also added that Britannia Beach had been considered by staff when the exemption request had come through the bureaucracy.

“If we can forward the complaints that are coming from Britannia Beach to the District of Squamish, then we can action it,” she said, and encouraged any and all complaints to be recorded with the SLRD and the DOS so that

Sound travels across water, especially at night.

TONY RAINBOW

the local governments could track them

“That’s the best tool that we have in order to actually implement the conditions that are imposed on that noise bylaw exemption,” she said

Stoner also added that she believed the responsibility of communicating any noise-related works should also fall to the proponent.

“I would also urge that this actually become a request to Woodfibre LNG … this is the responsibility of the proponent to articulate the impacts on the community, so I would like to see some of the onus there, as opposed to squarely on the District.”

Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford talked about the complexity and scope of the project (which he defined as being both the FortisBC pipeline, and Woodfibre LNG), and said this was a case that showed the need for clear

communication from the project proponents in communicating with the community.

“I think these two local governments can work together to improve that slightly, but this highlights the challenges of the project, in that they’re not meeting the bar of public communication.”

Rainbow’s ask for better communication was endorsed by the board, with his formal motion that the board advocate to the DOS to consider the impacts on Britannia Beach when dealing with decisions on Woodfibre LNG, and to explore how to approach noise impacts on neighbouring communities.

“What I am trying to do here is smooth things out a little here and make sure both entities are talking to each other, and we try to minimize the amount of concern as we go forward,” he said.

For its part, Woodfibre LNG told The Squamish Chief that the company “is always available to discuss any potential complaint that area residents may have.”

Complaints can be made via Woodfibre’s web site on its Contact Us page, through email at info@wlng.ca or by phone at 1-888-801-7929.

“In this particular instance, we were contacted about noise and addressed the residents’ concerns,” said WLNG spokesperson Sean Beardow.

DISTRICTOF SQUAMISH

BUSINESSOPPORTUNITIES

•Operation of Pedestrian Drawbridge - Requestfor Information

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TaiChi Seated

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

Wednesday, March20

Municipal Hall (Council Chambers)

37955Second Avenue

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

RSVP: communications@squamish.ca

This TaiChi-inspired fitness program includes softand flowing movements designed to enhance balance, coordination and concentration. Each session begins with an easywarmupand deep breathing practiceincorporating “easy to memorize”movements Begins April 4, 3:30 -4:30 p.m.

Spring Break Pool Schedule

Know beforeyou go! Check the online pool schedule to plan your visit in advance.

FamJam DanceParty: Taylor Swift

Shake it off with your familyand communitywhileyou experience the joyand excitementofthe Eras Tour.Join the fun, showoffyour bestdancemoves,and create lasting memories with the ones youlove!

March23, 10:30 -12p.m.

Flower Bouquet Workshop

Professionalflorist,Bernadette will lead students in creating their own fresh seasonal flowerbouquet to take home.

April 3, 10 -11:30 a.m.

for details and registration visit: squamish.ca/rec

•UniversityReservoirs 2and 3Construction of twoglass-fused steel reservoir tanks is 90% complete. Each of these tanks measureapproximately 17 metres in diameter and 10 metres high, and will help to improvewater storage capacityand deliveryfor Squamish.

•Wastewater TreatmentPlan Expansion and Improvements – Construction is underwaythrough summer 2025 on a new secondaryclarifier and concentric bioreactor. Learnmore: squamish.ca/wwtp-expansion

•Queens WayLiftStation Maintenance Hole –Construction continues to replace the inlet maintenancehole and reline the wet-well.Please followtraffic control measures.

6-STOREY BUILDING POSSIBLE ON CORSA CYCLES LAND

Three readings passed without public hearing as result of new provincial housing acceleration laws

STEVEN CHUA news@squamishchief.com

Right now, it’s home to a scarred parking lot and Corsa Cycles

Thanks to a recent council motion, there’s a strong chance it will become the site of a six-storey building with 44 residential units.

On March 5, council voted 5-2 in favour of giving three readings to a rezoning bylaw that would usher in a new development on 38123 Cleveland Ave. Councillors Jenna Stoner and Lauren Greenlaw were the elected officials who voted against the project.

The bylaw, which still needs to be adopted, seeks to change the existing Downtown Commercial C-4 zoning to a Comprehensive Development Zone 111.

No public hearing was held. Municipal staff said this was the result of new provincial regulations aimed at accelerating the approval of new housing.

Under these new rules, public hearings are prohibited in some cases where residential development is proposed. This application hits the mark of having over 50% residential space while being consistent with the District’s Official Community Plan

Stephane Laroye of SLA architects is the applicant for the project. The owner is Anxin Projects

They aim to build a mixed-use building that has ground floor retail, office space, and residential units. Six of those apartments are expected to be below-market rental

Mayor Armand Hurford commended the project’s proponents for adapting to a complex set of guidelines and space constraints.

“I think developing in our downtown is incredibly challenging,” said Hurford.

“It’s exceptionally hard to develop with all the guidelines that we have and all the things we try to solve for in our public spaces around view spaces and activated public spaces on corners.”

The project promises enhanced plaza space at the corner of Winnipeg and Cleveland, secured with a statutory right of way for public access. The applicant also paid $24,000 for redesign of the streetscape, public space and intersection of that intersection

It will contribute $300,000 to the District’s Active Transportation or Parking Structure Fund, based on council’s direction when the development permit for the project is discussed.

There will be no gas in the residential units, and there’s a commitment to Step 2 of the Energy Step Code in the commercial units. For this type of building, the Step Code is scaled from one to four, with the latter being the most energy efficient.

While some councillors appeared to be satisfied with the project’s varied contributions, others had issues with the project.

Coun Jenna Stoner said the project was trying to accomplish too much, and, as a result, spread itself too thin.

Parking was one sticking point.

She noted it was challenging for her to support the parking proposal, which she said came up short on the amount of cash in lieu.

District regulations require the building to provide 35 parking stalls for its commercial space. The applicant proposes 13 dedicated commercial parking stalls and will provide cash in lieu for 10 stalls, which tallies up to $300,000

“We need money in order to address the components to make parking variances feasible,” said Stoner

That includes creating paid parking, increasing bylaw enforcement or putting in a parkade, she said

“Those require cash,” Stoner said

Coun Lauren Greenlaw said the town has had difficulty supporting its increasing population

“Though there is an urgency in terms of housing needs in our community, we’ve reached a point where it has become difficult to support more new housing developments that are not predominantly affordable,” Greenlaw said.

She said there’s been a shortage of doctors, child care, teachers and hospital space.

Greenlaw said the province needs to help shore up funds in areas like housing and healthcare. She also added she’s hasn’t seen any evidence increasing housing supply has decreased housing cost.

Coun Eric Andersen, who supported the project, said there’s a demand for visitor and commercial parking downtown

He said there’s a need for council to review where the $300,000 in community amenity contributions will be allocated.

The District should consider a parking facility or mobility hub on the north side of Pemberton Avenue, Andersen said

Coun John French called the development site the “Georgia and Granville intersection of Squamish.”

