Unofficial summary · Not affiliated with the District of Squamish · 11-minute read · View in browser

Meeting: Regular Business Meeting, Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Length: 4 hours 44 minutes (6:01 to 10:45 p.m., according to the minutes)
Watch: Full video on YouTube · Agenda and reports: District of Squamish Council portal

This is a catch-up issue on a July meeting. Where later meetings have moved an item forward, we say so under "Following up".

Key decisions

CARRIED · $415,000 toward eight affordable townhomes
Council amended the Garibaldi Springs land development agreement so the developer must deliver 16 below-market townhomes instead of 18, as long as eight are sold to Housing Squamish (or another approved non-profit) at a below-market price. Staff will pursue a 2026 budget amendment to give Housing Squamish $415,000 from the affordable housing reserve for the first five homes. The remaining $245,000 request goes to the 2027 budget process. Council chose this alternative over staff's main recommendation, which was to send the whole request to the 2027 budget.
Vote: unanimous. Moved by Councillor Stoner, seconded by Councillor Hamilton.

CARRIED · Supportive housing lease on Government Road
Council endorsed a 60-year lease, for a nominal fee, of about 0.7 acres of District land (the south portion of 39900 Government Road, proposed Lot 3) to the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation (administered by BC Housing) for a 65-unit supportive housing building. The Mayor and Corporate Officer are authorized to sign the lease, and the CAO to approve any further documents or administrative amendments (item 8.a.1). Squamish Helping Hands has been identified as the operator.
Vote: unanimous. Moved by Councillor Stoner, seconded by Mayor Hurford.

THREE READINGS · Co-living rules
Bylaws 3239, 3246 and 3258 define co-living (homes where residents rent private sleeping units and share kitchen and living space) and allow it in the R1, R4 and R5 zones, with up to six private sleeping units, shared indoor space, laundry, a business licence, and development cost charges set per sleeping unit (item 7.a.1). An amendment from Councillor Hamilton, seconded by Councillor Pettingill, to drop the minimum parking requirement was defeated.
Vote: carried, with Councillor Pettingill opposed. Moved by Councillor Hamilton, seconded by Councillor Stoner.

ADOPTED · Four bylaws
Council adopted the four bylaws on its adoption list without a presentation: Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 3043 for 1001 Finch Building 2 (with authorization for the Mayor and Corporate Officer to sign its land development agreement; moved by Councillor Pettingill, seconded by Mayor Hurford), a housing agreement for 1415 Aspen Road, a fees and charges amendment and a solid waste utility amendment.
Vote: carried, with no opposition recorded.

CARRIED · Noise enforcement at the pipeline laydown yard
Staff will further explore and pursue enforcement of violations of section 3 of the conditions of temporary use permit 74 (the laydown yard) and of the District's noise regulation bylaw 2312.
Moved by Councillor Stoner, seconded by Councillor Hamilton. No opposition recorded.

CARRIED · Noise enforcement on Finch Drive
Staff will further explore and pursue enforcement of noise bylaw 2312 for disturbances on Finch Drive.
Moved by Councillor Pettingill, seconded by Mayor Hurford. No opposition recorded.

DEFERRED · Woodfibre LNG / FortisBC update; Q1 financial report
The Q1 and Q2 update on the Woodfibre LNG and FortisBC Eagle Mountain pipeline projects was referred to a future meeting for discussion (unanimous; moved by Mayor Hurford, seconded by Councillor Pettingill). In seconding it, Councillor Pettingill said the understanding was that the discussion would cover outstanding noise issues and cumulative impacts reporting. The Q1 financial report and key projects update will come back with the Q2 report.

CARRIED, AS AMENDED · Trade corridor funding application
Councillor Andersen's motion, as amended twice, asks staff to continue to pursue a collaborative application to the federal Trade Diversification Corridors Fund (stream 3, projects under $25 million) and to reach out to potential application partners such as the Squamish Nation. The first amendment, moved by Councillor Stoner and seconded by Mayor Hurford, replaced the direction to contact SSA Marine and Nch'ḵaỷ Development Corporation with "continue to pursue" and added outreach to potential partners such as SSA Marine and the Squamish Nation. The second amendment, moved by Councillor Pettingill and seconded by Mayor Hurford, struck only the words "SSA Marine and".
Final vote: unanimous.

CARRIED · Letter to BC Parks on swim safety
The Mayor will write to BC Parks, including correspondence from residents that suggested safety improvements at local swimming spots, and the letter was referred to staff for consideration at District waterfront parks. Moved by Mayor Hurford, seconded by Councillor Stoner.

