In 2005, TLC purchased a six acre property previously used as a gravel pit along Sea to Sky Highway, south of Squamish and adjacent to the Stawamus Chief and Shannon Falls Provincial Parks. This property was purchased to use in negotiations concerning adding an additional piece of land (known to the climbing community as the Malamute) to the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, to prevent a gondola up the Stawamus Chief, and to facilitate the construction of vehicle access to the provincial parks. The negotiations to protect the Malamute were successful, but the gravel pit site did not need to be traded. The parking access issues were also resolved by BC Parks without using the property. In addition, BC Parks lacked the necessary funds for purchase. TLC then worked for almost two years to reach a zoning solution with the District of Squamish which would have allowed a low profile, green development of the site. As there was no positive response from the District, TLC moved to put the site up for sale.
TLC sold the site to a business man in Squamish with a covenant upon it to prevent the property from being used as a gondola to travel up the face of the Chief or terminating in either provincial park. Currently, another proposal has been brought forward to build a gondola from the gravel pit site and into the backcountry over and beyond the provincial parks. The proponent of this current gondola initiative is dealing with the person who purchased the site from TLC. TLC does not have a connection to this gondola proponent. It appears that the gondola project has found a way to avoid the covenant.
However, it has now come to light that they are requesting to remove some land from the Stawamus Chief and Shannon Falls Provincial Parks to allow for the gondola to be constructed. When selling the property, TLC never anticipated that BC Parks would consider removing land from the Park to facilitate such an endeavor. The covenant that TLC placed on the land will prevent this gondola, unless BC Parks gives permission to the developer. Taking land out of this park or any other provincial park is not something that TLC would or does support, but it is also not something that can be stopped except by BC Parks or the Minister refusing to compromise the integrity of this Class A Provincial Park.
I contributed separately to your campaigns such as the Skaha Bluffs and stopping the 2004 Gondola proposal on the Stawamus Chief in Squamish.
As you know, a new Sea to Sky Gondola Proposal is being fast-tracked by various levels of government and the risk that long-protected parkland will be removed from two provincial parks is imminent.
I strongly urge the TLC to use any and all resources and allies that it can muster to oppose the new Sea to Sky Gondola Proposal. I don’t fully understand what happened after the TLC secured the gravel pit below the Stawamus Chief, but TLC clearly has a big stake in and responsibility for the outcome of the current debate.
Do all you can to stop the removal of parkland from the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park and Shannon Falls Provincial Park and oppose the new Sea to Sky Gondola Proposal. Now is the time for swift, decisive action. Website statements such as this are nice, but are not nearly enough.
Thanks for your comment Steve. We are doing everything we can. We are not an advocacy organization. We have made our position abundantly clear to government and in particular ministers and premiers. We do this by direct communications using the leverage of our 8,000+ members and the millions of dollars we have invested in BC Parks. We are also very clear that we will not tolerate any violation of the covenant now or ever. We are also supplying information to any advocacy group that asks to assist in their efforts. Right now the most important thing is for BC Parks and the politicians to get the message that removing land from this or any BC Park is not on.