The New Squamish

Posted on by Meghan
new-squamish

Photo Credit: Kento Iemoto

It was only a matter of time until Squamish became popular. Rubbing shoulders with both Vancouver and Whistler, Squamish’s rise to the A-list of places to live is a Sea to Sky Cinderella Story. It was the flashy new highway that solidified Squamish’s status upgrade. With its well endowed natural assets, Squamish is quickly becoming the new place-to-be for adventure enthusiasts, lifestyle driven families and exciting new start-ups.

The new Squamish is flooded with people driven to the community because of a common-unity. That unity is a shared love of adventure, a connectedness to the outdoors and a desire for the freedom to design a life of their choosing. Squamish is the epitome of a new wave of mountain culture. I couldn’t be more stoked to call this place home.

After 15 years of living abroad I am now back in Squamish, something I swore I would never do. The most surprising part is, I love it here. Feeling more at home in Squamish than ever before, I couldn’t imagine a better place to raise my family.

How it was before

The rapid transformation of this tiny town has people polarized. While some of the long-time Squamish residents (like myself) are ecstatic about this revitalization, a large contingent are cashing out and heading to places like Campbell River or the Okanagan where their money stretches further, and where they can hope to reclaim some of the small town charm they believe Squamish has lost.

While many are happy to wax poetic on the way things use to be, old Squamish was rough and provided little opportunity for people outside of the forestry industry. Yes, it was great when you could get a parking spot at Brohm Lake on a hot summer’s day and when there were only two stop lights interrupting your commute from downtown to Brackendale, but things change, the secret is out, and we are now contending with more people who want a slice of the paradise that we took for granted for so long.

For those that aren’t familiar with the old Squamish, it was built on the back of the Forestry Industry. Forestry fed families in Squamish for many years and when the pulp mill shut shop in 2006 a huge piece of Squamish’s identity was lost. The town was in limbo for several years and it’s only been in the years following the 2010 Olympics that Squamish has come into its own.

Squamish now

Some might say (and I agree) that this is only the beginning of the new Squamish, with the development of the Squamish Oceanfront over the next two decades alongside an ever-growing list of new developments and capital upgrades, the future is sparkly for this diamond-in-the-rough town.

As residents flood to Squamish from the city and other parts of Canada, the demographics are certainly shifting. Squamish has one of the youngest populations in BC with 60 percent of the population under the age of 40 according to Statistics Canada. Average household income is also above the provincial average with educated professionals making up the majority of new Squamish.

New Squamish is coffee shops packed with digital and remote workers, craft breweries buzzing with energy, convoys of mountain bikers enjoying the trails Monday thru Sunday (doesn’t anyone have a 9-5 job?), and playgrounds, soccer fields and hockey arenas bursting at the seams with young, active kids.

Not everyone would define the new Squamish the way I have. They might say the new Squamish is full of city people, that the real community is lost, and that no one can afford to live here. Though these comments may hold some truth, I choose to air on the side of optimism, change is inevitable and the changes we are seeing in Squamish are in the right direction, for the most part at least. Which brings me to real estate, which happens to be my profession. No matter which way you look at it, Squamish has gotten expensive recently and there is a premium price tag to pay in order to enjoy this lifestyle.

The Squamish Real Estate Market

Though forestry fed many families in Squamish during the 80’s and 90’s, real estate fed mine. Having watched the real estate market in Squamish for most of my life, I’ve seen its highs and lows over the years. The last three years have been historic when it comes to price growth and property sales in this little town. Between January 2015 and January 2018 property prices in Squamish doubled, rising 98 percent in value. To give this some context, in the ten years prior to 2015 (2005-2015) prices increased 41 percent.

The overwhelming demand of people wanting to live here, pushed out because of sky-high property prices in the city and lured by the lifestyle that Squamish offers, are the main culprits behind the increase. Compounded by the announcement of the Oceanfront Project (Newport Beach) going ahead which brought city developers like Polygon and Bosa to town, the new Squamish is becoming unrecognizable to its former self.

Those who owned properties before 2015 are taking advantage of their heightened position in the Squamish real estate market, while those who were on the fence and didn’t buy are regretting their decision or relocating elsewhere. I’m not going to water down the situation, it’s expensive to buy here however in my opinion, it’s worth every cent.

What’s next for Squamish

This is only the beginning of Squamish’s rise to fame. As transportation to Vancouver becomes easier, and as new developments like Waterfront Landing and Newport Beach create vibrant live/ work communities, this town will only become more appealing to families, professionals and business owners looking for a place that parallels their lifestyle aspirations.

The town’s rapid transformation is not without its growing pains; parking problems, dated community amenities and lack of space for businesses are some gripes often aired online and within the community. No town is perfect, and people will always find something to complain about. As a professional raising two young children I can’t imagine being anywhere else in the world, the new Squamish feels good, and I sense I’m not the only one who believes this to be true.

About Meghan

Meghan is a real estate agent who is passionate about connecting lifestyle driven individuals to her vibrant town of Squamish, BC. Meghan was born and raised in Squamish, spent 15 years living abroad, and is now back partnering with her mother Nanci Fulton who has been selling real estate in Squamish for 30 years. Meghan loves representing buyers, welcoming them to her community and helping them find their perfect place to call home.