CARRIED · Brackendale post office letter referred to staff
Staff will follow up on correspondence about the Brackendale post office. Moved by Councillor Stoner, seconded by Mayor Hurford.

CARRIED · Proclamations
August 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day, the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival as an event of municipal significance, and July 19–25 as National Drowning Prevention Week.
Vote: unanimous on all three.

CARRIED · Award and grant applications
Council supported an application for a UBCM Community Excellence Award in Sustainability for the District's Air Sealing Pilot Program, a letter of support for the Circular Innovation Council's application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Accelerating Circularity in Construction Materials fund, and a District application to the same fund for a feasibility analysis. Moved by Mayor Hurford, seconded by Councillor Stoner.

RECEIVED · Housing minister's letter; accessibility plan update; knotweed treatment memo
The knotweed memo describes an application by the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council for a provincial permit that could allow glyphosate use.

Recorded votes

Votes where members of council did not all agree. Unanimous votes are not listed.

• Co-living bylaws, three readings: carried. Opposed: Councillor Pettingill.
• Amendment to remove the minimum parking requirement for co-living: defeated. Opposed: Councillors Andersen, Greenlaw and Stoner, Mayor Hurford.
• Amendment striking "SSA Marine and" from the trade corridor motion: carried. Opposed: Councillors Andersen, French and Stoner.

What was discussed

Co-living

• Staff said co-living is not defined in the zoning bylaw today and is usually treated as a single home. A six-bedroom co-living home would pay about $32,500 more in DCCs and $11,700 more in ACCs than a single home. A public survey drew 62 responses. Watch at 0:42:45
• Staff kept the cap at six sleeping units after council had asked them to consider ten. The Fire Chief said these buildings lack protected corridors, so a fire in a shared kitchen or living room could block escape routes. The R3 zone was left out until the Cheekye fan hazard work is updated. Watch at 1:25:36
• Councillor Hamilton moved to remove the minimum parking requirement, saying parking should be managed on public land rather than required on private land; Councillor French supported it. Councillor Greenlaw said residents have been clear they don't want more parking reductions; Councillor Stoner said parking management isn't yet robust enough. Watch at 1:41:32
• Councillor Pettingill said parking, DCCs and business licensing are not aligned with large older homes that are shared the same way, and voted against. Councillors Stoner, Andersen, French and Greenlaw called the bylaws a starting point to revisit later. Watch at 1:58:17

Supportive housing on Government Road

• The building will have 65 studios for adults 19 and older, including seniors and people with disabilities, with 24/7 staffing and on-site supports. The lease is based on those for the Under One Roof and Spirit Creek projects. Watch at 2:21:16
• A BC Housing letter of commitment (not part of the lease) promises a housing inclusion table, with four facilitated meetings in the first year, the first before anyone moves in, and annual reporting. BC Housing said operator contracts run in five-year terms, with operational reviews every three years. Watch at 2:23:01
• Councillor Stoner asked why only four meetings; BC Housing cited capacity limits and said it would stay involved. Councillor Hamilton asked who prepares the annual report; BC Housing said it or the operator would, not the District. Watch at 2:29:34

Garibaldi Springs townhomes

• Staff said the 10 below-market units in phase two would stay below market under the existing housing agreement if council said no. If Housing Squamish ever ceased to exist, the District would get first right of refusal on the units. Watch at 3:03:34
• Staff said a mid-year budget amendment would take three to four full days of staff time during 2027 budget preparation. Housing Squamish's executive director said the first down payment is needed this year to close in the fall. Watch at 3:08:38
• Councillor French said he expects this to be the last time he votes for more taxpayer money for Housing Squamish, citing planned double-digit tax increases. Councillor Greenlaw said she hopes it is the last request. Councillor Stoner said Housing Squamish used just under $1.5 million in District contributions to attract nearly $11 million in partner funding. Watch at 3:17:46

Pipeline noise and Woodfibre LNG

• Councillor Pettingill said FortisBC chose its route within a wide approved corridor and that the District shouldn't accommodate its timelines at residents' expense. Councillor Hamilton read the laydown yard permit's noise conditions and asked how they were being met; staff who could answer were not present. Watch at 3:50:32
• Councillor Greenlaw asked for noise monitoring data and evidence that 24-hour work meets the exemption permit's conditions. Councillor Pettingill said council still hasn't seen an assessment of the projects' impacts on housing and rentals. Watch at 4:01:04
• Councillor Stoner said the laydown yard permit was meant to make sure the noise bylaw would be followed there. The Mayor said residents on Finch Drive had been told by other regulators that District rules apply. Watch at 4:10:41

