Whistler Blackomb

todd s

I'm heading back there soon and was curious if any Wallies were locals in the area? Seems there will be alot of construction going on with the 2010 Olympic Games being held there.

Leo G_99

hey Todd

I'm in North Van., and as of right now my partner lives in Squamish. Though it sounds like this is his last year here, as he is planning on moving to Costa Rica permanently at the end of this year!

Leo G

GMcD

Vancouver P.Eng reporting in.

Yeah, well there is a lot of media hype, but little of substance just yet. The majority of the work will be temporary facilities at Whistler, with a few permanent buildings. Most of the big work will be here in town - speed skating oval/future Community Ctr. in Richmond (don't get me going- I live in Richmond and as a taxpayer...), Ice Arena at UBC, housing at SE False Creek, etc. Most of the town is busy throwing concrete into the sky for hi-rise condos (easy bake ovens, most architects pander to marketing guys, designing floor to ceiling glass facing west - the view, Geoff, the view...) There will be lots of steady work here for a few years, but the BC Construction Industry has been in such a doldrum for a couple decades that folks are tripping over each other to "get their share" (low fees, low bids, big fights afterwards, very short term instant gratification syndrome). There are some labour shortages already (mainly concrete, formwork, carpenters, painters and finishers) so that's attracting some trades back who left in the last exodus. If anyone thinks they can come here and make a couple fast bucks, good luck- the cost of living here isn't cheap, but you can find good fishing year round, and bears, cougars and deep bush minutes away from town.

Constance Wrigley-Thomas_2

We're moving there in the Spring

My husband and I have grown weary of life in the big smoke (Greater Toronto Area) and are heading west later this year. A big risk, we know but we have done our research into the local community of Squamish.

My husband is a skilled carpenter and I will be transferring my association management business to B.C. This may be the only way that we can get a hydronically heating home. On the other hand, home prices in Squamish have gone up 22% this past year and 31% the year before.

Constance Wrigley-Thomas

All In Order

http://www.allinorder.ca

GMcD

Squamish

Hopefully you've done your due diligence. There are areas of north Squamish (Brackendale) that are in the Garibaldi debris flow zone and building permits may be "at your own risk". There are also many low areas that are prone to flooding. There are past examples and news archives of these issues if you search a bit. The town has a bit of a reputation as a redneck enclave with some criminal incidents in the last few years that would cause some concern (guy gets beat up by youths while trying to break up a drunken bunch of rowdies, guy dies, nobody talks...) Campsite vandalism to out of towners, etc. There are some nice areas up there, and I do know a few people that live there and it's like any place- there are some bad apples there and some areas you want to avoid, but there is the potential to find a nice quiet spot. Good fishing in the fall for salmon, steelhead runs are pretty low to the point of closure due to habitat destruction and other reasons.

Constance Wrigley-Thomas_2

There are trade-offs...

...no matter where you live.

We're somewhat familiar with Brackendale (a very good friend lives there) and we toured the areas that were affected by the flood. Our friend was good enough to show us the good and the bad aspects of the area.

As for crime, Squamish, and the surrounding is serviced by the R.C.M.P. who are seriously understaffed and are assisted by a volunteer police force. A lot of crime goes undetected or underpunished. I think that this is the same for a lot of the province. Alas, crime is a reality for most of this beautiful country, particularly in the major centres such as Toronto, Winnipeg and Regina.

Moving to Squamish is a an exciting and terrifying risk but one we feel sure will be worth it in the long-run as we become part of the local community and economy.

And while I'm not terribly fond of bears or snakes, I do like hiking in the great outdoors.

Constance Wrigley-Thomas

All In Order

www.allinorder.ca

P.S. and 1,975 American Eagles called Squamish home in 2004

hydronicsmike

Local??

Beautiful Kelowna / Vernon, BC here. We're just 6 hours away, which in BC, is right next door :-)

Regards,

Mike

www.tekmarcontrols.com

Uni R

Bears

Well lucky for us, only polar bears tend to be overly fond of humans. I think they are the only mammal above us on the food chain.


It's gorgeous there. Much nicer than here in "the big smoke".

Todd_9

Oh Canada

Geez, According to Michael Moore there's no crime in Canada. No one owns a gun and they don't even need to lock their doors.

GMcD

Squamish

Well, you would be in a good place for outdoor activities alright. Squamish is close enough to Vancouver for more urban activities, but also close enough to "the bush" to be able to get away easily. Heading up towards Pemberton and up the Birkenhead river, some nice places to go, or up over the hump to Lillooet and desert country. While Brackendale is a nice area, again, check the Garibaldi debris flow maps for where you want to be located. I've designed a couple projects up in that area and there were some serious disaster mitigation issues to deal with in terms of the public facilities - schools etc., where significant debris flow barriers had to be incorporated into the site design. Being closer to Mom Nature in Squamish means taking a good hard look at location, location, location.

Boiler Guy

Mike

Are you located right in Kelowna. Plan to visit ther in mid Feb.

Tim