Third reading for a proposed campground at Whistler Olympic Park was deferred by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) board of directors on Aug. 26, to allow the SLRD to determine who gated an access road to Madeley Lake, and why.
As previously reported in Pique (“Proposed campsites at Whistler Olympic Park ‘premature’: RMOW,” Aug. 12), it was Whistler Sport Legacies that gated the road.
“There was one too many parties out there, and people not picking up after themselves, so we said we need to close it for vehicle traffic,” WSL president and CEO Roger Soane told Pique. “We haven’t stopped people walking in.”
The application to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD)—for which a virtual public hearing was held on Aug. 11—seeks to add 26 tent sites and 20 RV sites for seasonal camping between May 15 and Oct. 31.
Nineteen people attended the public hearing, with two making verbal submissions regarding the access to Madeley Lake and grizzly conservation in the area.
Eleven people also made written submissions (six in support and five opposed).
With the deferral, third reading will be delayed until a later meeting.
“Speaking as director for Area D … closing provincial parks, the effect that that had on the Area D was it greatly increased the numbers of campers in unserviced areas, camping in the bush and with no bathroom facilities,” said SLRD chair and Area D director Tony Rainbow.
“We need more campgrounds … people are still coming here in their RVs, they’re still coming with their tents, they’re still camping. I think it’s better to have them in a controlled environment rather than just let them go wherever they wish, wherever they can find in the bush.”
Whistler director Jack Crompton asked if keeping the road open could be considered as a condition for approval of the campsites (which is “in the realm of possibility” confirmed director of planning Kim Needham).
“Recreation is something that I think we should be investing in in this region,” he said. “We have definitely seen the impact of it being limited, and I hope this gets back to us soon with the opportunity to consider it before next summer, when we have these same sort of challenges that we experienced this summer.”
RETURN OF IN-PERSON COUNCIL MEETINGS POSTPONED
While Whistler council hasn’t met in person since March 3—nearly six full months—meetings aren’t likely to return to the Maury Young Arts Centre (MYAC) any time soon.
At its Sept. 1 meeting, council directed staff to postpone the planned Sept. 15 restart of in-person meetings to allow staff more time to sort out technology and resources to support a hybrid virtual model.
With council meetings considered an “event” by the provincial health officer, no more than 50 people would be allowed to attend, said general manager of corporate and community services Ted Battiston.
Given the layout of MYAC, occupancy limits would need to be set at 35 in the theatre and 15 in the gallery.
While bringing in-person meetings back is doable, it does come with some challenges, Battiston said, such as the potential for a meeting to become a COVID-19 exposure location, the need to keep staff, council and the public safe, and the complications of mask wearing during meetings (likely to be mandated at the MYAC).
“None of these are perhaps insurmountable in and of themselves, but they do as a cohort present a bit of the context that needs to be thought through as we endeavour to move back to an in-person council meeting,” Battiston said.
With the resolution, Crompton said he hopes staff continues its efforts to bring in-person meetings back sooner rather than later.
“I am comfortable with the decision to not hit that target date, but not if it means that we are going to pause in our efforts to get there at some point,” he said.
“I expect we will do well and we will serve our community well by delivering on those technology tools that we’ll need to be able to do that blended meeting at some point in the future, so I hope that staff will carry on that work.” n