“This project at this important intersection, I think, is a great example of how it is possible to move quote-unquote ‘quickly’ through District of Squamish processes,” said French.

NOTICE OF BYLAWREADINGS FORZONINGAMENDMENT

District of SquamishZoningBylaw 2200,2011Amendment Bylaw(37940 Fourth Ave) No.3030, 2024

AFFECTEDLANDS: 37940 Fourth Avenue,Squamish B.C.

PROPOSED BYLAWAMENDMENT: Thepurpose of theproposed Bylawis to rezone theproperty FROM Residential 2(RS-2) TO Comprehensive DevelopmentZone No.113 (CD-113) to develop sixmulti-unitresidential units

BYLAW READINGS: Consideration of first,secondand thirdreading of the proposedBylaw will be at theRegular MeetingofCouncil on March19, 2024 at 6p.m.inCouncil ChambersatMunicipalHall,37955 Second Avenue,Squamish BC.Nopublic hearing will be heldfor this application

LOCATION MAP:

37940

FIFTHAVE FOURTHAVE THIRDAVEVICTORIASTREET MAINSTREET

NO PUBLICHEARING: In accordance with thenew Provincial housing legislation, Section464(3)ofthe LocalGovernmentAct,localgovernmentsare now prohibited from holdingpublichearingsrelated to rezoning applications fordevelopmentsthatare primarilyresidential andare consistent with the localgovernment’sOfficial Community Plan (OCP). This proposal meetsthose requirements.

HOWTOVIEWTHE PROPOSED REZONING

A copy of the proposedbylaw and relatedinformation that hasbeenormay be considered by Council maybeinspectedonlineoratMunicipal Hall

•Onlineat: squamish.ca/showcase

•37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, BritishColumbia, from March7,2024toMarch 19,2024 between 8:30 a.m. and4:30 p.m.,Mondaythrough Friday,excluding statutory holidays

Enquiries regardingthe proposed amendmentbylaw maybemadetothe Planning Departmentat604.815.5002orbyemail to planning@squamish.ca. Thisisthe second of twonotices of bylaw readings.

Datedthis 14th day of March2024atSquamish, BritishColumbia.

RENDERING VIA DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH REPORT

The building proposed for 38123 Cleveland Ave.

In school, your child will have to memorize a variety of concepts by heart, including multiplication tables, historical dates and vocabulary lists. Here are four tips to help your child make easy work of memorization

1 Create an environment that’s conducive to learning

Eliminate distractions and avoid temptation by turning off noisy devices and tidying up your child’s study space. This will help optimize their concentration so they can achieve good results.

DEDUCATION FEATURE

STRATEGIES TO ENRICH YOUR CHILD’S VOCABULARY

memorable.

oes your child tend to use the same language repeatedly in their homework and writing assignments?

Do they typically employ commonplace words like “be” and “do” rather than looking for more precise, evocative words?

Here are four tactics you can use to help your child build a rich vocabulary

Ask questions that promote discussion

Open-ended questions enable your child to learn and incorporate more words into their vocabulary. For example, try replacing “Did you have a nice day?” with “What did you do during recess today?”

Encourage all types of reading

Reading daily, whether it’s magazines, comic books, novels or newspaper articles, can help your child integrate new words into their vocabulary

Encourage them to look up definitions when they encounter new words.

Use pictures to reinforce new words

Sometimes a definition isn’t enough to enable your child to fully incorporate a word’s meaning into their understanding and ability to use it If your child encounters a word that causes them to struggle, help them create images to make the word more

to help your child memorize concepts by heart 4 tips

2 Start with comprehension

Understanding the underlying ideas is critical for memorization in school and at home When it comes time to memorize a concept—in science, for example—first ask your child to explain what they understand in their own words. If they don’t seem to understand the basics, encourage them to ask their teacher or a classmate for help

2 Use multiple learning methods

Every child has a learning style. Therefore, combining several methods is the best way to ensure effective memorization. For example, you could start with an oral

approach, then shift to writing and follow up with another visual medium like an online game or building blocks

4 Pace out the learning Memorization occurs when the learner uses repetition rather than trying to remember the full concept all at once. Taking breaks is also an essential part of the memorization process, so allow time for physical activity and sufficient sleep.

Does your child have learning difficulties? Consider meeting with a resource teacher to discuss possible supports and resources.

Familiarize them with resources

Give your child an extra boost by teaching them to use dictionaries and thesauruses to familiarize them with synonyms and homonyms. Teach them to explore semantics to help them make deeper connections between words.

There are so many entertaining ways to help your child diversify their vocabulary

Explore games, movies and documentaries, and try researching and writing about subjects your child is excited about Keep their interest piqued and keep it fun!

Newspaper

Did youknowthathealthy lifestylehabits havea positive impact on children’s academic success? Stayingactiveisone of them.

Thebrain benefits from physical exercise in severalways. Activity optimizesbrain oxygenation,which helpsmaintainproperfunction. Additionally, it delivers asteadysupplyof glucose to thebrain,which is essentialto concentration.Physicalactivityalsostimulates areasofthe brainlinkedtomemoryand learning,makingitabsorbnew concepts more efficiently. In short, it ensuresthe brainis fully prepared to learn.

Playingsportsalsohas apositiveeffecton physicalfitness,likeincreased strength and improvedmotor skills andcoordination. Playing sports canalsoincreasefeelingsof well-being and improvementalhealthbyreducingstress and anxiety. Additionally,staying active helps your childdevelop asense of belongingin schoolactivities.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ANDLEARNING: AWINNING COMBINATION

Studies show that regular exercise hasa positive impact on school performance. Consider registeringyourchild in an activity of their choice to increase theirmotivation.

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EDITORIAL

TOURIST SEASON SET TO BEGIN

Itisalmostprime touristseason, whichmeans morerockclimbersand otheradventurers will be flocking to theSea to SkyCorridor, hopingto camp or stay in theirvehicles.

Many of us have friendsand family whowantto comefor abit,and with theeconomythe wayitis, they want thebestdealpossiblefor theirvacation (butmaybe do notwantor cannot stay with us).

REPORTER ANDREW HUGHES ahughes@ squamishchief.com

EDITOR JENNIFERTHUNCHER jthuncher@ squamishchief.com follow @thuncher SALESMANAGER CATHIE GREENLEES cgreenlees@ squamishchief.com

MULTI- MEDIASALES REPRESENTATIVE KIMBOATMAN kboatman@ squamishchief.com

CIRCULATION MANAGER DENISE CONWAY dconway@ squamishchief.com

PUBLISHER SARAHSTROTHER sstrother@wplpmedia.com

The Squamish Chiefisa member of theNationalNewsmedia Council, whichisanindependent organization establishedtodealwithacceptable journalistic practicesand ethical behaviour. If youhaveconcerns abouteditorial content, please contactEditorJenniferThuncherat thuncher@squamishchief.com.Ifyou are notsatisfied with theresponse andwishtofilea formal complaint, visitthe websiteatmediacouncil.ca or call toll-free1-844-877-1163for additional information

Reproduction of anymaterial containedinthispublicationis expresslyforbiddenwithoutthe prior writtenconsent of thepublisher.

