With Sunday鈥檚 concert close to being sold out and one of three campsites fully booked, Squamish Valley Music Festival organizers are ready to see a year鈥檚 worth of preparation put into play.
鈥淲e all feel pretty confident in [the plans],鈥� the festival鈥檚 executive director Paul Runnals said. 鈥淭he plan and the goal is to do a tremendous job so we can do it for years to come.鈥�
Festival organizers anticipate 75 per cent of the event鈥檚 campers to hit Squamish on Thursday (Aug. 8). To avoid clogging Highway 99 鈥� as happened at last year鈥檚 event 鈥� campers will be processed in Britannia Beach in the 20-acre property known as the Makin Lands. There鈥檚 enough room to queue two-kilometres worth of vehicles on the property, leaving the main Sea to Sky Corridor traffic artery free from idlers, Runnals noted. Festival organizer鈥檚 equipment processes 800 cars per hour.听
From there the vehicles will be directed to one of 12 parking areas, with the main festival-goers鈥� spots located in the Squamish Business Park at the former Winter Olympics鈥� transit hub off of Queens Way. Organizers will monitor traffic flow. If roads in and around the business park start backing up, campers will be directed to park at Britannia Beach to ease the flow.
鈥淭his is one of the new contingencies,鈥� Runnals said.
Loggers Lane between Finch Drive and Centennial Way will be closed throughout the festival, Aug. 8-10. Residents living on those streets will be allowed through, Runnals said. Organizers are not doing any road closures in the North Yards neighbourhood, however they will have traffic control in the area to ensure that festival-goers don鈥檛 venture into residential neighbourhoods.听
Pioneer Street, which links campgrounds to the business park and festival, will be sprayed down throughout the festival to minimize dust, Runnals said. Approximately 80 per cent of the campgrounds will be covered with tents. Where tents are not placed, festival organizers have rolled out turf in a further effort to eliminate dust. Pathways between the tents have been capped with sand
and 驳谤补惫别濒.听
鈥淲e are going to spray it down as much as we can,鈥� Runnals said.听
This year, the festival鈥檚 shuttle service has been beefed up. Free shuttles for ticket holders will run between the campgrounds 鈥� including outlying private grounds like Wonderland Valley Resort and RV Park and Klahanie Campground 鈥� downtown, the Squamish Adventure Centre and the festival grounds.听
More than $1.25 million is being spent on security, medical personnel and law enforcement. A 24-hour control centre, much like a 911 dispatch facility, will be set up throughout the event. SVMF organizers have hired more than 500 security guards and are paying for 70 dedicated RCMP officers.听
Up to 125 medical staff will be on site, Runnals told the 小蓝视频 earlier in the planning process. The goal is to minimize use of the Squamish General Hospital, he noted.听
The District of Squamish and the festival have developed information to help locals plan their days throughout the weekend. Visit www.squamish.ca and click on the Your Government tab, then the Projects and Initiatives tab before clicking on the SVMF tab and Community Info.听
Squamish is hosting a festival that鈥檚 becoming one of the pre-eminent music festivals in North America, Squamish mayor Rob Kirkham said.听
鈥淭his is a milestone moment for our community as the spotlight is on Squamish and we welcome the world to our doorstep,鈥� he stated. 鈥淲e are so proud of the beauty of our town, the amazing business community, and the friendly nature of our locals.鈥�
It goes without saying that bringing thousands of visitors to town for a three-day music festival does not come without an impact, Kirkham said.听
鈥淭hank you in advance to the community for all your extra patience during this time,鈥� he continued.
Music festival debrief meetings are scheduled for September. Feedback can also be called into (604) 892-5217 or visit www.squamish.ca/about/contact-
and-feedback.
The Squamish Valley Music Festival鈥檚 Help Centre will also be open throughout the Festival at (604) 390-0814 or [email protected].听
