Please help us save our amazing kiteboarding spot from destruction!

[johnyz]

Hey there. I am posting here because we are really desperate and I am hoping internet has the power to make the change we need!

We are a community of windsport enthusiasts from Canada Squamish. Many of us moved to the little town and invested here to spend our retirement enjoing windsports in this beautiful spot surrounded by nature. Squamish is hands down the best spot for windsports in North America. (It has the most consistent winds and perfect conditions for our sport). The way the spit is situated is unique which makes it a world class spot for windsurfing and kiteboarding.

Sadly recently we have been sidelined by shortsighted Squamish government officials. They do not see any value in keeping the world class windsports mekka in their little town. Squamish spit hosted many competitions and famous athletes. Just check out this video to get a taste:


Not long ago the provincial government gave a grant to Squamish Watershed society to realign Squamish spit and thus help Chinook Salmon population in the area. This was supposed to be done properly and diligently minimizing the damage to the area, whilst maintaining access to the spot and protecting the environment. As watersports enthusiasts we love nature and we want to support such initiatives so we were on board since the very beginning.

It turns out that the Squamish Watershed society was not interested in original plan at all. They failed to do their work properly and diligently. They were unable to make decisions for the longest time nor did they seem to study what impact their actions will have on the estuary protection and the community of outdoor recreation enthusiasts. They didn't communicate with any of us at ALL! They lied to other stakeholders, and it seems like they just want to push their agenda and hastily destroy Squamish Spit behind our backs. We found out about this last spring and we started a petition which got some traction in the media and outraged local community. Squamish Watershed Society seemed to see our point and here is the video of their leader's reaction:


Turns out it was a lie - another one! Now as the new season is about to start we are facing the total destruction of our beloved spot and tourist attraction. Many people bicycle there, jog, walk their dogs, or simply enjoy spending their time with families and watching kiteboarding/windsurfing.

The demolition will not stop the wind sports. It will make the sports unregulated and dangerous. People will get hurt. There will be no rescues, others will drift away into estuary threatening wildlife. There will be no more sports events. Many will move away. But its not really about that... Lets have a look at the bigger goal here. It seems like even the salmon initiative is not done properly. It is just being rushed, pushed through in hiding from stakeholders who should be included. SWRS is avoiding discussions and democracy? And why? We can only suspect.

It is clear that Squamish Watershed society failed to plan and execute the project properly and do their due diligence. It took them years and they didn't consider many factors along the road. One can even wonder if they really care about the salmon. Surely they don't care about windsports, about local tourism and future or people of Squamish. We suspect they just want the GRANT! The money from the government will expire at the end of this year if they don't take any action. It seems like they failed to deliver, but they still want the grand prize. Its is most likely now or never for them. What are they going to do with the money saved on doing it properly and studying the consequences of their actions. Realigning the Squamish Spit like originally planned...
I hope they are not going to pay themselves fat salaries from the grant, for destroying something very precious to many!

Here is the video of the original plan that the money was granted for. We have documents supporting all this as well (what went wrong SWRS? Why is Squamish Mayor doing nothing about this?)


And of course in meanwhile the district of Squamish and local politicians do nothing! They promised to support the realignment and resolve it wisely before election but then as always they have turned out to be lazy and unable to make a move in any direction. Do they care at all about Squamish being the outdoor hub it was promised to be? Why can't the bridge be built? Why can't the spit be realigned? Are they all really that lazy? The perfect solution was on a table but has been replaced by lazy and hasty bastardized demolition idea.

How can something like that pass in Canada. This is extremely shortsighted and shameful. They would not close down Whistler Blackcomb to save Bald Eagles would they? No they would probably try to make it work and keep it open while making sure they don't harm the eagles. Well Squamish is Canada's Whistler Blackcomb for watersports!

Help us by sharing this/upvoting this and signing signing our last resort petition. (There you will find all the information in detail)
https://squamishwindsports.us13.list-ma ... 2da99f8ff8

[Greenturtle]

For what its worth, in addition to petition and pressure on local officials - my suggestion is to get every windsport enthusiast possible in squamish to join the watershed society, become members asap, attend the meetings as members, voice opinions -as members of that organization. Work from the inside out. Additionally make apparent that generous donations and ongoing support/participation/assistance from these new members couldn’t hurt in future endeavors and would certainly be much more forthcoming if cooperation and disclosure regarding the current project is realized.

[or6]

Signed. Squamish is a special spot, and the locals are definitely deserving of our support.

[irwe]

Signed!

[longwhitecloud]

done

Sick vid showing a really great scene up there. It is such a sick spot.

[tkachuk]

..." Squamish is hands down the best spot for windsports in North America....

Get serious. I'm supportive of keeping Squamish open but the hyperbole doesn't help the cause.
It's a nice spot BUT, way too crowded, launch & land is a pain, only chop, freezing cold glacier run off water, short season and to be honest, only popular because there are so few decent reliable windy spots in the Vancouver area.

[Milko0k]

Get serious and sign, I did!

[TnTO]

I'll be there this summer and tie myself to the bulldozer!

[danlar]

Done, good luck guys, I am canadien living in Ecuador but I wish I could try that spot one day, love the Rocky Mountain