Nov 36 p.m. meeting, 6:30 ceremony, Squamish Valley Golf Club
Mayor Sean Easton and six councillors take their oaths on Tuesday, November 3 at 6 p.m. at the Squamish Valley Golf Club, not Municipal Hall. Six of the seven are new to council. On the same night they hand out the first jobs: who fills in as mayor each month, who speaks for Squamish on the regional board, and who sits on the library, community forest and Land Back boards.
What changesAnyone can go, but seating is limited, so the District suggests watching the livestream. The ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. Two weeks later, on November 17, the new council casts its first real votes, and the 2027 budget, now drafted at a 10.4% tax increase, is one of the first big decisions.
After the initial count, Jeremy Valeriote of the BC Green Party leads the riding by about 2,000 votes. Across British Columbia the Conservative Party leads in enough ridings for a majority. Valeriote is one of two Green candidates leading. Elections BC does the final count November 6 to 10, so these results are not final.
West Vancouver to Sea to Sky, votes
Green (Valeriote)10,503
Conservative8,478
New Democratic2,283
Others818
All 90 ballot boxes counted. Preliminary until Elections BC declares official results.
What changesIf the final count holds, your member of the Legislature will sit in opposition to a Conservative government.
Environment Canada has issued a wind warning for southern sections of Howe Sound, including Bowen Island. Northerly winds of 70 km/h gusting to 90 km/h are expected to develop early this morning. Winds should ease late this morning, but will stay blustery into this evening. Local power outages are possible, and flying or falling debris could cause injury.
What changesSecure loose objects outside and be ready to adjust your driving for changing conditions, and you can report severe weather to BCstorm@ec.gc.ca or with #BCStorm on social media.
The official count confirms Sean Easton beat Jenna Stoner 3,681 to 3,506. Eric Andersen is the only councillor returning. Sarah Ellis led the council vote with 4,499. Councillors John French, Andrew Hamilton and Chris Pettingill were not elected.
What changesSix of the seven members are new to council. What each of them promised is on our scorecard.
The District posted its proposed 2027 budget and 10 year financial plan, project by project. The same week it received the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2026 budget document.
What changesThe budget sets property tax and utility rates. Council has not adopted it yet.
The Squamish Community Foundation is taking applications for 2027 Community Enhancement Grants on behalf of the District. Eligible projects include neighbourhood events, youth programs, reconciliation, recreation and climate action. Arts projects apply to Squamish Arts instead, and a group can receive one grant or the other.
What changesNonprofits and charities are eligible. Individuals and businesses are not.
The District reversed its plan to let residents return after a September 18 fire and propane tank ignitions near Under One Roof, which houses supportive housing, an emergency shelter and the food bank. Fire Chief Aaron Foote also cited limited access for emergency crews.
What changesUnder One Roof has 40 residents, 20 shelter users and 70 staff, according to the District.
The District apologized to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw for harms caused by District actions over generations, including loss of language, culture and economic opportunity. It was given privately at Totem Hall on September 19 and marked publicly at O'Siyam Pavilion on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
What changesThe apology came from the True Words project (ta wanáxw sníchim) and is one of six shared priorities in the District and Nation's agreement.
The Sea to Sky Regional Transit Committee and the Province agreed to work on how a bus from Líl̓wat Nation to Metro Vancouver would be governed, funded and run.
What changesThis is a planning agreement. It does not yet fund or schedule any buses.
An AI model (Anthropic’s Claude) reads District news releases, council agendas, regional district notices, Elections BC and local announcements, and drafts a short story about each one. A person reads every draft, fixes it if needed and approves it before it goes up. Every story names its source. No opinions and no endorsements. Spot a mistake? Tell us and we’ll fix it and note it on the corrections page.
Sean Easton
Eric Andersen
Janice DesJardins
Sarah Ellis
Luc Perreault
Laura Prosko
Shaun Veltkamp
