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Where the candidates stand on jobs and the local economy

The background

Many Squamish residents commute out of town for work, so creating local jobs is a recurring goal. That requires land and buildings for businesses (''), which compete with housing for scarce flat, flood-safe land; council set a goal of a net increase in employment space by September 2026. Tourism is a major employer and brings about two million visitors a year, but residents are increasingly unsure they benefit, citing crowding, congestion and parking.

Downtown businesses are also directly affected by the , parking policy and new mixed-use buildings. Candidates differ on how welcoming to be to industry (including LNG), how to manage visitors, and how much commercial space to require in new developments.

Key facts

Agree or disagree?

Where each candidate lands on these 2 statements, from their own questionnaire answers or their public record. Tap a name for the detail.

“The District should cut red tape and speed up permits for builders and businesses.”

What does this mean?

Faster approvals can lower costs and bring jobs. Rules also exist to protect neighbours and the environment.

Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neutral / mixed
Somewhat disagree
  • Daniel Deal (for mayor) Strongly agrees

    “With the Squamish's existing OCP to be reviewed, I believe there are several improvements we can make to keep the industry alive in Squamish. I want to see the opportunities for industry as well as small businesses. I would also like to look at bringing back or updating the Investment Incentive Program they rolled out back in 2013-2016. I believe through some of these steps we can bring and keep business in Squamish.”

  • Sean Easton (for mayor) Strongly agrees

    “I constantly hear that red tape slow down residents who want to contribute to our community. I'll take a common-sense approach that enforces expectations without cumbersome bureaucracy.”

  • Jenna Stoner (for mayor) In the middle

    “Faster shouldn't mean looser. I've voted against streamlining packages that moved decisions away from the council table without a matching gain in transparency and accountability. What I want is a public permit tracker and published processing times, so applicants get certainty without the public losing oversight.”

  • Andrew Hamilton Somewhat agrees

    “Rules should be clearly defined. If a developer wishes to vary a permit or rezone, then the process must be robust. The larger the variance, the more time it will take to carefully consider the impacts.”

  • A. John Lowe In the middle

    “It is always beneficial to cut red tape but you don't give away the farm to do it. There are professionals with credentials and oaths to adhere to. I believe we can make the builders accountable for their actions by requiring them to provide their own professionals to cut the red tape. We as a district can then hold these individuals to their professional ethics. That is a simple way to cut red tape and save the district money .”

  • Luc Perreault Strongly agrees

    “Absolutely, This is one of the areas where I would like to focus my energy as a councillor because the benefits are felt across the entire community. Faster and more predictable approvals help businesses invest, create jobs, build housing, and reduce costs. I also think we need to recognize that many delays are not caused by bad intentions. Sometimes applications are complex. Sometimes applicants don't fully understand what information is required. Sometimes staff are working with limited resources and competing priorities. That's why I believe the solution is not simply removing rules. The solution is creating a process that is clear, efficient, and easy to follow. We need to give Municipal Hall the tools, staffing, and resources necessary to succeed. We need a process that is easy for staff to administer, easy for applicants to understand, and designed to lead to successful outcomes. A good process should clearly explain requirements upfront, identify issues early, reduce unnecessary back-and-forth, and provide applicants with realistic timelines and expectations. When everyone understands the process, projects move forward faster and with fewer surprises. We still need rules that protect residents, neighbourhoods, and the environment. But there is no reason those protections can't exist alongside a streamlined and efficient approval system. At the end of the day, I want a District that is known for being professional, responsive, and easy to work with. When you have a well-designed process, residents are happier, businesses are happier, applicants are happier, and staff are happier. That's a win for everyone.”

  • Laura Prosko Strongly agrees

    “Red tape hinders a strong local economy for small businesses.”

  • Shaun Veltkamp In the middle

    “This is a discussion that also needs to factor in our low taxpayer base, and therefore minimal district staff. Staffing is an issue to move permitting approvals forward, so discussions need to be had within council to decide on how to best make the development permitting process more efficient, whether that be safely streamlining processes for certain types of building permits, or adding more staff to support the current process.”

Comments candidates added when answering our questionnaire, unedited.

“Land set aside for industry and jobs should be protected from being rezoned for housing.”

What does this mean?

Housing pressure makes industrial land valuable to build on — but a town with no job land becomes a commuter suburb.

Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neutral / mixed
5 candidates haven’t said — show names
  • Sean Easton (for mayor) In the middle

    “Squamish needs both thriving industry and residents who can afford to live here - we should be open-minded about the best use of each piece of land in the long-term.”

  • Jenna Stoner (for mayor) Somewhat agrees

    “A town with no room for jobs becomes a commuter suburb. It shouldn't be absolute, but the burden should be on the case for converting it.”

  • Andrew Hamilton Somewhat agrees

    “Make a plan. Stick to it. If you see the plan isn't working, change it. The whole plan, not just one parcel.”

  • Laura Prosko In the middle

    “This is an OCP and vision and land use planning scenario and as I have said in my Five Point Plan, you need a strong local economy so we need a balance first.”

  • Chris Ryan Somewhat agrees

    “This is why we need to expand the boundary for building residential and industrial projects”

Comments candidates added when answering our questionnaire, unedited.

What each candidate has said

Mayor candidates first, then council, in alphabetical order. Our summary of the public record; tap [source] to check it.

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