Duetothe over-tourism andabuse of some of our popularareas,asacommunity,wehavespent alot oftimetalking aboutwhatfolks can’tdowhenthey visit, butperhaps notenoughtimedirecting these visitorstowhattheycan do.

(Notethatthisisnot apiece aboutour more permanentvehicle andtentdwellers, butrather about thetransient or seasonal folkswho come to town fora fewweeks to recreate during our fair-weather months.)

As theDistrictnotes,there are700 campsitesand recreation sitesinSquamish,which charge arange offeesper night.

They areideal as they have amenitiesthatmake camping more comfortableand sustainablefor the environment;there’s ahandy Campsite Availability Calendaronthe District’s site

The most basicand cheapest campsite—$10 to $20 pernight—isthe non-profitMamquam River Campground that is closetotown, butfeels wild

As of this writing, plenty of sitesare stillavailable forthe coming months

Sinceweare talkingtouristsand notthose who are down on theirluck, forced to live roughfor financial reasons, onecould argue if youcan’t afford this feethenperhaps youshouldn’t be coming to our communityfor vacation at this time

However, some maynot be awarethatyou can camp forfreeonCrown land—thatis, land owned by theprovincialgovernment—outsidethe District ofSquamish boundariesfor up to 14 consecutive days.

Figuring outwhere Crown land beginsand ends inour region isn’t theeasiest,but thereisagovernmentmap that makesit a little simpler. (Goto NaturalResourceOnlineServicesand search for Crownland.)

As always,the rule of thumbis to leavethe site so pristine that no onecan tell youwereeventhere, anddon’t be ajerktoour wildlife,landorwater whileyou arehere.

If youor anyone youknowhaven’t doneitbefore, thereisafree, shortand easy course at lnt.orgon leavingnotrace whilecamping thatisworth checking out, whetherplanningtocampinour region or anywhere in B.C. forthatmatter.

ON LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

OEDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

JENNIFER THUNCHER

ne positive effect of Meta’s banonCanadian news on itsplatforms—Facebookand Instagram—hasbeenthe increase in lettersto theeditor.

Readersseemtolikethe shift, as lettersare some of ourmost-read pieces online

With theadvent of social media, many in Squamish shiftedto postingcommentsabout storiesratherthan sendinga full-formedresponseinalettertothe editor.

That wasa shameasletters have alonghistory in newspapers.

Some of thefirst newspapers publishedinCanada containedletters to theeditor.

“Inthe 18th century, newspapereditors andtown postmasterswereoften thesamepeople,”saysJay Rosen, ajournalismprofessor at NewYorkUniversity, in aPoynter Institutearticle,explaininghow the viewsand letterssectionsofpapersbegan organically.

Theauthorofthatpiece,MarinaBolotnikova, makesanimportant pointthatunderscores whyThe Squamish Chiefcontinues to encourage letters: Inviting readerstopublish letterssends aunique messagethat“they areequal participants in the conversation,and that reader criticismisanecessary part of howthe news is made.”

That said,every outlet hasrules forletters.

Unlike social mediacommentary, letterswe publishmustbevetted, readable,relevantand legally sound.

This puts more of an onus on thewritertoknow theirstuff andprove it

This also meansthatletters aresubject to thesame processasstories andother itemspublished by a newspaper, includingediting (For therecord, even as theeditor, nothingIwrite is publishedwithout beingedited.)

Increasingly,wefindthose whosubmitthink of theirlettermoreasaposttoFacebook, with factsthey don’t have to prove, that they canchangeanytime they like andthatotherswon’t edit

Butthere is valueinproperlyformedarguments about local topics beingpublished in printand online in communitynewssources.(TheSquamish Chief’s mandateistofocus on localissuesand people.)

So,hereisThe Squamish Chief’sletters’policy.

•The Squamish Chiefwelcomesletters of up to 400 words.

•Itisexpectedletters will be sent as complete and finaldrafts, andwillinclude linkstoany facts mentionedfor fact-checkingpurposes.

•Letters should be exclusivetothispublication and aremeant to respondtoarecentlocal storyinThe Squamish Chieforraise an issuehappening in town.

•Pleaseinclude your name,neighbourhood,and phonenumber.

•Fullnames andneighbourhood will be published with theletter.

•The publisherreservesthe righttorefuseand edit lettersfor length andclarity or to addresslegal concerns.

Send letterstoeditor@squamishchief.com.

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

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

TURN DOWN THE WOKE

OUTSIDER INSIGHTS

SCOTT TIBBALLS

There’s a lot to unpack about the jilted, subheadlined-item in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Feb. 24 release about the $3.02 billion allocated to Ukraine—it certainly caught a few people’s attention

I write of course about the $4 million allocated to “Gender-inclusive demining for sustainable futures in Ukraine.”

The use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine is well-documented; various anti-mine advocacy groups including the UN, Human Rights Watch and the HALO Trust—which will receive the $4 million— have reported on the millions of mines across thousands of square kilometers of Ukrainian farmland.

Anti-personnel mines are designed to maim victims in essentially any way you can think, and are set off by proximity or by being stepped on; blast mines can blow off limbs; fragmentation mines spray out metals; bounding mines launch to chest height and then detonate.

Mines act as area-denial tools that slow the advance of opposing forces—they are hidden, difficult to defuse, and maim more than they kill—and there are millions of them contaminating the Ukrainian steppes.

It’s a serious subject, and it deserves the attention and focus of governments the world over

Yet, here we are in Canada, stumbling

over the inclusion of buzzwords that are completely out of place in announcing support for an initiative that is, by all accounts, deserving of even more funding than it’s getting.

It’s a case study in why so many are being turned away from progressive politics; because it’s completely off in la-la-land with the rainbows and butterflies, muddying the waters of any and every issue—many of which, like demining, are completely inappropriate forums for their rhetoric—and distracting from the issues at hand

“Gender-inclusive demining” certainly had the incredulity flowing online, but an intuitive wander down the rabbit hole of landmines tells most people the victims tend to be male, whether it’s an active war zone or an inactive war zone, given where landmines often go: On farmland.

The military and agricultural sectors are both male-dominated, so it’s little wonder why the buzzword focus would have a few scratching their heads.

For the record, of course mines affect everybody even remotely near a war zone. Their infliction upon society is ruthlessly gender-inclusive, so why do we even use those words to guard against imagined accusations of exclusionary funding? It doesn’t make sense.

Using the type of terminology seen in the release is just evidence of how divorced from reality woke language can make its users seem Does anyone really think the average Ukrainian cares whether efforts to clear mines from around their homes are gender-inclusive? They want the explosive traps that kill people gone—not for everyone to feel good

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL IMPACTS OF LNG PROJECT

Iam a 17-year-old girl living in Squamish, and I am very concerned about the potential social impacts of FortisBC’s proposed workcamp for the Eagle Mountain Pipeline.

Workcamps are known to have significant impacts on nearby

LETTERS POLICY

communities, including increased rates of violent crime, violence against Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQ+ people; increased substance abuse, sex trafficking, car accidents, and reduced service capacity for local residents.

Women, girls, and youth are at the highest risk of sexual violence in general, and in most studied cases where a

about the process.

