Community Profile - Squamish, Brittania Beach & Furry Creek
Community Facts
It’s not at all surprising that Squamish, at the head of Howe Sound just 45 km. (27 miles) north of Horseshoe Bay, is one of Canada’s top 10 recreational destinations. Squamish means “Mother of the Wind” in Coast Salish, and bountiful breezes have seen windsurfers clocked at more than 60 km./h (36 mph). Squamish is recognized as Canada’s windsurfing capital and hosts the PRO-AM Sailboard Races. It’s also hugely popular with rock climbers, Hollywood location scouts, sightseeing, hikers and birdwatchers. Once a rough and tumble logging town, Squamish now also offers restaurants, galleries and shops, all with snow-tipped Mount Garibaldi as a fabulous, fairy-tale mountain backdrop.
BritanniaBeach. 12 km. (7 miles) south of Squamish. Site of one of the world’s great mines, which closed in 1974 after producing more than 56 million tons of copper. Today, you can visit the B.C. Museum of Mining and walk the Britannia mine’s cavernous tunnels, which have also served as a location for X-Files episodes.
MurrinLakeProvincialPark. Just north of the mine site, an ideal picnic and climbing spot for novice and intermediate climbers.
ShannonFallsProvincialPark. From a viewing platform, photographers can get fabulous shots of the cascade, which drops 335 m. (1,099 ft.) along Hwy. 99, just south of Squamish.
Stawamus Chief. There are more than 200 climbing routes up this monstrous monolith, whose sheer face soars more than 652 m. (2,139 ft.) above sea level. The Chief, just north of Shannon Falls, has been in several action adventure films, with stars including Sylvester Stallone shooting on location.
Squamish Logger Days. Competitors come from around the world to show their skills in wood. Other festivals include the Thunder in the Streets Squamish Car Rally and Squamish Open Annual Regatta Sailboat Races.
West CoastRailwayHeritagePark. Train enthusiasts and history buffs alike converge to learn about and relive what it was like at the peak of the train era. The entire park was developed and is maintained by volunteers who are more than happy to give an explanation on the many displays open to the public. One of the park's most recent acquisitions is the famed Royal Hudson #2860 steam locomotive which for decades travelled between Vancouver and Squamish.
Annual Eagle Count. From November through January, thousands of bald eagles gather in the area, one of the largest such gatherings in the world. Local groups and the Nature Conservancy sponsor an eagle count in January that draws international crowds.
Furry Creek. Furry Creek is home to one of BC's most scenic golf courses, with panoramic ocean views and hills to challenge golfers of all stripes!
