Weather Protected Spaces/Neighbourhood Nooks
Consultation has concluded
The District of Squamish is building 11 weather protected spaces (Neighbourhood Nooks) across the community. There is a lack of weather protected spaces for people to gather outdoors in Squamish. With recent extreme weather, and the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing demand from the community for protected spaces to gather outdoors.
- The locations are spread across Squamish to ensure they are accessible by a broad range of neighbourhoods and users.
- Efforts were made to choose parks where the community has already asked for sheltered spaces or seating upgrades.
- Parks and locations were chosen to consider high visibility areas to discourage any unwanted activity. Spaces can be easily moved if any issues develop.
- The budget for this project is approximately $150,000 and includes all costs including the design and construction of 12 structures, seating, unique features for each location and engagement costs.
Between June 9 and July 4, 2022 District staff conducted public engagement with residents to discuss a series of weather protected spaces proposed to be located across Squamish and how to best integrate the spaces into the proposed locations. Thank you to all of you who participated in this process!
District staff hosted 11 pop-ups (one at each of the proposed locations) to meet with residents in-person and learn about their ideas for the new spaces. Residents were also able to provide ideas and ask questions using an online mapping tool hosted here on LetsTalkSquamish.ca.
Throughout the process, staff heard from more than 150 residents. We received feedback about where to place the new structures within each of the proposed parks and learned about design features that could be included to meet the needs of the neighbourhood the space will serve.
As a result of the feedback received, these structures will now be referred to as Neighbourhood Nooks. A list and map of all the Neighbourhood Nooks are available at Squamish.ca/neighbourhood-nooks.
View the Engagement Summary to find details about what we heard and how the feedback was incorporated.
*Note that of the 12 structures that were discussed, 11 will be installed. The structure proposed at Blue Jay Way Park will not be installed due to feedback which indicated residents were not in favour at this time.
Neighbourhood Nooks have been constructed off-site and will be installed beginning September 12, 2022.