Woke language is just fodder for the internet, red meat for those who want nothing more than to be outraged by everything, and it’s completely self-inflicted. Easy to take out of context, and nothing but a distraction, its inclusion does little for discourse, and I’d posit it’s because woke language isn’t in line with the English language

Why? Well because headlines, subheadlines, memos, briefs, vignettes— whatever you want to call a quick and easy dump of pertinent information—is meant to be just that: A short and concise delivery of key points of data that help the reader understand what is happening and why, inviting further investigation with a positive inquisitorial reaction, but without requiring it be compulsory in order for them to catch the right end of the stick.

Woke language is cryptic, and requires the reader to know more all at once—and we all know most people don’t go past a headline. Of course they should, but they don’t, and headlines and subheadlines are left to carry the burden of information.

Woke language in those headlines just makes information harder to absorb, harder to appreciate, and harder to comprehend in a way that degrades any and all discourse, achieving the opposite goal of what that sort of language wants to do.

It would be wonderful if everyone absorbed all the information they needed all at once, but society doesn’t work that way, human brains don’t work that way, and the English language doesn’t work that way.

So cut it

workcamp is added to a town, these numbers have only grown.

In 2007, SAFFE conducted a survey in Squamish that found 73% of youth aged 12 to 18 had experienced some form of sexual exploitation, mostly in the form of older men offering them free drugs or alcohol.

LETTERS: Continued on 14

JOIN US ONLINE

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Do you think there is too much policing of language these days?

Have your say at squamishchief.com

LAST WEEK’S QUESTION

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MOST READ STORY

Traffic Chaos: Multiple Incidents Reported on Highway 99

PHOTO BY BRIAN AIKENS

‘IF YOU SEE ONE BLACKBIRD, THERE WILL BE MORE NEARBY’: Have a photo to share? Send it in to news@squamishchief.com.

B.C. BUSINESSES GET SECOND SHOT AT VANDALISM GRANTS AFTER PROVINCE BUNGLES ROLL OUT

PROVINCIAL VIEWS

ROB SHAW

B.C small businesses who were rejected for financial aid under the province’s bureaucratic, onerous and poorly designed vandalism grant program are being encouraged to apply again, after the government effectively reset the whole endeavour.

Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey told the legislature that the numerous businesses victimized by vandalism and crime, but who could not access the provincial grants worth up to $2,000, will get a second shot now that she’s dropped the requirements for a police report and insurance claim.

“All of the applicants who were denied under the old criteria will have the opportunity to be reassessed,” she said during her ministry’s budget estimates.

“The applicants who dropped off because the criteria were a rub for them will be invited to apply.”

Bailey was forced to essentially gut the program, after it was revealed government had only managed to disperse $112,000 out of a $10.5 million pot of money in the first four months of

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LETTERS: Continued from 13

Clearly, workcamps and resource extraction projects pose immense threats to the safety of women, girls, and other vulnerable groups when introduced to a town. I believe that the District of Squamish has a responsibility to protect our community from these risks, which are unwelcome and unsuitable anywhere The pipeline project is already a major threat to the local environment and wildlife, and the addition of a work camp in close proximity to neighbourhoods adds an extra level of humanitarian risk to the overall project. FortisBC must be held to higher standards and cannot escape corporate responsibility and accountability.

As a youth and girl, the threat of a work camp in Howe Sound is a scary and frustrating idea The effects that past projects like these have caused to the safety and well-being of women all across Canada are so unimaginably disgusting and sickening,

I cannot fathom them being present here. The possibility that me, my friends, or any other girl could be more likely to be sexually targeted is repulsive We have seen history repeat itself all too many times, and just because we are living in 2024 does not mean we are immune to the same risks.

I urge you to please think about the effects that FortisBC’s plans could potentially have on the mothers, sisters, and daughters of Squamish, and consider expressing your opposition to the

the 13-month program.

At that rate—1% of funding in 27% of the elapsed time—the government was on course to leave more than $10 million unspent at a time when cash-strapped small businesses say they are in dire financial straits due the out-ofpocket costs associated with graffiti, broken windows and rising street disorder

Bailey faced questions in the legislature during her ministry’s budget estimates last week

“We are in March now, and these issues would have been well known to the minister through all of that public outcry many, many months ago,” said BC United critic Todd Stone, noting the program details were first released last summer

“Why would it take months to make adjustments to the program to actually push these dollars out the door to help these struggling small businesses? Why has it taken so long?”

Bailey insisted she’d overseen a “very immediate” response.

Stone scoffed.

“At this rate, you’re talking about $11,000 per month—it’s going to take 75 years to actually make sure that this money gets out the doors to help small businesses,” he said

That’s “not realistic,” countered Bailey

“I can share the timeline that once we receive a completed application, the turnaround time is

34 days,” she said

“With all due respect,” replied Stone, “the great progress that the minister seems to want to wrap as the narrative around this program is ridiculous.”

It was interesting to watch Bailey handle the issue. She barely admitted there was even a problem. At one point she called the revisions “small changes”—as if the core requirements of the program hadn’t been gutted and all the rejected applications restarted after four months of failure to get the money out the door.

“We’ve listened very carefully to the users, and they’ve given us very strong feedback,” she said.

“And I can tell you that I’m hearing very positive things from our small business community. They appreciate the changes that we’ve brought in, because they’re exactly what they asked for.”

Only one month ago, Bailey defended the requirement for a police report as an easy step, and an insurance claim as a “reasonable request.”

Businesses bristled at both, saying it made no sense to keep filing police reports and making insurance claims for frequent vandalism, especially when deductibles were often higher than the cost of the vandalism itself, and broken glass and damage has become a near-daily occurrence.

“New information, new thoughts, right?”

Bailey said in an interview, when I asked her about the change.

“That’s the importance of listening. I was told that this was a problem, and so we wanted to solve it.”

Fair enough

But what that also means is that the government didn’t actually listen to the right people from the start. The Jobs Ministry took a year to design a program and got it completely wrong. Staff spent hundreds of hours working in the wrong direction, while managers approved the wrong decisions and ultimately the minister green-lit a program that wasn’t workable in the real world.

You’d think that would concern someone inside the government It’s the kind of thing we are supposed to have an auditor general for.

There’s no sign of any interest within government to figure out how this happened. That, unfortunately, is the most worrying part of this entire debacle.

Rob Shaw has spent more than 16 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio.

temporary use permits by emailing the District of Squamish and supporting My Sea to Sky.

Cedar Pidgeon

Squamish

WOODFIBRE LNG:

PROSPERITY OR RISING COSTS OF LIVING?

Afew months back, on Squamish Speaks, someone spoke in support of Woodfibre LNG, suggesting it would bring back prosperity to Squamish, like in the old days of mills, logging and Nexen.

It stuck with me, because of the suggested absence of prosperity today, which I am not sure is correct. Many new businesses have replaced the old ones. The post also ignored massive environmental impacts of decades of Woodfibre and Nexen on the waters of Átl’k a7tsem/Howe Sound, and the clearcut logging on the region Was the post simply longing for the past that seems rosier with years gone by, or will Woodfibre LNG bring more prosperity to Squamish? Let’s explore.

