As the snow started to stick to Squamish roads on Jan. 10 鈥� and then weather worsened to blizzard conditions the next week 鈥� the vans, campers and RVs that take up residence around town were covered in a thin layer of white.
听While no one seems to have a concrete number of how many people live in vehicles in Squamish, The Chief reporters knocked on doors to ask how some vanlifers are dealing with the winter season.
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Behind the wheel
From where Nicholas Siemens parks his RV on Logger鈥檚 Lane, he can see much of Squamish鈥檚 downtown construction 鈥� including the site where he works.
听He agreed it鈥檚 ironic that he helps build homes, but can鈥檛 afford to live in one. Originally from Alberta, Siemens said he came to town for the construction work three months ago, mostly doing wood framing and drywall. He said it鈥檚 nicer working inside this time of year.
听鈥淚 was planning on getting a place for the couple winter months, because no one wants to be sleeping outside in the cold,鈥� Siemens said. 鈥淏ut a vehicle鈥檚 one of the cheaper options. There are people out in the bushes some places out here, too. You see some people packing their tents up in the morning, which is pretty crazy.鈥�
听He was recently in a car accident, forcing him to briefly take time off work. Since he lives with his dog and cat, Siemens said he hasn鈥檛 been able to find pet-friendly, affordable accommodation.
听All the way from France, Roxane Quintin and Alexis Mysak are a young couple (also with their dog) who drove across Canada in their Dodge Caravan, before eventually buying an RV to stay at the Mamquam River Campground for the season.
听They were told, while living in their caravan in Quebec for a year, that the winters in coastal B.C. are much milder and more suitable for vanlife.
听While Quintin and Mysak found Squamish on the road while driving up from Vancouver, Rodney Moule is a third-generation Squamish resident whose family has lived here since 1919.
听Moule has lived in his RV for two years.听
听鈥淚 had no other choice. I鈥檝e been on disability for 10 years now. I tried going back to work for a year and a half. My back and shoulders and knees and everything couldn鈥檛 handle it, so I had to go back on disability. Then I couldn鈥檛 afford to live anywhere,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 picked this up for $500. Keeps me dry.鈥�
Winter essentials:
The number one concern when overwintering in a vehicle is heat, vanlifers told The Chief.
Heat source: Quintin and Mysak recommend getting a wood stove, as it鈥檚 cheaper and provides a dry heat. Dry heat can help prevent condensation.
Hot shower: The couple said most vanlifers have a place to shower, which may include a gym membership or going to the pool. Moule said he uses the shower at , which also offers access to a bathroom and laundry facilities.
Warm food: Mysak recommends a hot meal that鈥檚 easy to cook, like soup.
Video by Steven Chua.
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Making an RV a home
There are multiple factors to keep in mind with living in a vehicle. Quintin said she feels more secure living with their dog 鈥� who will bark whenever someone approaches 鈥� and staying at the campground also gives a sense of safety. There, the couple doesn鈥檛 have to move their RV and van every day. But during the winter, their main concern is warmth.
听Both Quintin and Mysak have lived in vans for stints of time. Quintin and her parents would travel in their van during summers in Europe, while Mysak lived out of a van while spending two months in Australia. For both, this is their first winter living full-time in a vehicle.听
听At first, their RV had an internal heating system, but it broke. With no electricity at the campground, the couple purchased a generator. They collect rainwater to wash their dishes, and are often kept busy keeping up with repairs.
听When asked if they would move in if they found a reasonably priced apartment, Quintin said, 鈥淢aybe, but we are free with our RV. We have a dog and if something happens with the dog inside, we don鈥檛 have any pet deposit. I鈥檓 pretty good in the van.鈥�
听The couple had tried to find apartments in Vancouver and Squamish, but found that they were often too expensive. Quintin and Mysak both felt the people renting out the rooms didn鈥檛 really want to share the space, but just wanted someone to pay rent.
