Historic Signs to Commemorate City’s Lush Past

For most travelers who pass through Squamish, the small city often represents a refueling station for eager alpine enthusiasts and city-weary Vancouverites. Being on the door-step of British Columbia’s Mecca for alpine sports means that the vibrant and growing city is, more often than not, overlooked for its quaint charm, bustling inner core, and the eclectic mix of small businesses purveying wares and goods characteristic of family run businesses that no longer exist in large cities.

This summer, the Downtown Squamish Business Association (DSBIA) have been working on the Historical Signage Project; an ambitious venture that hopes to raise awareness about the city’s colorful history and preserve the community’s unique cultural legacy. 

The Historical Signage Project hopes to illuminate this uniqueness by posting 24 weatherproof signs along Cleveland and Second Avenue. These markers will serve as time-traveling tour guides fully equipped with “bet ya didn’t know” facts and historical quips that will take people back to the cornerstones of the city’s development and the historic axiom points of its dynamic and varied past.

Tina Nowaczewski, the former Executive Director who envisioned the project, spoke with glowing enthusiasm over the proposed impact it will have on visitors as well as the city: “I'm really excited that this project is coming to fruition - it'll be great to share some of the rich history of the area with visitors and locals alike, especially as the downtown landscape is changing so rapidly. "In the last decade alone, Squamish has experienced much change and historic buildings, together with their quaint charm and propensity to induce nostalgia, have fallen victim to modernization and encroaching development.

Such an initiative is both timely and a way of recognizing the rich history of Squamish with each sign acting as a steward in preserving the events that shaped the city and its people.

With overwhelming enthusiasm and assistance from many business owners and community members, including the District of Squamish Planners, the Squamish Historical Society and the Squamish Public Library, who like Nowaczewski feel this project is exactly what the community of Squamish needs. 

"I'm very grateful for the patient assistance of Leslie Keith, Eric Anderson and Mark Armstrong, whose knowledge of local history and firsthand accounts give this project substance and integrity, and I'm hoping that these will serve as a template and be done in other parts of the community to complete the 'story' of our valley."

The Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association (DSBIA) is an organization composed of business and property owners in the Downtown Squamish area. One of our goals is to enrich the downtown area by creating a more culturally vibrant centre.