First. Squamish is growing. It’s far more economically diversified than it was 25 years ago, when two mills, and the railyard maintenance unit closed within fours years. Six hundred jobs and $3 million in annual tax revenue dollars were lost Compared, Woodfibre LNG would employ about a hundred people A municipal tax agreement is being negotiated.

What about the bigger picture? What happens

once LNG Canada and Woodfibre LNG make their first shipments to Asia?

If prices in Asia for LNG are high, it becomes more lucrative for natural gas and LNG producers to ship overseas. A common economic scenario unfolded in Australia when the first LNG exports started around 2015. The consequence of Australian producers—before confined to a single market—entering new markets, was that Australian natural gas users were faced with price increases Since U.S. LNG export terminal are in operation the same is happening in the U.S. The same will happen in B.C.—less prosperity.

And what about BC Hydro rates?

The Site-C dam is mostly built to power LNG operations. While the price tag for the dam has exploded from $6.6 to $16 billion, the LNG industry rate deals remain about the same LNG producers will get hydro below cost, while with you and me—the taxpayers—will be forced to foot the bill for paying off Site-C, and in effect subsidize the LNG industry hydro rates; less prosperity.

What if LNG prices in Asia are low in a few years? Because many projects like LNG Canada will come online globally, the concerns for a natural gas/LNG glut are high It would be at the time when Woodfibre LNG enters the market Like LNG Canada, it will be in trouble. But we will be too. Forced to pay off Site-C through even higher rates, while very little natural gas and LNG revenue will enter the government coffers.

Not even enough to make up for LNG subsidies flowing the other way.

Climate-wise, it’s lose-lose too. BC NDP and BC United have adopted the wild claims by the LNG industry of B.C. LNG lowering global emissions, and to replace coal fired power plants in Asia. The claims are wrong and based on a narrow view of the burning process of the fuels. When the emissions from the full life cycles of B.C. LNG and coal are compared, which studies have, it shows that LNG emits as much, if not more than coal, when used in Asia

Clearly, B.C. taxpayers were moved into a financial and climate lose-lose situation when the BC Liberal government decided to force ahead with LNG and Site-C. The BC NDP adopted the policies set out by the BC Liberals In 2017, the BC NDP could’ve stopped Site-C - then “only” $2 billion in, but foolishly didn’t Both BC NDP and BC United (former BC Liberals) remain in full support of B.C. LNG and Site-C

The situation we are in today, happens when politicians ignore scientists and lay their ear with industry lobbyists. Because of it, you and I, our kids will lose.

While we could be in a win-win situation, focusing on renewable energy and storage.

This we still can: this year, we must break the cycle of expanding fossil fuel production and export

Anton van Walraven

Concerned Citizens Bowen

PROTECTING CHILDREN ONLINE: HOW THE NEW FEDERAL LEGISLATION AIMS TO TACKLE ONLINE ABUSE

Sea to Sky MP and expert on Bill C-63 introduced by the federal government to reduce online harms, including sextortion and online abuse targeting children

JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com

Can government intervention protect our kids online? That question is being hotly debated across the country.

The Online Harms Act is meant to be a dam in the river of abuse that is currently happening online The federal legislation is intended to hold social media platforms accountable for addressing harmful content on their platforms and for creating a safer online space, especially for children.

On Feb. 26, federal Minister of Justice Arif Virani introduced Bill C-63 to create the new act.

THE PROBLEM

It is no secret that abuse happens online.

An increasing concern has been the abuse of children.

One sobering statistic is that there has been a 150% increase in reports of sextortion to Cybertip.ca, a Canadian tipline for online child sexual abuse and exploitation

Sextortion, just one form of online abuse targeting children, is blackmail. Someone threatens to distribute naked pictures or videos of the child unless money or more images are sent

According to Cybertip, often young men are being tricked into thinking they are speaking to a girl their own age. The supposed love interest online sends a photo or video, asks for one in return and as soon as it is sent, the blackmail begins

“Immediately after receiving the sexual content, the sextorter makes their demands. If a young girl is victimized, the sextorter typically demands additional sexual photos and videos. If the sextorter targets a boy, they almost always demand money instead,” reads Cybertip’s website.

Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, is championing the bill and says it shifts the onus of responsibility onto the

companies rather than it being up to youth or their parents to navigate obstacle courses of abuse.

“What we see is social media and other online services, really not taking steps to have rigorous measures to protect against this, and it’s having a very real-world impact that, in the worst of cases, is making it deadly, and really offloading this responsibility onto parents,” he said

“Instead, putting it on the social media companies and other web companies to come up with a plan to mitigate those risks, and then ensuring that they’re reporting on that over time to make sure we’re holding them accountable to ensure that they produce a safe space.”

WHAT DOES THE BILL SAY?

It is a complex bill, with many moving parts, but, at its core, the proposed legislation aims at reducing seven types of harmful content:

• Content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor;

• Intimate content shared without consent;

• Content used to bully a child;

• Content that induces a child to harm themselves;

• Content that foments hatred;

• Content that incites violence; and

• Content that incites violent extremism or terrorism.

Once passed into law, a new Digital Safety Commission would be created to enforce the law, and a Digital Safety ombudsperson position would provide support for online users and victims.

It would also require the mandatory reporting of internet child pornography by those who provide an internet service.

The act would also bring changes to the Criminal Code “to better address hate crime and hate propaganda,” according to the federal government.

In addition, there would be changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act that would allow

individuals and groups to file complaints against those who post hate speech

HOW WILL IT WORK?

Companies like Meta and X (formerly Twitter) would have to offer “clear and accessible ways” to flag abusive content and block users.

The companies would need to put in place “special protections for children; to take action to address child sexual exploitation and the nonconsensual posting of intimate content, including deepfake sexual images; and to publish transparency reports,” the federal government states.

Weiler noted that if the companies failed to comply, they would be hit in their profit margin.

“There’s the ability to levy administrative monetary penalties of up to 6% of global revenues, which is a massive amount when you’re talking about companies like [X], like Meta, and so that will have a sufficient deterrent effect to really hold them accountable to meeting this,” he said, adding that initial responses from at least some companies have been positive

“They want to work with the government to make these safer spaces So, we hope it doesn’t come to that [levy], but it’s important that there is that heavy stick in case they are not willing to comply.”

FREE SPEECH

Would such a bill mean online users could be punished for simply saying things the government doesn’t like?

Weiler says no

He said the aim is to remove child sexual abuse material or intimate images posted without consent, and the like.

“I think it’s very hard to argue that that content should not be immediately removed,” he said.

In terms of hate speech, the bill proposes creating an offence for advocating or promoting genocide against an identifiable group.

PHOTO BY ANABGD/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY IMAGES

The online harms act is meant to be a dam in the river of abuse that is currently happening on the internet The federal legislation aims to hold social media platforms accountable for addressing harmful content on their platforms and for creating a safer online space, especially for children

SQUAMISH HOSPITAL MAKES ACCESSIBLE PARKING IMPROVEMENTS

Squamish General Hospital has more accessible parking thanks to the help of local accessibility advocates.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) announced in an online news release that the local hospital added three accessible parking spots for a total of five, levelled the parking area and added a crosswalk from the parking area to the hospital

“Mike Haley brought up the accessible parking at SGH at a meeting of disability advocates, including D’Arcy McCrea, a VCH Community Engagement Advisory Network volunteer and patient advisor. D’Arcy worked on the accessible parking issue with VCH for more than a year,” reads the release.

