With Pemberton being one of the fastest-growing communities in the Sea to Sky, Mayor Mike Richman named “growth management” as one of four main themes that he and Village of Pemberton (VOP) staff identified during a strategic planning session late last year. The other three themes are environmental stewardship, emergency preparedness and organizational health.
Following its election in October, Pemberton’s council is still in the midst of polishing and finalizing a variety of goals and initiatives discussed during the strategic planning process. Richman indicated in a Jan. 6 phone call that various details will likely emerge in future council meetings and press releases over the weeks and months to come.
Growth spurt
Population growth, and the related demand for affordable housing, has been a major topic of discussion among VOP staff and community members for some time. Pemberton’s population surged by 32.4 per cent from 2016 to 2021, well outmatching the average rate of the surrounding Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) in that time. Statistically speaking, the VOP has largely been able to meet housing needs up to this point—the goal is to keep doing so.
“Growth management is not just restricted to housing,” said Richman. “It’s traffic, transit, infrastructure, and quality of life.”
The foundation for addressing this issue will be the Village’s Official Community Plan (OCP) review, which is already underway and is expected to take two years. Richman stated that recent changes happening in Pemberton makes now “a great time” to be reviewing the OCP.
“It’s a pretty lengthy process to make sure that we gather information from residents and businesses, from local governments, etc., to get that North Star of what we, as a community, see for Pemberton in 20 years and in 50 years, and how do we get there?” he said.
The OCP review will provide critical context for how Pemberton’s current and imminent development proposals, like one south of Den Duyf Park, will take shape. Richman anticipates that the VOP will look at some “very interesting projects” in the months ahead, but he declined to talk about specific details until the actual development applications come forward.
The mayor thinks it is important for Pembertonians to understand what council can and cannot do in order to influence local growth. Elected representatives have little to no ability to intervene when property owners develop their land in ways that comply with existing bylaws and zoning regulations. However, they can provide input when a developer asks for variances or rezoning measures in their real estate proposal.
Councillors can also proactively affect how future development shakes out through measures like reviewing the OCP and updating the existing housing needs assessment.
‘We want to shore up Pemberton’
In regard to environmental stewardship, Richman affirmed the Village’s commitment to lowering its carbon footprint and encouraging residents to do the same. He also highlighted emergency preparedness in the area’s dramatic geography, including the continued work of the Pemberton Valley Emergency Management Committee, a joint effort between the Lil’wat Nation, the Pemberton Valley Dyking District, the SLRD and the Village.
Finally, in terms of organizational health, the mayor noted the significance of keeping VOP staff satisfied and well-equipped to continue providing services to an evolving Pemberton.
“Not unlike most municipalities, we’re taking a hard look at retention and recruitment,” he said. “The market has changed through technology, the pandemic and the way we do business. Retention and recruitment have changed as well.”
In addition to all of that, several major projects will likely break ground in 2023, including a much sought-after increase in childcare capacity, a regional park-and-ride transportation hub, and upgrades to the Friendship Trail between Pemberton and Mount Currie. As exciting as these initiatives may be, Richman said that a large part of council’s strategic planning process was aligning the goals of a council that was sworn in Nov. 1 with staff work that was already in progress at that time.
“Staff should be spending the bulk of their time keeping the lights on, so to speak, in providing the necessary services that we offer our residents,” he explained. “We’ve got to make sure that as we’re bringing [additional] projects on, that we have the capacity to do them right, do them in a timely way, and do them in a financially responsible way.”
When asked what Spud Valley residents can expect from their mayor and council in the year ahead, Richman emphasized that his goal is to prioritize substance over style.
“We’re not coming out saying: we want to do all these sexy projects and be flashy about it,” he made clear. “We want to shore up Pemberton. I shy away from the word ‘resilience,’ but … we want to build our resilience. We want to build our strength as a community. Our focus is recognizing what we have, and really trying to shore it up.”
