Council drops closed Nov 10 meeting so its next business meeting is public
The new council's second business meeting was going to be a closed session for legal advice on November 10. Councillors asked to change the schedule, so their next business meeting is now the public one on Tuesday, November 17 at 6 p.m.
What changed
The District of Squamish has cancelled the special business meeting that was set for Tuesday, November 10 at 9 a.m. The District's meeting listing now reads "MEETING CANCELLED" and gives no reason.
That meeting would have been almost entirely private. Its only item was a vote to close the doors so council could get legal advice from its lawyers, which is protected by solicitor and client privilege. Residents could have watched the opening minutes and nothing more.
Why council asked for the change
Councillor Laura Prosko explained the change in a statement that former council candidate Anders Ourom shared in a local Facebook group:
"We didn't want our first meeting as a new Council to be a closed meeting, so we requested a change to the schedule with the CAO. We now have an orientation and meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, at 9 am. We felt it was important to ensure our first meeting aligned with our commitment to transparency, and that's why we made the change."
The CAO is the chief administrative officer, the District's top staff member, who sets up council's meeting schedule.
What this means:
- The new council still meets staff on November 10, but for an orientation. It is not listed as a public meeting.
- The council's next business meeting is now Tuesday, November 17, and it is open to the public.
- The council was sworn in on November 3. That inaugural meeting was a ceremony and also a business meeting: it had an agenda, and council voted on its regional district board members, the acting mayor rotation, appointments to other boards and its 2027 meeting schedule. Those votes are on the public record.
Where and when: November 17
- What: Regular council meeting, the new council's first regular business meeting
- When: Tuesday, November 17, starting at 6 p.m.
- Where: Council Chambers, Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue
- Open to the public: yes, anyone can attend in person
- Watch live: District of Squamish YouTube streams
- Agenda: usually posted the Thursday before on the District's meeting portal. We will explain every item in plain language on our meeting page once it posts.
Who is on the new council
- Mayor Sean Easton
- Councillor Eric Andersen
- Councillor Janice DesJardins
- Councillor Sarah Ellis
- Councillor Luc Perreault
- Councillor Laura Prosko
- Councillor Shaun Veltkamp
You can follow how their votes line up with their campaign promises on our scorecard. New to local government? Read our plain guide to how council works.