Heidi Butler, VCH’s coastal director, said the overall construction took about a

month. She said it was important to address the hospital’s accessibility.

“We don’t want our patients to be parking in places that present challenges for them in getting to the hospital The spots are full with people with accessibility logos on their vehicles—so they’re being used appropriately by people who need them,” said Butler in the release.

The parking changes come after advocates have long called for better accessible parking in Squamish

The B.C. government notes that approximately 20% of the B.C. population between 15 and 64 years old live with a disability

“This work is just one of the many steps that VCH is taking to become increasingly inclusive and to remove and prevent barriers to accessibility,” reads the VCH news release.

For more information about other accessibility services, visit VCH’s website.

SLRD HOLDS OFF ON ALLOWING MINOR AMENITIES AT WOODFIBRE LNG

FortisBC requested a temporary use permit for offices and washrooms for the site

SCOTT TIBBALLS

stibballs@piquenewsmagazine.com

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has knocked back a temporary use permit (TUP) for offices and amenities on the site of the Woodfibre LNG project, and requested more information and collaboration

The request on the table at the Feb. 28 board meeting was for a three-year TUP to allow FortisBC to install infrastructure at the Woodfibre LNG site, southwest of Squamish, that would support the construction of the gas pipeline project, such as field offices and worker amenities like lunchrooms and washrooms.

Staff reported that, as the land where the buildings would go is zoned for resources, a temporary use permit rezoning is required. The application specified the temporary buildings will use propane for heating, there will be generators on-site for electricity, sewage will go to septic tanks and be transported out, and potable water will be brought on-site by a barge Clearing of the site will be required, with remediation to be carried out after the buildings are removed.

Despite the scope of the request being limited to the TUP, directors from Squamish zeroed-in on the claimed benefits of the

project as a whole, and the fact the application was not referred to staff at the District of Squamish (DOS), which is geographically right next to the Woodfibre project, just outside of District boundaries

The Woodfibre LNG property straddles the two jurisdictions of the District and SLRD Director Chris Pettingill, who is also a DOS councillor, queried whether SLRD staff had

and wind, and not just coal, and there’s evidence from Australia and so on that when you start exporting LNG it pushes up natural gas prices and so on,” he said “Have we done anything to validate their claims of benefits?”

Pettingill was told no, but staff could request more information

Another DOS councillor, Director Jenna Stoner, questioned the public notice given, being that notices were only posted to the regional newspaper (Pique Newsmagazine) and not the Squamish newspaper (Squamish Chief) given proximity of the community to the site—she was given no reason The SLRD would have met its public notice requirements by posting the TUP application to only one newspaper within the region.

done anything to verify FortisBC’s claims relating to the project—being that the Woodfibre LNG project would help de-carbonize international markets as an alternative to coal, and infrastructure built locally would reduce prices for Squamish FortisBC customers.

“The research I hear is that LNG is not better than coal, and it’s quite likely offsetting solar

Stoner also asked whether the TUP was referred to DOS staff, also given proximity, and was told that was not within notice requirements for the SLRD. Additionally, the 150-metre neighbour requirement for notice did not apply, as the Woodfibre LNG project is remote.

Area B Director, Vivian Birch-Jones, supported Stoner’s questions, pulling up the claims from FortisBC that the project would have net benefit to their 9,800 Squamish customers by improving affordability.

SLRD: Continued on 18

RENDERING VIA WOODFIBRE LNG

The LNG plant was up for discussion at a recent SLRD meeting.

ONLINE:

“There’s content and speech that is awful, but still lawful,” Weiler said. “And so, it needs to reach a very, very high standard and that standard that’s been set by the Supreme Court of Canada to be able to qualify as hate speech.”

AN EXPERT WEIGHS IN

Heidi Tworek is the Canada Research Chair and associate professor of International History and Public Policy at UBC.

In the early stages of the act’s creation, she was also a member of the expert advisory group to the Heritage Ministry on online safety in the summer of 2022

Looking at the issue of online abuse in a historical context, Tworek said there has been a “waxing and waning of different kinds of speech” over time

“What we’re seeing at this moment is, sadly, a waxing of lots of speech that is really problematic, or causing a lot of, in this case, real-world harms in different ways.”

One of the most famous cases of online abuse being deadly was that of 15-year-old Amanda Todd, who died in 2012 by suicide after relentless cyberbullying.

Most recently, in November of last year, a 12-year-old boy in Prince George died by suicide shortly after being sextorted online

“There is no silver bullet to solve any of these things,” Tworek added. “But in a democratic society that values freedom of expression, there are also still types of expression that are illegal And in this case, it’s to do with children or

intimate images, and can we reduce the amount of that we see? I see this bill as trying to do that while also ensuring freedom of expression.”

Tworek noted history has also shown that governments can go too far in their restrictions on speech.

“That’s one of the historical cautions is that the state can also go much too far, and we need to find ways to balance those two things,” she said

“There’s a real attempt to try and have that balance of freedom of expression and then things that are illegal put up without consent. And so that’s how I see this bill as trying to sort of thread that needle.”

Asked if she is concerned companies like X and Meta won’t comply with the rules, Tworek said that the bill is not re-inventing the wheel.

What it is proposing is in place—and being complied with—in other areas, such as in the U.K. and Australia, she said.

“There’s nothing in this bill where you would say, ‘Gosh, this is such an outlier from Australia, or the European Union, or the UK, that is something that [a] company is going to step away from.’”

She said another important aspect of the bill is that it includes planned research and data collection into how it is working—whether companies are complying and if it is reducing real-world harms.

While some of the details will be worked out in the coming months, at its core, the bill isn’t trying to do something very radical, at least in terms of protecting children from harm, Tworek said

“I think we’re quite familiar with the idea that other products for children should be safe. In a way, you know, it’s not so super radical to say that, just like a highchair should be safe, [other] products children use should be safe; and then, it’s a question of what does that look like in the digital realm.”

WHAT IS NEXT

Next will be further debate about the bill

“As important as it is to pass this sooner, it’s important that it’s not rushed,” said Weiler “Because we want to make sure that we get it exactly right. So that we ensure that we’re not violating aspects of the [Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms], while we make sure that we are protecting against harm online So I’m sure it will take some time.”

In Canada, for a federal bill to become law, it has to be approved by both the Senate and the House of Commons. The Legislative process involves debate, review and voting.

After a bill is passed, the Governor General signs the bill, granting Royal Assent, making the bill a law.

This process can take months or years to complete.

Both Weiler and Tworek noted that in the meantime, it is positive that the bill is prompting more discussion both of the abuses that occur online and what we as a society want to do about them

“And I think that’s really important,” Weiler said

Read much more about the bill on the Government of Canada website.

Birch-Jones said a lack of engagement with DOS staff did not make sense given the claimed benefits for that community.