Other items

• Brackendale post office: Councillors Pettingill, French and Greenlaw spoke in favour of community mailboxes. Councillor Stoner said some residents had gone weeks without mail, including financial documents. Watch at 3:28:54
• Knotweed: Councillors Pettingill and Greenlaw raised concerns about possible glyphosate use. Councillor Stoner said this is the start of a provincial permit process that includes public consultation. Watch at 4:16:29
• Q1 report: Councillor Stoner asked why several projects were delayed or cancelled for lack of staff capacity. Watch at 4:24:10
• Trade corridor fund: Councillor Andersen said Squamish has not been on the program's map since about 2005 and proposed working with the Squamish Nation and the province. Councillor Pettingill raised concerns about naming private businesses, given rules against assisting business. Watch at 4:31:04

Public input

Three proclamation requests were presented. Squamish Helping Hands spoke for International Overdose Awareness Day, reporting 130 visits a day at the overdose prevention site and 152 overdose reversals in 2025, with an afternoon event in a local park planned for August 31. The president of the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Association spoke for the 69th Loggers Sports Festival. The Director of Recreation and Culture presented the drowning prevention request on behalf of the Lifesaving Society. No one spoke during unscheduled public attendance.

Following up

From earlier issues: None of the items we're tracking came up at this meeting, which took place before the meetings we have covered so far. Several items from this meeting have since moved forward: the co-living bylaws were adopted on October 6, with Councillor Pettingill opposed, and on September 29 council gave three readings to the financial plan amendment moving the $415,000 to Housing Squamish (both in past issues).

New items we'll watch for:

• Housing Squamish's remaining $245,000 request: in the 2027–2036 financial plan, expected December 2026.
• Staff follow-up on pipeline noise enforcement (laydown yard and Finch Drive): no date given.
• Q1 and Q2 financial reports and delayed projects: to come back together, no date given.
• Supportive housing lease: subdivision, statutory notice and lease registration still to come.
• Trade Diversification Corridors Fund application: no date given.

What's next

• Since this meeting: The financial plan amendment with the $415,000 got three readings on September 29, and the co-living bylaws were adopted on October 6.
• November 10: Budget workshop pulling the 2027–2036 financial plan together.
• December: The newly elected council is expected to adopt the 2027–2036 financial plan, which is to consider the remaining $245,000 Housing Squamish request.

Get involved

• Council meetings are open to the public in person at Municipal Hall or by livestream.
• A pesticide use permit for knotweed treatment would include public consultation run through the provincial approval process.
• Agendas, reports and ways to contact council are on the District's council page.

Terms used

ACC: amenity cost charge, a fee on new development for community amenities · CAO: chief administrative officer, the District's top staff member · DCC: development cost charge, a fee on new development for infrastructure · FCM: Federation of Canadian Municipalities · Land development agreement: an agreement between the District and a developer setting out what a rezoned project must deliver · R1, R3, R4, R5: residential zones in the zoning bylaw · Temporary use permit: a permit allowing a use for a limited time, with conditions · Three readings: a bylaw needs three readings and then a final adoption vote to take effect · UBCM: Union of BC Municipalities.

Context notes

We check factual figures cited at the meeting against public sources where we can. These notes add context; they are not verdicts on any speaker.

• Toxic drug deaths since 2016 (cited by Squamish Helping Hands as more than 18,000): the BC government's April 13, 2026 statement marking ten years of the public health emergency says "more than 18,000 people in British Columbia have died from toxic drugs" since it was declared in 2016.
• First Nations share of deaths (cited by Squamish Helping Hands as about 3% of the population and 16% of deaths): the First Nations Health Authority's December 2025 situation report puts First Nations people at 3.4% of BC's population, and reports that they were 17.5% of toxic drug deaths from 2023 to 2025 and 16.3% in December 2025. By Council Watch's own calculation from the report's 2025 figures (289 of about 1,825 deaths), the share for 2025 alone was about 15.8%.
• Sexual assaults up 46.1% (cited by Councillor Greenlaw, comparing this year with 2021–2024): could not be checked against a public source at the time of writing. The RCMP reports Squamish crime figures to council.

Council Watch Squamish is an independent, unofficial summary of publicly accessible meetings of the Squamish Council. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the District of Squamish. This summary was generated by AI from an automatic transcript and may contain errors. Watch the linked video for the official record.

Brought to you by the Business Innovation Society of the Sea to Sky.
Was this issue useful? Reply with one word: yes or no.
Spotted an error? Reply to this email and we'll correct it in the next issue.
Know someone who'd find this useful? Forward it to them. · Past issues

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.