October is budget month, and this week at Council we kicked off the 2025-2029 budget process.
Each year, the District prepares a Five-Year Financial Plan to meet the needs of our community today and plan for the future. Whether you’re walking down the street, visiting a local park, or turning on the tap, the District budget is working for you. Your insight matters! We want to understand what questions you have about our Draft Financial Plan as it's being discussed in Council throughout October, and whether our direction is in line with your community priorities. If not, what are we missing? Your input will help shape decisions about your tax dollars and our community at large. Join the conversation and have your say! | NEW FIRE HALL NOW OPERATIONAL | Construction of the new Fire Hall 2 on Tantalus Road is complete!
This milestone marks the completion of the second of three critical facilities identified for priority replacement in the District of Squamish’s 2019 Real Estate and Facilities Master Plan. The new Fire Hall 2 is a net-zero, all-electric, post-disaster building. It features three apparatus bays, administration offices, four dorm rooms, washrooms, a training room, a kitchen, and decontamination rooms for post-incident cleanup. Come see the new Fire Hall this Sunday during the annual Squamish Fire Rescue Open House! When: Sunday, October 6 from noon to 3 p.m.
Where: Fire Hall No. 2, 40439 Tantalus Road. | | The District of Squamish is seeking elector approval to finance portions of the following projects through an Alternative Approval Process (AAP): - Whittaker Slough Pump Station
- Xwu'nekw Park Sea Dike
- Loggers East Drainage Diversion Pipe
- Cemetery Expansion
- Mamquam Bridge Resurfacing
Long-term borrowing is a useful tool for municipalities that spreads the cost of large projects over the life of the project and allows today’s taxpayers – as well as future taxpayers – to pay for it. - If you are NOT OPPOSED to these bylaws, you do not need to submit any forms.
- If you are OPPOSED to one or more of these bylaws, please complete the related Elector Response Form and submit it to the District no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, October 7, 2024.
| FLOOD ZONE BYLAW AMENDMENTS | Residents are invited to an in-person open house to learn more about proposed amendments to the Zoning Bylaw regarding the allowed number of units, lot coverage, and setbacks in flood hazard areas. When: Wednesday, October 9 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Brackendale Art Gallery Open house events provide an opportunity for interested community members to review the proposed updates to the Zoning Bylaw and have any questions answered by District staff. These amendments are required following recent changes to the Zoning Bylaw as part of the Province’s Bill 44 legislation and the Squamish Housing Action Plan. | | COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN OPEN HOUSE | The District of Squamish is hosting an Open House on Wednesday, October 9, at Squamish Public Library from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to discuss updates to the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP). Since adopting the CCAP in 2020, we've made progress on over 75% of the Plan’s actions. These successes provide a strong foundation for future bold action. Now, we’re ready to move forward creating an even more liveable, resilient, inclusive, and low-carbon community. Drop by to join the conversation and learn more about this project and how you can get involved. | | NOTICE OF TRAFFIC AND NOISE IMPACTS | SPIT ROAD TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE
Squamish River Watershed Society is conducting work along the Squamish Training Berm, also known as Spit Road, until November 15, 2024. Trails south of Fisherman's entrance (at Government Road) are closed to pedestrian traffic.
This work is part of the Central Estuary Restoration Project to install a third large fish-friendly box culvert. For project details, please visit the Squamish River Water Society website. | PARKING LOT WORK SP’AKW’US FEATHER PARK
Oceanfront Squamish Developments has informed the District of investigative drilling scheduled over the next month in the gravel parking area adjacent to Sp’akw’us Feather Park. A flagger will be present to direct traffic and highlight appropriate parking areas. | | We have some exciting Zero Waste events coming up! Here are a few to mark on your calendar: All Circular Economy and Zero Waste Events are free to attend. Have questions or interested in volunteering? Email: zerowaste@squamish.net | TEMPORARY SALT SHED RELOCATION | The District is temporarily relocating a salt shed to the overflow campground at Brennan Park in order to accommodate the construction of the new Public Works facility at 39901/39909 Government Road. The main campground will remain open to event bookings only. The temporary site will be in use until the new facility is completed, which is expected to take up to three years. Work is set to begin net week to relocate the salt shed ahead of the 2024/25 winter season. For more information on construction impacts for this project and during winter, operations please visit the link below. | | A review of the District's Short-Term Rental (STR) licence and fee categories has now been completed. Staff have drafted a number of proposed changes which will be presented for Council's consideration at the Regular Council Meeting on October 15. The proposed changes will help streamline the administration process for STRs and include: - Elimination of the monthly licence options.
- Elimination of separate ‘shared or private room’ and ‘entire dwelling unit’ categories.
- Creation of a new STR licence category and associated licence fee.
If the proposed changes are adopted by Council, existing STR licences that previously fell under the categories below will be moved into a new Principal Residence category for 2025 with a proposed licence fee of $400 for an annual licence: - Monthly Licence for Shared or Private Room.
- Annual Licence for Shared or Private Room.
- Monthly Licence for Entire Dwelling Unit.
- Annual Licence for Entire Dwelling Unit.
Note that the Non-Principal Residence category (for STR of secondary suites or accessory dwelling units) will not be changed from previous years. Have questions or comments on the 2025 STR licence and fee changes? Email planning@squamish.ca to share your thoughts. | Retrofit Assist is hosting a Builders’ Breakfast on October 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Brennan Park Recreation Centre. This is a great opportunity for general renovators, contractors, tradespeople, and builders servicing Whistler and Squamish to learn about the Retrofit Assist program. Retrofit Assist provides a full energy retrofit concierge service, guiding homeowners and on their journey to a more energy-efficient home while supporting and building the capacity of local contractors. This event is free, but registration is required. To learn more, visit the link below. | | LATEST INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS | ANNUAL WATERMAIN UPGRADES Watermain flushing will begin on October 7, starting in the Downtown area. Flushing helps remove stagnant water and unwanted build up in the pipes. During this process, you may notice brief periods where the water appears cloudy or discoloured or has a mild chlorine taste. However, the water remains safe to drink. If you experience any of these issues, simply flush your taps by running water until it clears. | The Aquatic Centre is reopening on Sunday, October 6! A special thanks to our maintenance team for their hard work in ensuring we open on schedule for the community. So, what goes into an Aquatic Centre closure?
It involves a lot: deep cleaning, equipment repairs and inspections, overhauling circulation pumps and motors, plumbing repairs, preventative and general maintenance, underwater lights repairs, and, yes, plenty of scrubbing! Please note the steam room will remain closed for maintenance until Thursday, October 10. Tot Riders (Ages 1-5)
Come visit the gym for some fun with ride-on cars and trikes provided by Recreation Services. Participants are also welcome to bring a run bike from home, provided it has clean wheels and the rider wears a properly fitted helmet. Please note, this is an unsupervised drop-in program that requires parent/guardian participation. No pre-registration is required.
Family Yoga with Hannah
Yoga and breathwork are combined with stories, games, and songs to engage both you and your little one! Suitable for children ages 2 to 6. Registration includes the cost for one child and one adult or caregiver. Reduced rates are available for a second child in the same family. Children under 1 year old are free.
SWHA - Women's Hockey 101
Have you ever wanted to try hockey but felt too intimidated to lace up your skates? The Squamish Women's Hockey Academy offers the only local hockey skill development program coached by women, for women. We focus on introductory skills such as skating, shooting, passing, and learning the rules and fundamentals of the game.
This program is designed to get you game-ready in a fun and safe environment while giving you the chance to connect with other local women. Participants must bring their own hockey equipment. |
Local Events and Initiatives
| Local volunteer opportunities: | | | | | |
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