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Town of Squamish
Cleveland Avenue in Squamish
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Location of Squamish in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°42′6″N 123°09′32″W / 49.70167, -123.15889
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Regional District	Squamish-Lillooet District
Government
- Mayor	Ian Sutherland
- Governing Body	Squamish Council
- MP	Blair Wilson
- MLA	Joan McInytre
Area
- Total	95.41 km² (36.8 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	14,949
- Density	149.3/km² (386.7/sq mi)
Time zone	Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Postal code span	V8B
Area code(s)	604
Website: District of Squamish.BC.ca

Squamish (2006 census population 14,949) is a community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway. The population of the Squamish census agglomeration is 15,256.^[1]

Forestry has traditionally been the main industry in the area, and the town's largest employer was the Western Forest Products pulp mill. However, Western Pulp, Squamish Operation permanently ceased operation on January 26, 2006.^[2]. In recent years, Squamish has also become popular with Vancouver residents escaping the increased cost of living in that city, less than one hour away by highway.

Contents 1 Sḵwxwú7mesh 2 Activities 3 Politics 4 Education 5 Social and cultural 6 Notes 7 External links 8 Surrounding municipalities

Main article: Sḵwxwú7mesh

The Sḵwxwú7mesh, (or Squamish) is the name of the Indigenous or First Nations people who have inhabited at this part of southwest BC (including North and West Vancouver) since before the time of contact with Europeans. Previously named Newport, Squamish is the European pronunciation of Skwxwú7mesh, the traditional name. The translation of Skwxwú7mesh is "people of sacred drinking water".

Tourist attractions include the Stawamus Chief, a huge cliff-faced granite massif favoured by rock climbers. As well as over 300 climbing routes on the Chief proper, a majority of which require traditional climbing protection, there are also steep hiking trails around the back to access the three peaks that make up the massif, all giving great views of Howe Sound and the surrounding Coast Mountains. In all, between Shannon Falls, Murrin Park, The Malamute, and the little Smoke Bluffs, there are well over 1200 rock climbing routes in the Squamish area, (and another 300 or so climbs north of Squamish on the road to Whistler). In recent years, Squamish has also become a major destination for bouldering, with over 1000 problems described in the local guidebook.

Another activity for which Squamish is well known is mountain biking, with over 600 trails suitable to all abilities surrounding the town. One of the more famous events supported by the Mountain Biking Community is the Test Of Metal a 67 km cross country mountain bike race held in late June every year. It is limited to 800 riders, and the 2007 race sold out in under an hour.

Other tourist attractions in Squamish include Shannon Falls waterfall; river-rafting on the Elaho and Squamish rivers; wind surfing and kite surfing at the mouth of the Squamish River; and bald eagle viewing in the nearby community of Brackendale, which has one of North America's largest populations of bald eagles. Squamish is also a popular destination among Greater Vancouver hikers, mountaineers and backcountry skiers, who visit the large provincial parks in the surrounding Coast Mountains.

The current mayor of Squamish is Ian Sutherland. Previous mayors include Corrine Lonsdale (1993-2002), Egon Tobus (1990-1993), and Phil Turner (1983-1990). The municipality is a member of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.

On the provincial level, Squamish is in the West Vancouver-Garibaldi electoral district. The MLA is Joan McIntyre (BC Liberal). She was first elected in the 2005 provincial election.

Federally, Squamish is a part of the West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country electoral district. It is represented by Blair Wilson (Independent), who took office during Canada's 2006 federal election.

Squamish has six elementary schools: Brackendale, Garibaldi Highlands, Mamquam, Squamish Elementary, Stawamus Elementary and Valleycliffe Elementary. There are two secondary schools — Howe Sound Secondary School and Don Ross Secondary School — as well as the board office for School District 48 Howe Sound.

Capilano College offers post-secondary education through its Squamish campus, including diploma programs and university transfer courses. Quest University Canada, opened in September 2007. It is Canada's first private, non-profit, secular university.

Squamish is home to a variety of faiths. There are eleven churches and religious organizations, including several Christian denominations, as well as the Bahá'í Faith, a Sikh temple, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Squamish is a filming location of the ABC's romantic comedy-drama television series Men In Trees. Squamish is the home to the Squamish Cougars of the WHA Junior West Hockey League.

In 1998, Squamish was briefly the home of the world's first unionized McDonald's franchise, although the union was decertified by the summer of 1999.

• District of Squamish
• Howe Sound School District
• The Squamish Chief – Squamish's Newspaper
• Sea To Sky News, Squamish's Independent Free Newspaper
• Climbing in Squamish
• The Squamish Access Society - protecting public access to Squamish climbing areas
• Imagine the Sea to Sky Corridor, part of Simon Fraser University's Imagine BC series
• Western Pulp - located in Squamish
• Quest University Canada

		Whistler Brackendale	Garibaldi Provincial Park
			Garibaldi Ranges
		Squamish
	Howe Sound	Lions Bay	North Shore Mountains

v • d • e Subdivisions of British Columbia
Subdivisions	Electoral Areas · Regional districts · School districts
Settlements	Communities · First Nations · Ghost towns · Municipalities
Urban centres	Abbotsford · Kamloops · Kelowna · Nanaimo · Prince George · Vancouver · Victoria

Coordinates: 49°42′06.2″N, 123°09′31.5″W