District invites community to Let’s Talk Squamish

New online space aims to make local public engagement opportunities more accessible, and kicks off with Budget 2022

The District has launched Let’s Talk Squamish, a new engagement space that will serve as an online hub for the District’s public engagement efforts. Let’s Talk Squamish invites residents to participate in local planning and decision-making by asking questions, sharing ideas, and providing feedback on projects that will shape the future of Squamish. Residents are encouraged to participate and join the conversation at LetsTalkSquamish.ca.

Let’s Talk Squamish has launched with two current public engagement efforts: Budget 2022 and the Off-Leash Dog pilot project. The Garibaldi Estates Neighbourhood Plan public engagement is scheduled to launch on the platform within the next two weeks.

"Meaningful public engagement involves hearing a range of perspectives from all residents and when we hear and consider a diversity of perspectives we can all work together to build stronger plans and solutions for our community,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “We know that perspectives can differ amongst neighbours and friends, and that’s okay, as long as they are both valued and heard. We invite all Squamish residents to participate openly and respectfully, and to join us in strengthening the way in which we engage with the community.”

Let’s Talk Squamish will be updated regularly with a range of opportunities for residents to participate and share ideas on a broad range of projects across the community. Its goal will be to serve as a positive space for residents to come together and share different perspectives.

Municipalities across British Columbia have adopted similar online tools in recent years to improve community access to online public engagement opportunities. With Let’s Talk Squamish, the District can build on the best practices from other communities while learning and listening to what works best here at home.

“We are acutely aware of how busy everyone’s lives are, and by providing ways for people to engage with us at a time that is convenient for them, we hope to reach more residents to help inform the decisions in front of Council,” continues Elliott. “There are many big conversations underway and coming up that we want and need to hear residents’ perspectives on. And while we will be offering in person engagement opportunities for some projects, I encourage everyone – young and old– to explore this platform and try it out with these first few topics."

The information available on Let’s Talk Squamish can be viewed and accessed by everyone. Residents will be asked to create an account via a simple, short form, in order to ask questions, share ideas, and have access to the input opportunities on the site. Only user names will be visible to the public, and anonymous polls and surveys will still be offered, however registering allows residents to be updated on the projects that matter most to them, and helps the District know a little bit about who is engaging on a given topic. Registration also promotes a safe and respectful space for all users.

Visit LetsTalkSquamish.ca to explore the site.

October 4, 2021