听鈥淚 prefer to live in the van instead of live with people who don鈥檛 really want to live with other people 鈥� and stress about the dog,鈥� Quintin said.
听鈥淵ou get used to the cold,鈥� Mysak added.
听鈥淚t鈥檚 quite a good van,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 mean, people are living in less comfort.鈥澨�
听Before the blizzard hit, Siemens said he鈥檚 used to the much colder winters of Alberta.
听鈥淚鈥檓 not too much of an outdoors person, so I鈥檝e just been trying to stay warm,鈥� Siemens said of spending a Squamish winter in his RV. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have the normal things a house does. You don鈥檛 have running water, is like a huge thing. Pretty much camping all the time, unless you have some sort of eco-home setup or some new camper.鈥�
听Moule also said winter doesn鈥檛 affect his living situation too much. If it gets cold, he鈥檒l turn on the heater. He said he doesn鈥檛 miss living in a building. Moule said he takes his garbage to the Squamish Adventure Centre, and GFL comes to his RV to empty out his washroom鈥檚 Tidy Tank. For a shower, he visits Squamish Helping Hands.
听鈥淗ow am I hurting anybody by staying right here?,鈥� he asked. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a back road and there鈥檚 nobody around.鈥�
听When asked how he felt about the housing situation in Squamish, Moule said, 鈥淧retty shitty. There鈥檚 lots of housing going up, and nobody can afford to buy it and rent it.鈥�
听He鈥檇 like to tell the municipality that they could have something set up in an empty lot for people living in their vehicles, even if they paid money to use it.
Local numbers:
At Squamish Helping Hands, the shelter has seen a significant increase compared to previous years, Maureen Mackell, executive director of the Squamish Helping Hands Society, said. While they previously averaged around 15 people a night, they now often accommodate 20 per night.
听鈥淪HHS has committed to 鈥楨verybody, Every Night鈥� policy so that we are turning as few people as possible away during cold weather months,鈥� Mackell told The Chief in an email. 鈥淟iving in vehicles is particularly difficult in cold weather so this may be influencing our increased overnight numbers.鈥�
The society is planning a homeless count for April, which may determine how many people live in their vehicles in Squamish at that time.
The District of Squamish also doesn鈥檛 have statistics on how many vanlifers there are.
鈥淭here has been no change however with respect to the housing crisis in our community,鈥� Mackell wrote. 鈥淎ffordability is still the main barrier/issue to people being housed along with very little in the way of supportive housing until Under One Roof is up and running.鈥�
The bottom line
Of all the vehicle residents The Chief spoke to, their accommodations ultimately came down to affordability and lack of housing options. All said they would eventually leave Squamish.
听Mysak said he believes there are different categories of people who live the vanlife. There are those who want the freedom to pursue outdoor activities, those trying to save money and those who can鈥檛 afford another place to live. For the couple, they say they鈥檙e trying to make the best of the situation.
听While they travel in Canada on their two-year visa, Quintin and Mysak currently don鈥檛 have jobs. They plan to return to work once they move back to Quebec when the weather is nicer in the spring.
听鈥淲e struggle every day,鈥� Quintin said. 鈥淪o yeah, we鈥檙e going to work, but we can wait. We don鈥檛 do nothing all day long, you know. Every simple task is hard. You want to do the dish wash? OK, but you have to have some rainwater. It鈥檚 not raining? OK, so I can do it outside because we don鈥檛 have any water [inside].鈥�
听While Moule said most people don鈥檛 have a problem when he tells them he lives in his vehicle, he said some people walking down the street where he parks will yell at him to 鈥楪et a job.鈥�
听鈥淲ell, if I could get a job, I would,鈥� he said.
听Moule said if his father wasn鈥檛 still in Squamish, he would probably move. Most of his friends have died or moved away, he said.
听When asked how long he is planning on staying in Squamish, Siemens said, 鈥淚 guess until the construction鈥檚 done.鈥�
