Editor鈥檚 note: This letter was sent to the District of Squamish and copied to The 劲爆大瓜.
I am writing in light of the to add the District of Squamish and nine other 鈥減riority communities鈥� to their housing mandate priority list to hit 75% of their housing targets within five years. The statement issued by the District was disappointing, demonstrating a 鈥測es master,鈥� 鈥渢hank you master鈥� mentality.
While I recognize the importance of addressing the housing crisis across British Columbia, and increasing density is one mechanism to do that, I urge the District to capitalize on this mandate as an opportunity to advocate for critical infrastructure investments before further increasing our density.
In short, the province needs something from you to deliver on their mandates; I urge the District to seize this opportunity to deliver on what your community needs most.
Squamish currently lacks the foundational infrastructure needed to safely and sustainably support the growth envisioned by the province:
No adequate hospital capable of meeting current or future health care needs, including a lack of medical staff.
Limited transportation infrastructure, with only one main highway in and out of the community.
No comprehensive public transit system, leaving many residents dependent on private vehicles.
Vulnerable evacuation scenarios in the event of wildfire, flooding, or other emergencies.
Growth without essential services is not only unsustainable鈥攊t is unsafe.
To protect the well-being of current and future residents, I encourage the District to seek legal advice and technical expertise to fully understand its rights and responsibilities under the province鈥檚 housing mandate. These tools can help the District identify opportunities to leverage its planning authority, negotiate the timing and scale of development, and pursue commitments from senior levels of government. This includes commissioning and updating outdated infrastructure capacity studies, reviewing evacuation planning needs, and conditioning approvals on the delivery of these essential services.
The province鈥檚 prioritization of Squamish should be used as a powerful negotiation tool. I urge the District to proactively seek binding commitments and funding from the provincial and federal governments for hospitals, transit, highway improvements, and emergency infrastructure before approving further density increases. Your statement in response to this housing priority demonstrates a willingness to comply and gratefulness for support to date. You are not serving your community but rolling over for the province.
Our community deserves to grow in a way that protects residents鈥� safety, health, and quality of life. Please use your voice and authority to ensure that growth is responsible and infrastructure-led, not housing-led, at the expense of public well-being.
Martha Baldwin
Squamish
