July 28, 2007

PO Box 1370
Whistler, BC V0N 1B0

Attn: Mr. Graeme McLaren, Mr. Archie Riddle, Project Assessment Directors, Environmental Assessment Office

Re: Garibaldi at Squamish Inc. Proposal

I am submitting this letter on behalf of the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) regarding the ‘Garibaldi at Squamish’ proposal. Although we understand the economic gains are appealing and the BC government is determined to double BC’s tourism industry by 2015, AWARE has several environmentally-related concerns, which we believe will eventually lead to economic concerns, with this project as outlined below:

$ Building of micro-landscaped subdivisions would lead to the creation of a completely separate tourist destination in direct economic competition with Downtown Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton; each of these communities currently are unable to reach maximum capacity. (Whistler resort overall room revenue in the 2004/05 ski season ($114.9 million) slumped 8.3%, dropping to a six-year-low level).

$ Habitat fragmentation and wildlife displacement that will result from the construction of roads and ski runs will be considerable and irreversible.

$ The estimated damage to both Brohm and Cat Lakes, and the surrounding wetlands, subsequent to the building of the golf courses, and the future water use and fertilizer/pesticide management necessary to operate two golf courses, will be extensive.

$ The project is not only environmentally unsustainable, but also highly unsustainable from an economic point-of-view due to the competition of more than eight existing golf courses currently within the S2S corridor, from Furry Creek to Big Sky. As of the second week in August, the Pemberton Valley Golf Course will close due to monetary problems.

$ The increased amount of CO2 emitted from the construction of urban sprawl following the completion of the ‘Garibaldi’ project will only further contribute to the already low air quality in Squamish on an average day (real-time monitors in the region indicate that ambient concentrations of air pollutants are currently at levels that can have adverse effects on human health).

$ While not an environmental concern but a recreational one, future private development encroaching into Garibaldi Park prevents free and easy access to those wilderness areas for people. There is concern that the possibility of the application to extend the tenure of the ski hill into the existing park within the next 10 to 30 years.

$ Finally, a serious concern remains that the proposal shows poor research, with misspellings and inaccurate maps, and has not made public any attempts to make the ski hill, subdivided real estate or golf courses more environmentally-sound, using renewable energy and public transportation alternatives, advanced ‘green’ construction techniques, and at least Silver LEED standards, in order to comply with the current sustainable-living doctrines adopted by the Sea-to-Sky communities.

At a time when global warming is undisputedly contributing to warmer climates and decreased snowfall, and with no overall growth of the local ski industry in several years (since September 11th, US skier visits to Canada dropped more than 31.4%), it is absurd to consider the markedly unsustainable development proposal, ‘Garibaldi at Squamish’. The communities in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor aim to work towards the kind of growth that protects our admired, cherished, and commercially and environmentally, valuable natural areas. For these reasons, AWARE does not support the proposal.

Sincerely,

Sara Jennings
President of AWARE – Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment

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