Compare the mayor and council, issue by issue

Pick an issue to see where everyone stands, side by side. The mayor is marked in yellow.

Who agrees with whom: the map

Everyone on a map first (swipe for 4 different maps), then the five big questions, one at a time. Placed from their 2026 campaign answers.

🧭 Compass

Homelessness: support and enforcement

More homeless shelters or fewer? Clear the camps, or let them stay?

MayorCouncilHollow = only one statement on one of the two lines
Homelessness: support and enforcementScatter chart. Left to right runs from more homeless shelters and outreach to fewer homeless shelters. Bottom to top runs from clear encampments and move the shelter out of downtown, to let the camps stay. The same information follows as sliders and a table. ▲ LET THE CAMPS STAY ▼ CLEAR CAMPS · MOVE THE SHELTER ▲ MORE HOMELESS SHELTERS FEWER HOMELESS SHELTERS ▼ Easton DesJardins Ellis Perreault Prosko Veltkamp
Homelessness: support and enforcementScatter chart. Left to right runs from more homeless shelters and outreach to fewer homeless shelters. Bottom to top runs from clear encampments and move the shelter out of downtown, to let the camps stay. The same information follows as sliders and a table. ▲ LET CAMPS STAY ▼ CLEAR CAMPS ▲ MORE SHELTERS FEWER SHELTERS ▼ Easton DesJardins Ellis Perreault Prosko Veltkamp

Not on this map (too little on the record to place fairly): Eric Andersen.

Use the arrows (or swipe) to see the same candidates mapped 4 different ways.

Diamonds (once council has voted at least 3 times on each line): where a member’s votes put them, joined by a dotted line to where their campaign answers put them. Do they vote the way they said? Statement by statement.

Tap any dot above to see the details here.

Left–right is support: more shelter and supportive-housing spaces, and mental-health crisis teams (left), or fewer homeless shelters (right). Up–down is the camps: clear tent encampments and move Under One Roof out of downtown (down), or let the camps stay (up). These aren’t opposites: someone can want more shelter and the camps cleared (bottom-left). Tap a dot for details.

Read this before judging anyone by it: council has voted on supportive housing but has never voted on encampments, police numbers or public drug use, so only candidates who answered our questionnaire can be placed. Everyone else is listed under the chart as not placed. What council has and hasn’t decided.

Now topic by topic

The compass squeezes everything into two lines. Here is where everyone sits on each of the five questions on its own.

Homelessness

Keep shelters and camps where they are, or move shelters out and clear camps?

Policing, bylaw officers and drug-use bylaws are left off this line: they’re a separate question. Some candidates have only answered one or two of these three statements, so check the number of statements.

based on 2 or more statements   only 1 statement: treat with care

Clearly: more shelters, even near homes · let camps stay (1)

Leans: more shelters, even near homes · let camps stay (2)

In the middle (4)

How this is worked out
  • “Squamish needs more shelter and supportive-housing spaces, even if they are located near residential areas.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “more shelters, even near homes · let camps stay”)
  • “The Under One Roof shelter and its services should be moved out of downtown.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “move shelters out of downtown · clear camps”)
  • “The District should clear tent encampments from public spaces, even when there is nowhere else for those people to go.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “move shelters out of downtown · clear camps”)

Each candidate’s dot is the average of their sourced scores on these statements. A dashed ring means it rests on a single statement.

Where do you fit? Take the 3-minute quiz and a ★ You marker appears on the compass and on every list.

Money

Hold taxes down, or invest in services?

based on 2 or more statements   only 1 statement: treat with care

Leans: invest in services (6)

In the middle (1)

How this is worked out
  • “Keeping property tax increases at or below inflation should be a top priority, even if it means cutting services or delaying projects.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “hold taxes down”)
  • “The District should put more public money and land into non-market and below-market housing.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “invest in services”)
  • “Major recreation investments, like renewing Brennan Park, should go ahead even if the District has to borrow.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “invest in services”)
  • “Regional transit to Vancouver and Whistler is worth spending local tax dollars on.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “invest in services”)

Each candidate’s dot is the average of their sourced scores on these statements. A dashed ring means it rests on a single statement.

Growth

Build more, faster, or slow down?

based on 2 or more statements   only 1 statement: treat with care

Leans: slow down, be cautious (2)

In the middle (4)

Leans: build more, faster (1)

How this is worked out
  • “Squamish is growing too fast. Council should slow the pace of new development approvals.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “slow down, be cautious”)
  • “Taller buildings (above 6 storeys) should be allowed downtown and near transit and services.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “build more, faster”)
  • “The District should cut red tape and speed up permits for builders and businesses.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “build more, faster”)

Each candidate’s dot is the average of their sourced scores on these statements. A dashed ring means it rests on a single statement.

