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BC Bike Race showcases the best of Squamish trails this weekend; marks mid-point of busy year of events in Squamish

The District of Squamish event calendar is in full swing as the internationally acclaimed BC Bike Race rolled into town, and the legendary Squamish Triathlon checked off another successful edition under picture perfect Squamish sunny skies this weekend. Over 60 events are ‘on the books’ for Squamish so far this year, keeping the town buzzing with activity and showcasing the best of Squamish to locals and visitors alike.

Such events have a great capacity to show Squamish off to the world. The BC Bike Race had participants registered from 26 countries, including 100 participants from Mexico alone. In its seventh year, the event also attracts a solid field of bike media, sharing video, photos and stories of Squamish to their North American audiences.

“We’ve had a wonderful experience in Squamish, in fact Brennan Park and the course in Squamish has been the number one course six year’s running because of all the people who make it happen here,” says BC Bike Race Marketing Director Andreas Hestler. “BC Bike Race doesn’t operate without a good relationship with the communities, and that means from the Mayor and Council down to the people who actually get things done. Squamish has been voted our best day.”

On Sunday, July 7, the 16^th annual Squamish Triathlon saw over 200 individual competitors and 25 relay teams compete. Conceived as a community event to celebrate the life of local triathlete Bob McIntosh, proceeds from the event fund an annual scholarship to assist a Squamish student who has demonstrated abilities in academics, athletics and citizenship. The triathlon draws participants heavily from the Sea to Sky Corridor, as well as the Lower Mainland and from as far away as Quebec and New South Wales, Australia.

Other events taking place this summer include the Squamish Mountain Festival (July 17 to 21), Gearjammer (July 20), 2013 West Coast Open and Canadian National Championship Kiteboarding Race (July 26 to 28), the 56^th annual Squamish Days Loggers Sports (August 1 to 5) to be aired on TSN this year, Squamish ArtCrawl (August 3 to September 2), Squamish Valley Music Festival (August 8 to 10), GranFondo (September 7) and many more.

“We have established a culture of embracing events in Squamish – starting with the Council and staff at the District in the facilitation of logistics, to the passion of the event producers– many of them local residents, to the community at large who turns out in droves to cheer on, participate and volunteer,” says District of Squamish Mayor Rob Kirkham. “Recognizing that events bring vibrancy, economic value, and exposure to our town we continue to develop meaningful partnerships with event producers to ensure a win for all involved.”

The recently announced expansion of the Squamish Valley Music Festival, about to become the biggest festival in the Pacific Northwest, is an example of such a partnership.

“It can be a tricky tightrope to walk between fulfilling the vision of an event producer while ensuring the event’s growth impacts Squamish positively,” continues the Mayor. “We have worked extensively with Brand.Live and our community sports associations to find the best possible solution for all involved, and the prospects are very exciting.”

The District of Squamish is in the process of hiring a Film and Events Manager who will further support the positive development of events in Squamish. The District facilitated 72 events in 2012, and revised its events policy in fall 2012 to improve its ability to facilitate events.

July 8, 2013