On that point, Pettingill noted the DOS is “working aggressively” to get gas out of buildings, so making it easier to and cheaper to have gas is “contrary to the direction we’ve been taking in general.”

Instead of supporting the staff recommendation to approve the TUP, Stoner made a motion to refer the file back to SLRD staff for further clarity on use, to refer the entire file to staff at the DOS to improve collaboration and understanding of the project as a whole, and to have public notice posted to the Squamish Chief.

In speaking to her motion, Stoner said she wants to understand the broader impacts of the project and its component parts, and not consider each item related to the project alone.

She was supported by the third DOS elected official on the SLRD board, mayor Armand Hurford, who said he wished to see better contextual mapping to understand the scope of the ask, while Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton concurred, adding he found “very general statements about the benefits very challenging as well.”

The motion was unanimously supported.

The project is expected to employ about 800 people at peak construction, with site preparation currently underway, according to the January update from Woodfibre LNG. Facility construction is expected to begin this year

NEW SKI RENTAL, TUNING SHOP AIMS TO BRING UNIQUE ATMOSPHERE

Part coffee bar, part ski and snowboard rental and tuning, Bluebird hopes to bring people together

ANDREW HUGHES

ahughes@squamishchief.com

Behind the coffee bar inside Bluebird, there is a black-and-white montage of photographs that goes from the floor to the ceiling.

“This is all friends and family just out enjoying the mountains dating back to the early 90s,” Bluebird co-owner Mandy Michals told The Squamish Chief.

Brian Michals, husband to Mandy and co-owner, pinpoints some of the folks in the montage: the couple’s daughter, several friends, and, of course, the two of them

“It just really depicts how much fun it is to go out there,” said Mandy. “Not just being in the mountains, but being with your friends, your family.”

The new coffee bar and rental shop hopes to bring a little bit of that family and mountain magic to the Squamish community.

Having opened in October 2023 and situated on the ground floor of the Jumar building on Buckley Avenue, Bluebird is part coffee bar, with coffee from Kingha Coffee and Habit Coffee Club, and part ski and snowboard rental and tuning shop.

And while winter seems to have just hit the Sea to Sky Corridor for a little longer, they also sell, rent and service Rad Power Bikes, following a successful demo day with the e-bikes in October.

“You can come here. You can rent a really cool

ski and go wreck it on the worst year ever,” Brian said with a laugh, referring to the less-than-favourable snow conditions throughout the corridor over the season

But, more than anything, the Michals want the business to have that family feel to it

“We want more of a welcoming kind of gathering place where we can talk about things that bring us together [whether] that’d be coffee, skiing, snowboarding,” said Brian.

Even having spent over the last decade in Squamish, the two said starting the business has helped them feel more rooted in the community. In turn, they said the community has responded wholeheartedly to their new endeavour.

“The community has been super supportive,” said Brian.

And even the mostly subpar snow season hasn’t deterred people from checking out the place, said Mandy.

“People are still coming in. There’s ebbs and flows, but it’s been so positive. It really reinforces how great this community is,” she said.

Already hosting community events, they’ve held movie premieres on a massive projector screen and helped with a breast cancer fundraiser. They said they certainly plan on doing more of those types of events and are always creatively thinking about hosting other events and activities.

Needless to say, they want to have fun too.

“Just continue growing within the community as much as possible, having as much fun while

doing it,” said Brian.

In the long-term, Mandy said they hope they become a must-see stop in an already must-see Squamish

“It’s fantastic,” Mandy said of Squamish “Everybody knows that, but to become a cool destination within a cool destination is just the ideal.”

Bluebird is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Check out more information about the business, including pricing and menu, at noclouds.ca.

New business openings are a regular beat for reporter Andrew Hughes If you are a brand new business that would like to be considered for a story, write to ahughes@squamishchief.com.

DARTS & DAFFODILS

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO CALL?

A MediCar overflowing with spring flowers for ‘R B‘ and all special volunteer drivers of MediCar for your time and expenses, thank you.

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

PHOTO BY ANDREW HUGHES/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Having opened in October 2023 and situated on the ground floor of the Jumar building on Buckley Avenue, Bluebird is part coffee bar, with coffee from Kingha Coffee and Habit Coffee Club, and part ski and snowboard rental and tuning shop

PHOTOS BY ANDREW HUGHES/THE SQUAMISH CHIEF

Bluebird owners Brian and Mandy Michals want to create a casual and comfortable vibe, they say.

TherewillbeaCelebrationofLifeandReception

For Glenn Gerard Rudkin

February15,1941-November18,2023

Therewasaprivatefamilyfuneralon November26,2023,andthisisnowtheReception andCelebrationofthelifeGlennhadbefore succumbingtoyearsofdementia

Allwhoknewhimorhisfamilymembers aremostwelcome.

TheCelebrationoflifewillbeheldat SquamishFuneralChapelon March24,2024, commencingat1:00p.m

Donations,ifyouwouldlike,totheHilltopHouse SupportSocietywouldbeappreciated.

MIKLOS NAGY-DEAK

May26, 1933 –March 7, 2024

It is with sadnesswe announce the passing of Miklos Nagy-Deak on March7, 2024. He wasbornonMay 26, 1933 in Kolozsvar,Hungary.Miklos married AnnaonOctober 29, 1955 in Sarvar, Hungary. Miklos,Annaand his sister Helen fledHungary,escapingover the Austrian border in December 1956. After twomonths inAustria they travelled to Holland and then on toCanada, arriving in Halifax on May 29, 1957. From theretheytravelledto Abbotsford, finding work on afarmin Matsqui. From theretheymoved to Brailorne whereMiklos worked in the mine,later moving to Squamish to work at AnacondaMineinBritannia and finallyatNorthair Mine.Inthe early 1970s Miklos built the family home ontwo acres at the end of FinchDrive wheretheyraised farm animals, tendeda largegarden and he enjoyed making wine.Inthe late

1980s Miklos left Squamish moving first to Surrey,Agassiz,Keremeos and then Penticton beforereturning to Squamish in 2011 to livewith hisson George and daughter-in-law Shelley. Miklos enjoyed fishing, visits to the casino,and gatherings with his group of closefriends

Miklos waspredeceased by his wife Annain1987, his sonMichael (Mick) in 2019, grandson Andrew in 2014. He is survived by his sonGeorge (Shelley), 5grandchildren -Michael, Travis (Melissa), Stacy(Gary), Caitlin and David,2 greatgrandchildrenKaidaand Owen.

Aspecial thank you to Dr Cranston for his yearsofcare, and to the staff at Inglewood Care Centre in West Vancouverfor caring for Miklos in his last months

In lieu of flowers,donations to the Squamish Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.

