Squamish, BC

Squamish Today - 2010

Squamish has been one of Canada’s “hidden gems” for many years. For centuries, the incomparable beauty of this valley has amazed visitors and residents alike.

Squamish is ideally located at the tip of the Howe Sound just 40 minutes north of Vancouver and 40 minutes south of Whistler and will be central to the 2010 winter Olympics.

The town is in the midst of a boom, growing in size with new investment, and with it new opportunities and new activities.

Squamish’s reputation as the Outdoor Capital of Canada is spreading, and for good reason.

The geography and climate of the Squamish area offer not only tremendous physical beauty but also world-class recreation opportunities. From hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, bird watching, golfing and sightseeing to sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, white-water rafting and fishing there is truly something for everyone! To learn more about specific activities, check out our What to See & Do section.

Squamish also boasts the second highest number of residents who are artists by profession in all of Canada! You can fill days with arts and culture, exploring local art galleries, artists’ studios, the local Farmer’s Market and taking in performances by the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association. The Squamish Adventure Centre displays a book of many of the area’s artists and is a great starting point for art lovers.

Corporate Information

Tourism Squamish is a community destination marketing organization (DMO). Our goal in the broadest sense is to increase tourism to Squamish and build awareness of Squamish as a tourist destination.

The community of Squamish is in transition. There is a growing recognition of the importance of tourism as one element of a strong and vibrant economic base. However, Squamish does not intend to be a one-industry town and is also actively pursuing education/learning institutions, high tech firms and continues to participate in the forestry industry. Tourism Squamish summarizes the vision for tourism in Squamish as:

“Strong Tourism Economy within a Strong Economic Mix”

Tourism Squamish (DMO) takes the lead in promoting Squamish as a destination. The DMO serves as a catalyst to cooperation and will coordinate destination- marketing efforts. Our role is anticipated to include identifying target markets, developing and defining the Squamish brand and associated and messages and key competitive advantages and core messages to be taken out consistently to target markets. Tourism Squamish executes targeted promotions including web presence, packaging, and relationships with tour operators, offering familiarization tours, etc. We will also act as a coordinating body ensuring that our efforts and the effort of local tourism businesses are fully leveraged with regional and provincial tourism marketing programs.

Vision

“Tourism Squamish acts as an ambassador and steward of our destination, promoting a healthy tourism sector in order to secure broad benefits for our community.”

Mission

“Tourism Squamish works collaboratively with partners and leverages its resources effectively to execute strategic marketing, sales and customer service programs that deliver both more visitors and higher yield visitors to Squamish throughout the year. We provide industry leadership locally and we create awareness within our community of the value of tourism and the products and services that we offer to our visitors.”

Weather & Seasons

Squamish is ideally located at the tip of the Howe Sound on the Pacific Ocean in a deep valley. Therefore, Squamish offers a moderate West Coast climate suitable for year-round visits, depending on your interests.

Squamish is known for its wind; the powerful Pacific winds funnel through the Howe Sound and continue up the valley. In fact, the name Squamish comes from the Coast Salish word for “Mother of the Wind”.

For Summer Visitors

The summers in Squamish are typically warm and dry. From June until late September the average temperature is usually between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius.

Even when daytime temperatures get quite warm, the “Squamish wind” blows through the valley to moderate the air temperature. These consistent winds make June through September the ideal season for local and visiting wind surfers kite surfers.

Temperatures also tend to drop slightly in the evenings, ideal for sleeping and cooling off after a long day of sightseeing or adventure! Dry summer days are ideal for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, or cooling off in the rivers with a kayaking or rafting tour.

For Winter Visitors

The winters in Squamish are generally mild and wet. From November until February the average temperature ranges from 0 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius.

Although it snows to the valley level occasionally throughout the winter months, it rarely stays on the ground in the valley for extended periods of time. However, abundant snowfall blankets the sourounding mountains and can be seen from the valley. The deep snowpack makes Squamish ideal for visiting backcountry skiers or cross-country skiers and snowmobilers from late November right through to May!

Squamish’s winter rain keeps all of the vegetation well fed, which contributes to the lush, green scenery, especially in the spring, summer and fall!

Winter is also eagle season! Squamish’s winter visitors enjoy a rare treat of watching North America’s largest gathering of Bald Eagles, peaking December through February.

Food and Entertainment

Whether you’re looking for a quick bite to eat, a relaxing cup of coffee, pub grub or a sit-down meal and a martini, you’ll find whatever you’re craving in Squamish for food and entertainment.

There are several quaint cafes in Squamish that are great places to take a break or have lunch.

One cannot stand anywhere in Squamish without a spectacular view and you’ll be able to enjoy waterfalls, mountains, or ocean vistas while dining at many Squamish eateries.

Restaurants

Squamish boasts a wide variety of restaurant options. Enjoy some great ethnic food choices, family diners, or a hip tapas lounge.
Squamish Restaurants»