District of Squamish Acquires Hunter Property

By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Dec. 20, 2012

The District of Squamish has bought two parcels of property from Richard J. Hunter, a move that will benefit those who use and advocate for the Valleycliffe Trail.

The parcels are located between Hospital Hill, Valleycliffe, and the Upper Mamquam Blind Channel.

The District purchased the two pieces of property for $70,300 on Tues, Dec. 18.

Mayor Rob Kirkham said the acquisition was a ‘very worthwhile investment for Squamish.’

“It will enable us to secure access to a trail currently referred to as the ‘Hunter Trail’ or ‘Valleycliffe Connector Trail’, a key east-west pedestrian connection between downtown and the residential areas of Valleycliffe and Hospital Hill,” he said.

“Options can now be explored to improve the safety of this trail for the enhanced use of residents.”

Safety issues on the trail has been a long-standing concern, but private property issues curtailed any meaninful action to provide a better trail  for pedestrians.

The trail is well-used, particularly by students who use it to walk to downtown from Valleycliffe and Hospital Hill.

The residents of Valleycliffe and Hospital Hill have been pressing the council to upgrade the trail for years. But everytime they went to the council, they were told nothing could be done until the private property issues were resolved.

Future improvements to the trail will be considered during the 2013 budget process, Kirkham added.

Council will also look at officially naming the trail in 2013.

“I’d like to express appreciation to Mr. Hunter for recognizing the value of his property to the community, and assisting in making this purchase possible,” said Mayor Kirkham.