British Columbia’s environmental assessment green light for Garibaldi at Squamish has developers one step closer to a new four-season mountain resort in the province.
The proposed resort will be nearly 15 kilometres north of Squamish on Mountain Garibaldi’s Brohm Ride, and has the opportunity to drastically boost Squamish’s tourism. It will be built on the rim of an old volcano, and feature over 120 ski runs, 18 chairlifts, 3 gondolas, 3 on-mountain lodges, along with hiking and biking trails.
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Garibaldi at Squamish will also boast a large pedestrian only village area with shops, restaurants, and nearly 5,800 housing and hotel units. The resort could provide up to 6,000 new jobs.
But don’t get too excited, the $3.5 billion project has been in the works for the past 20 years, and won’t be complete for at least another 20. It’s also at the forefront of a lot of opposition, especially from Whistler.
Given the Squamish resort will be 35 minutes closer to Vancouver than Whistler, the current ski resort king could face heavy competition that could potentially jeopardize its future.
In addition, Squamish residents are concerned about the resort’s impact on the area’s wilderness and recreation. The Squamish council also opposed the resort last month, stating it didn’t meet the district’s smart growth and sustainable land-use plans.
Needless to say, the project proposed by the Aquilini Investment Group and Northland Properties has come a long way, but still has a long way to go.