To writeacondolence to thefamily, pleasevisit www.squamishfuneralchapel.com

Deadlines: Ad Space Booking

Friday, March 22nd,2024

Publication:INSTANDS,April

2024 Distribution: 10,000

Contact To book your

Bizzie B’sCleaning servicesisanIndigenous owned and operated business, which has been servicingthe SeatoSky corridor and surrounding areassince 2005. Focusing on providing exceptional service for our clients and creatinglong-term employment opportunitiesfor residents of the SeatoSky community

Dutiesand Responsibilities

• Clean and sanitize bathrooms and public areas e.g. workspaces, commonareas,offices, hallways, etc

• Vacuum and mopfloors

• Garbage removal

• Cleaning of windows and mirroredsurfaces

• Dusting of shelvesand other work surfaces as needed

Requirements and Qualifications

• Prior cleaning experience strongly preferred

• Knowledge or cleaning equipment and supplies (WHIMS certificationpreferred)

• Ability to lift 50 lbs

• Flexibility to work;days, weekends and nights as needed.

• Ability to work in afast-paced teamenvironment

Wages and Benefits

•Competitive starting rate

•Benefits after three months of work

•Healthy structured environment

Please email Resume to bizziebscleaning@gmail.com

company in North America.

We areseeking individuals with apassion for providing exceptional vacation experiences for our Owners and Guests

We offer competitive wages and benefits: Travelallowance for Squamish/Pemberton-based employees OR Ski Pass/Activityallowance, Extended Medical, RRSP match, Fun &Safe Work Environment-Great Team, opportunities to grow and more.

Night Duty Manager $26.50 per hour

Maintenance Technician $26.25 per hour

(**THE ABOVE POSITIONS PLUS SIGNING BONUS** $1000 FT)

Owner Relations Manager $55,000 per year

Full Time all year round

Apply online today!

https://www.vacasa.com/careers/positions or email: paul.globisch@vacasa.com or call to find out moredetailsat604-698-0520

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

Newly OpeningAnh Noodle Fusion Vietnamese Restaurant located in Downtown Squamish

Is hiring Experience Line Cook, Cook and Servers.Ifyou arepassionateinVietnamese Cuisine, thisisaplace for you. Must have 2-3 years of Kitchen/Serving Experience. If no experience, we will train the right candidates.

Please forward yourresume and covering letter to olivia_res2006@yahoo.com. Training start endofMarch.

MECHANIC

School District No. 48 (Sea to Sky) is accepting applicationsfor the following position:

– Red Seal Certified, Commercial Truck &Transport, Transport Trailer required. CVSE Inspector’sticket, Air Conditioning ticket, Class 1or3with air brakes preferred. Toolbox available for rent.

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

ACCOUNTANT – Preparefinancial information, statements, reports and develop internal controlprocedures.CPA or working towards designation preferred. $26-$32 per hour

• MECHANIC (SQUAMISH BUS GARAGE)

This is a8hour per day position covered by our CUPE Collective Agreement and offers acompetitive rate of pay and benefits package.

•Competitive Wages - $37.16/hr

•Full Benefits

(Health Care, Training, Dental Care, Vision Care,LifeInsurance, Disability Insurance, Municipal Pension Plan, Employee and Family Assistance Plan)

Further information regarding this position and the School District can be found at https://www.makeafuture.ca/regionsdistricts/bc-public-school-districts/ metro/sea-to-sky/

PLAYHERE

»squamishchief.jobfind.findem.ca

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Muffet’s title

5. Edge

9. Winter illness

12. Story opener

13. Food staple

14. Not your

15. Scram

16. Impersonated

17. Wisecrack

18. Bush

20. Edition

22. Skunk

26. Toward the stern

29. Festive party

30. Hole punches

34. School group picture: 2 wds.

37. Mistake in print

38. Pour forth

39. Enemy agent

40. Liberation

43. Bond

46. Greens mixture

50. Bask

SUDOKU

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

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

March 21-April 19

ARIES

TAKE A BREAK

51. History

55. Steak order

56. North American deer

57. Draft animals

58. Outer covering

59. Tricky

60. Fuse

61. Make warm

DOWN

1. Model Kate

2 Ruler division

3. Wound trace

4. Arrangement

5. Half of a bikini

6. Van Winkle

7. Frozen cubes

8. The press, radio, etc.

9. Hazes

10. Hawaiian cookout

11. Longing

19. Swamps

21. Sky light

23. Slip-up

24. Run off to wed

25. Worried

26. Tread the boards

27. Soar

28. Touch lightly

31. Had been

32. Back talk

33. Messy home

35. Not hard

36. Couples

41. Plant again

42. Swamp

43. Avails

44. Void’s partner

45. Very black

47. Huron, e.g.

48. Soprano’s solo

49. Small ding

52. Have an to grind

53. Beautician’s aid

54. Also

If you have plans to move, it’s time to take the first steps A family member could have high expectations and try to take advantage of your generous nature. Sept 23-Oct. 22

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

You’ll have to travel a lot this week This could lead you to be caught in traffic jams or have trouble finding your destination. Get a second opinion or do some research to ensure you’re well prepared

GEMINI

May 21-June 20

Oct 23-Nov. 21

You’ll be generously rewarded for working overtime A short training course could bring you closer to one of your major professional goals, if only by improving your language skills Nov. 22-Dec. 21

CANCER

June 21-July 22

You’ll be under pressure to make a quick decision, without time to weigh the pros and cons Trust your intuition. Affection is a way for couples to show they care. Are you getting enough in your relationship? Dec. 22-Jan. 19

LEO

It’s time to reflect on certain projects that are stuck at a standstill. Take a step back to consider these situations in the long term, and the direction to follow will become clear. In love, seize the opportunity for a romantic getaway or trip Jan. 20-Feb 18

LIBRA

THURSDAY,

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

SCRIBBLE BOX

This week, you’ll feel like you never have enough time You’ll have to juggle various work and family responsibilities, which could threaten the balance between the two.

SCORPIO

Before the end of winter, consider the possibility of taking a rejuvenating trip as a couple or with your family, even if it’s only for a weekend Your employer could send you to the other end of the country to meet with a client.

SAGITTARIUS

You’ll have to deal with a multitude of emotions in a situation that requires you to keep your cool. You’ll find a creative solution to a financial issue. In love, keeping a smile on your face will help you preserve an existing relationship or attract a soulmate.

CAPRICORN

You’ll oversee a professional or social event that will bring together people from a variety of backgrounds Managing all the details will increase your stress levels at work or home

AQUARIUS

July 23-Aug. 22

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Friends will invite you to participate in an activity. Don’t miss out, especially if you’ve been socially withdrawn for a while If you’re single, love could be just around the corner Feb. 19-March 20

TheParish of St.John theDivine, Squamish

Holy Communion and Morning Worship

Sundays at 10:00 AM Rev

Cameron Gutjahr

1930 Diamond Road 604-898-5100

www.squamishanglicanchurch.ca info@squamishanglicanchurch.ca

You could feel a bit anxious this week, which could affect your concentration or morale Don’t let emotions you can’t control overwhelm you You could benefit from therapy. Physical activity could serve as an escape

PISCES

A challenge will come your way, which will boost your self-esteem. Even if someone tries to discourage you, your perseverance and bravery will enable you to achieve remarkable feats and take your place among your peers.

ExaltingJesus,Equipping His Followers,Engaging theWorld

WorshipService

Sundays 10am on our website and Facebook Live 2262ReadCres. 604-898-3737 www.squamishbaptistchurch.org