virtual

I'd like to add a few thoughts to Megan's: Is anyone suggesting that people will drive an hour up the Sea to Sky just to ride a tram to the top of the Chief? They can get better views by taking trams in Vancouver or Whistler. The only people that will ride the gondola are people who are driving by here anyway. They are likely to stop, ride the tram, perhaps eat dinner at the top, then carry on to Whistler. There are many other ways we can encourage tourists to stop, and stay, in Squamish, ways that don't involve throwing huge metal contrapions all over the skyline of our primary landmark. The benefit to Squamish will be limited to a few, mostly low-paying jobs. Squamish residents have, with the chip mill fight, already flatly refused to be bribed by the promise of 'jobs'. Just as with the chip mill, the majority of the work will be low-paying and will be more than offset by the job loss that ruining the appearance of our town's centrepiece will cause. It has been suggested that the tram will open up the summit of the Chief to those who are unable to climb it unaided. True as far as it goes; but is anyone suggesting that the real reason for the gondola is concern for disabled people? Of course not. The reason is profit, whatever the cost to the town of Squamish. It is unfortunate that there are people who are prevented from enjoying the experience of climbing the Chief. Is the only way we can help them to ruin it for everyone else? The issue of economic development is a red herring. The Olympics are coming to the Sea to Sky corridor. A university is being built in Squamish. We are in the middle of our biggest ever real estate boom. Anyone who drives the highway to Whistler can see all the new businesses springing up. Economic development is coming to Squamish, and will continue to come. We don't need the gondola. There is also the objection that there are tons of gondolas in mountain resorts like Chamonix, yet people still climb there. Again, I think this is a red herring. In most cases the trams were there long before the climbing. And those places are quite different. They don't have one central, beautiful, focal point that draws tourists, they have a valley full of ski runs. Does anyone want to put a gondola up Ayers Rock? How about a roller coaster around the Taj Mahal? We welcome your comments.

The gondola proposal is picking up steam, but so is opposition to it. Around Squamish, it's hard to find anyone who supports the plan. A local resident and climber, Megan Olesky, has decided to mobilize the opposition to help kill the proposal, and has formed a group called 'Friends of the Chief'. Although the group is in its infancy, it has begun to tap the increasing anger about the proposal and is growing fast. Megan has penned an open letter to opponents of the gondola plan. The letter can be found at http://www.virtualdave.ca/FriendsoftheChief.doc. It reads in part: The Park Management Plan of the Chief was completed in 1997 after two years of community consultation. It was an important and time-consuming process that determined the Chief as a natural and unique landmark of cultural importance for British Columbians. Mechanical lift access is not permitted under the management plan. There has been a proposal put forward to the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection by a group of Whistler developers to construct a gondola up to the second summit of the Chief. This proposal includes 14-16 tram towers, and the capacity to carry 880 people per hour to the summit. Two acres of usable land at the second summit will be fenced off to accommodate an observation deck and visitor facilities. The current hiking trails on the Chief are some of the most popular and heavily used trails in the province, and the climbing at the Chief is some of the best in the world. To the recreational community, this proposal is akin to suggesting a gondola to the top of El Capitan in Yosemite. It will introduce Industrial Tourism on a large scale to one of the crown jewels of recreation in Squamish and British Columbia. Thank you for your support in our attempt to maintain and protect the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. If you would like to be involved in our fight to make sure this gondola does not happen, please write a letter to the following: Honourable Bill Barisoff, Minister of Water Land and Air Protection Box 9047 Stn Prov Gov’t, Victoria, BC V8W 9E2 Phone: (250) 387-1187 email: WLAP.Minister@gems9.gov.bc.ca Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia Box 9041 Stn Prov Gov’t, Victoria, BC V8W 9E1 Phone: (250) 387-1715 email: premier@gov.bc.ca Mayor Ian Sutherland, District of Squamish Box 310, Squamish, BC V0N 3G0 Phone: 1-877-892-5217 email: isutherland@squamish.ca Thank you for all of your efforts and support! Sincerely, Megan Olesky Friends of the Chief If you wish to contact Megan directly, you can do so at friendsofthechief@yahoo.ca. Megan will be appearing on the Rafe Mair show on Monday, August 23rd at 9:15 on Vancouver radio AM 600. If you wish to call to express your support, the studio number is (604) 280-0600. Please pass the word.