The Woodfibre tax deal

Sign the 10-year tax deal with Woodfibre LNG, or not?

This is about money, not the environment. People on both sides of the plant itself disagree about whether this is a good deal for taxpayers. What’s in the deal.

What happens if council says yes or no?

Update, Sept. 22: council said no, 5–2 (Stoner, Hamilton and Pettingill against; Andersen and French for). The new council could still negotiate a new deal, so where each member stands still matters. Squamish Reporter

This is a question about money. It is not a vote for or against the plant, which is already being built, and candidates who support the plant are on both sides of it.

If council says yes

  • At least $142 million over 10 years, fixed in advance: about $14.2 million a year on average, with the biggest payments in the first five years.
  • The court cases end. Woodfibre drops its three legal actions over the 2025 and 2026 tax rates, with no refunds.
  • No risk from the Province or appeals. The amount holds even if the Province caps tax rates or the plant’s assessed value drops.
  • But it can’t go up. Most of the money doesn’t rise with inflation, it can only be spent on building projects, and it stays the same if the plant expands.

If council says no

  • Squamish still gets paid. Woodfibre keeps paying normal property tax every year. It paid $7.7 million in 2026 with the plant only part-built.
  • How much is unknown. Staff estimate $9 million to $29 million a year once the plant is finished, depending on the tax rate council sets. Today’s rate is about four times the B.C. average, and the District says keeping it that high for 10 years “would be unusual”.
  • The court cases go ahead, and the Province could cap the tax rate (as it does for ports and utilities) or change how LNG plants are valued.
  • A new council could try for a better deal. Nothing guarantees a new offer, and one could not start before 2028.

District staff say normal taxes “could be either higher or lower” than the deal and make no recommendation. District of Squamish: questions and answers on the deal.

Clearly: reject or renegotiate it (2)

In the middle (3)

Clearly: sign it (2)

How this is worked out
  • “The District should sign the proposed 10-year tax agreement with Woodfibre LNG.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “sign it”)

Each candidate’s dot is the average of their sourced scores on these statements. A dashed ring means it rests on a single statement.

Climate & environment

Should climate come first, even when it costs more?

based on 2 or more statements   only 1 statement: treat with care

Leans: keep costs down (1)

In the middle (2)

Leans: climate first (3)

Clearly: climate first (1)

How this is worked out
  • “Climate action should be a top council priority, even when it adds cost.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “climate first”)
  • “New buildings should have to meet higher energy standards, even if that raises the cost of building.” (agreeing moves a candidate toward “climate first”)

Each candidate’s dot is the average of their sourced scores on these statements. A dashed ring means it rests on a single statement.

Everything above as a plain table
CandidateHomelessnessMoneyGrowthThe Woodfibre tax dealClimate & environment
Sean Easton
mayor		leans “more shelters, even near homes · let camps stay”leans “invest in services”in the middleclearly “reject or renegotiate it”leans “climate first”
Eric Andersenleans “more shelters, even near homes · let camps stay”leans “invest in services”in the middleclearly “sign it”in the middle
Janice DesJardinsin the middleleans “invest in services”leans “slow down, be cautious”in the middlein the middle
Sarah Ellisclearly “more shelters, even near homes · let camps stay”leans “invest in services”leans “build more, faster”in the middleleans “climate first”
Luc Perreaultin the middleleans “invest in services”in the middleclearly “sign it”leans “keep costs down”
Laura Proskoin the middleleans “invest in services”leans “slow down, be cautious”clearly “reject or renegotiate it”leans “climate first”
Shaun Veltkampin the middlein the middlein the middlein the middleclearly “climate first”
How the compasses are worked out

Nobody here runs for a party, so nobody chose these labels. Each dot is calculated from the same sourced answers used in the quiz. Homelessness: left–right averages the support statements (more shelter and supportive housing, even near homes; mental-health crisis teams alongside the RCMP). Up–down averages two statements (clear encampments even when there is nowhere else to go; move Under One Roof out of downtown), with agreeing pushing the dot down.

How should we grow, and pay for it? Left–right is the same growth line as the Growth list below (slow the pace of approvals; taller buildings downtown; cut red tape for builders). Up–down averages the statements about taxes, borrowing and public spending (housing, shelters, transit, recreation, bike lanes, childcare).

Cars or bikes? Left–right is the growth line. Up–down averages the parking and transport statements: more public parking downtown, parking required in new buildings and free parking for residents (up), against paid parking being fair, and spending local money on bike lanes, sidewalks and regional transit (down).

A dot is hollow when either line rests on a single statement.

The issues

Plain language background on each topic, what council is doing about it, and where each member stands.