Proposed Ski Resort: Garibaldi at Squamish
In the fall of 2007 the Squamish Access Society participated in a meeting between representatives of various mountain and backcountry groups and the proponent of the Garibaldi at Squamish Development (a resort near Brohm Ridge reaching down to Highway 99 and embracing the landscape near both Brohm and Cat Lakes - see maps here).Present from the groups, among others, were:
- Evan Loveless, Federation of Mountain Clubs
- Tyrone Brett, Squamish Access Society
- Sandra Nicol, Federation of Mountain Clubs
- Pat Harrison, Back Country Recreation Society
- Scott Webster, Varsity Outdoor Club
- Bryce Leigh, Alpine Club of Canada Whistler
- Antje Wahl, Alpine Club of Canada Vancouver
- Monika Bittel, BC Mountaineering Club
The Squamish Access Society's position regarding this development and its potential impacts on Garibaldi Provincial Park and adjacent alpine terrain dovetails with those concerns laid out by the FMC at the meeting. Of prime concern is the potential development, at a later date, of portions of the Park as well as the proximity to more remote ski tours and alpine terrain of a commercial development of this size.Concerning front country issues brought up by the SAS at the meeting, such as impacts on Cat Lake Crag, Brohm Lake and Cat Lake, our position is as follows:
The SAS views residential and commercial development in the greater Squamish region as a positive phenomenon, providing it takes into consideration the qualities which make the area so special. We believe the recreational assets prized by climbers and the general public can be preserved next to a thriving and sustainable economic base.
The Garibaldi at Squamish development in the vicinity of Cat Lake Crag, Cat Lake and Brohm Lake, as proposed, is unacceptable for the SAS. Concerning the crag, we still await the promised walk-through concerning impacts on the climbing area and at the very least expect a follow up with us about the crag's future. Concerning the lakes, core to the SAS mission is protection of the experiential element of the climbing and self-propelled recreational experience and life style. The extent of the proposed development around both Cat and Brohm lakes (currently enjoyed by thousands of climbers and other recreationalists yearly) is in direct conflict with the principle of the protection of the irreplaceable experiential value currently held by these recreational resources. To take an example, a simple "treed buffer", as proposed at Cat Lake, is far from the acceptable mitigation level required. We ask that this development be sent back to the drawing board with these considerations in mind.
For more information from those concerned about the proposal, check out http://savegaribaldi.org as well as the Facebook groups Save Cat Lake and Save Brohm Ridge and Cat lake from Developers.To view the proponent's site, check out http://garibaldiatsquamish.com.