Click here to view in your browser

Council Watch Squamish is an independent, unofficial summary of publicly accessible meetings in Squamish. This special issue covers an all-candidates forum hosted by the Squamish Off Road Cycling Association (SORCA), not a meeting of Council. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the District of Squamish, SORCA or any candidate. Brought to you by the Business Innovation Society of the Sea to Sky.

Watch the Outdoor Recreation All-Candidates Meeting (posted September 25, 2026; about 63 minutes).

Overview

SORCA and other local outdoor recreation groups hosted this forum for candidates in the October 17, 2026 municipal election. Fifteen candidates (three for mayor, twelve for council) each had three and a half minutes to introduce themselves and answer one question: "Where does support for outdoor recreation fit within your policy priorities, and what specific steps or actions have you taken or will you take to demonstrate that support over the next two years?" Speaking order was set by randomizer, with mayoral candidates first. Afterwards candidates rotated between audience tables for conversations; that part was not recorded.

Who took part

• Mayor: Jenna Stoner, Daniel Deal, Sean Easton
• Council: Eric Andersen, Andrew Hamilton, Sarah Ellis, A. John Lowe, Ian Brown, Luc Perreault, Janice DesJardins, Chris Pettingill, Kieran Brownie, Laura Prosko, Shaun Veltkamp, John French
• Three other council candidates on the District's list (Chris Ryan, Sean Goodwin and Anders Ourom) do not appear in the recorded portion.

Opening remarks

• [00:00:00] SORCA's president gives a territorial acknowledgement of Squamish Nation lands and shares survey figures: mountain bike visitors spent $26 million locally over a six-month survey period ($44 million including wider provincial impact), and climbing brought $42 million to the province. He says four in five local riders named the trails as part of why they moved to Squamish, that ridership has doubled in under a decade, and that volunteer groups are stretched thin. He notes the clubs represent about 5,000 members, compared with 6,718 ballots cast in the last municipal election.
• [00:04:10] The facilitator explains the format and reads the question.

What candidates said

Listed in speaking order. Each summary reflects only what the candidate said at this forum.

• [00:06:18] Jenna Stoner (mayor) describes eight years on council and calls outdoor recreation fundamental to quality of life and the economy. She lists council's partnership agreement funding SORCA's core operations, the community agreement policy, land and financing for Search and Rescue's new base at the airport, recreation in the economic development plan, and her motion to add garbage cans and public washrooms, which comes up in 2027 budget deliberations. She emphasizes partnerships with recreation groups, the regional district, tourism, the chamber, the province and especially the Squamish Nation.
• [00:09:29] Daniel Deal (mayor) describes moving to Squamish six or seven years ago and hiking regularly, picking up trash on trails. He calls for more trailhead facilities, including parking, garbage bins and washrooms, and for creating an environment where employers can grow.
• [00:12:11] Sean Easton (mayor) describes 20 years in outdoor recreation, including as a whitewater guide, and 10 years as executive director of Zero Ceiling, an outdoor access program for marginalized youth. He says trail use has doubled without matching resources and that groups tell him it is getting harder to work with the District. He commits to three things: being a better partner, protecting access to recreational lands through development decisions, and requiring industry to protect public and environmental health.
• [00:16:08] Eric Andersen (council) cites co-founding the Water Trail Action Group and writing a chapter of the 2011 Trails Master Plan. He calls for approving a Parks and Recreation Master Plan update in the upcoming budget, with a scope that includes non-District facilities, and for an implementation update on the 2018 Marine Action Strategy. He also raises boat launch and campground issues, and calls for multi-year funding and secure tenures for volunteer groups and continued dialogue with the Squamish Nation on riverbank access.
• [00:20:02] Andrew Hamilton (council) describes four years on council and says trails are not at the top of his priorities: housing and meaningful work come first. He says he would generally prioritize green space and trails over parking, and acknowledges this involves trade-offs.
• [00:22:53] Sarah Ellis (council) describes her work as an urban planner and as executive director of Squamish Community Housing Society, and her past role as president of the Squamish Placemaking Society. For the next two years she names a tourism master plan prioritizing hotel and camping accommodation, a community agreement policy that favours groups that leverage volunteers and outside funds, and continued advocacy for affordable housing.
• [00:26:27] A. John Lowe (council) describes living in Squamish since 1955, early trail work with the Squamish Ski and Outdoor Club, and working with SORCA on trail access while in logging. He names more activities for children as a priority and points to partnerships between forestry companies, the ministry and the District. He also says he endorses Eric Andersen.
• [00:30:36] Ian Brown (council) praises SORCA's volunteer work, describes his background in competitive sailing and in arts and culture, and links outdoor recreation visitors to spending across the local economy. He names parking and transit, including space for visitor vans, as issues he would work on.
• [00:34:39] Luc Perreault (council) describes his work as an engineering technologist at the Resort Municipality of Whistler and says he met with local members and trail builders to prepare. He calls for complementary tourism and recreation master plans, for capturing more community amenity contributions from developers, for an enhanced review process for large projects, and for revenue from visitors such as user fees.
• [00:38:26] Janice DesJardins (council) describes her family's history in the corridor since 1912 and her background in tourism. She calls for a tourism master plan, an inventory of tourism assets and more District focus on economic development. She says the District's 2026 funding to SORCA does not cover the work and that SORCA has run a deficit for five years, and supports a multi-year agreement funded without raising property taxes.
• [00:43:01] Chris Pettingill (council) describes two terms on council and his role as first vice-president of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association. He says much trail land is provincial Crown land, so provincial advocacy is critical, and points to the regional district's (Area D) funding for SORCA. He acknowledges feedback from the Squamish Nation on SORCA's work around sacred sites. He supports the community partnership program but says its process is still too burdensome.
• [00:46:16] Kieran Brownie (council) introduces himself in two languages, the first taught to him by his nieces and nephews, and describes initiating a climbing infrastructure project done with Squamish Nation permission. He thanks SORCA and the Squamish Access Society for their economic studies and calls on the District to study the costs and benefits of recreation tourism to residents and to link economic development with municipal revenue.
• [00:49:37] Laura Prosko (council) describes 15 years in senior roles on major BC projects, including Indigenous relations and community development, and her current work with the Central Lonsdale BIA. She says she sought Chief Dale Harry's support before running and has a five-point plan on her website. She names getting Brennan Park running, a pool, lifeguard training in high schools and a strong local economy, and says she would plan with a 20–30 year view.
• [00:53:17] Shaun Veltkamp (council) describes 25-plus years as a business owner and two terms on the Tourism Squamish board. He cites a $400 million visitor economy in 2024 and about $85 million in tax revenue, says funding for SORCA, the Squamish Access Society and similar groups is critically important, and says the tourism economy should be a key focus.
• [00:56:27] John French (council) describes growing up in Squamish and being among SORCA's founding members. As a councillor since 2018 he has worked with Eric Andersen on wind sports access since the Spit road removal and on improvements to the current boat ramp and a future one. He also names a need for more tennis courts.

Public input

Audience members spoke with candidates in small-group table rotations after the recorded portion; those conversations are not on the video.

What's next

• October 17, 2026: General voting day for mayor, six councillors and two school trustees.
• Official candidate details are on the District of Squamish candidates page.

This summary was generated by AI from an automatic transcript and may contain errors. Watch the linked video for the full record of what each candidate said.

Not subscribed yet? If you're reading this on the web or someone forwarded it to you, subscribe free to get each new issue by email after Squamish council meetings.