Brackendale eagle advocate vows to oppose plan
John French
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There's talk again of expanding the Squamish Municipal Airport in Brackendale - and though long-standing opponents of the plan don't think it's going anywhere, they are prepared to take action.
Local developer Douglas Day started the ball rolling by bringing up the issue at a meeting last month of the Select Committee on Squamish Business Development (SCSBD).
The minutes from that meeting indicate that the discussion within the meeting included a number of concepts that created tension when airport expansion as discussed in the mid-1990s.
According to the minutes from the Dec. 1 meeting the discussion points touched on by the committee members included a 914-metre (3,000-foot) runway extension, removing restrictions on planes that make noise and offering long term leases at the airport.
Jeff Dawson, chair of the SCSBD, said the discussion also included talk of potentially relocating the airport to another area of Squamish. He and another committee member viewed the other proposed location, east of the Sea to Sky University site, from the air. Professional aviators were consulted on the proposed location and Dawson said the site was rejected outright after the research was completed.
"The committee is serious about looking at all economic opportunities and this initiative is no different," Dawson told The Chief of his committee's interest in the Squamish Airport. "People around the table see some potential opportunities here that they would like to explore."
The SCSBD decided to create a working group to research the issue further. Day is a member of the working group and he said that a meeting was scheduled for this week with economic development officer Lee Malleau.
Speaking as a citizen, Day said that the airport is underutilized. "If a few changes were made it could be much better," said Day.
He argues that if the runway was re-aligned in more of an east-west positioning the noise impacts on Brackendale will be reduced. He feels that with a realigned and lengthened runway larger planes will use the facility.
"The thought is that it would be a real economic driver for Squamish by bringing in helicopter maintenance and other aviation business," he said. "We could turn that airport into what YVR has done for Vancouver.
"It seems to be an idea that is generating steam. I'm sure it will be quite controversial because there are many people who don't want to see it happen. If you ask me if we could have a pulp mill or an airport I would take six airports any day."
Day envisions a larger flight school operating out of the airport and he feels commercial passenger carriers will be attracted to the expanded facility.
"If we make this happen nobody will be thinking about the sawmill we just lost and the railroad shops," said Day. "Aircraft maintenance is one of the best-paying jobs there is."
As for the issue of conflicts with the eagles of Brackendale, Day said there is room for the birds and an expanded airport.
"We're just looking to explore the issue and get some information back to make an educated decision," Dawson said.
"We'll just have another go at it and see what happens," said Day.
The SCSBD is not asking Squamish council to get involved at this point.
Talk of airport expansion created a tense division in Squamish through the middle of the mid-1990s after Seattle-based Pacific Cascade tried to introduce regularly scheduled service using Dash-7 airplanes between Squamish and Seattle.
Many residents opposed the plan with the strongest opposition coming from a vocal group of Brackendale residents.
Thor Froslev was one of the people who led the opposition to the proposed changes in the 1990s and he told The Chief that if this effort shows signs of becoming serious he will speak against the initiative.
"We've gone and done this before and certainly anyone going for office won't go for it," Froslev said.
"It'll peter out. I don't see it."
