Proponents of the Garibaldi at Squamish resort are projecting an opening date of November, 2001 for their resort after receiving a letter from Premier Glen Clark last week. Clark’s letter to Garibaldi Chairman Wolfgang Richter said in part, "I encourage you to continue your master planning exercise and assure you that we hope to approve this project for construction at the earliest opportunity in 1999, according to the time frame you have negotiated with the Environmental Assessment Office." The Garibaldi project is currently working to complete the requirements of the province’s Environmental Assessment and Commercial Alpine Skiing Policy processes. Garibaldi entered the Environmental Assessment process last December. In the spring the project moved to stage II of the Environmental Assessment process, where further studies were required. Richter has been critical of the second stage of the process because other projects, such as Al Raine’s proposed Cayoosh Resort, have been stuck in it for years. However, Clark’s letter is encouraging. "To streamline the process and implement economic development initiatives such as Garibaldi at Squamish, we have created a special Cabinet Committee, the Economic Council of Ministers chaired by the Honourable Joy MacPhail. We have also recently appointed the Honourable Moe Sihota to a pivotal new economic development role in Cabinet and moved the BC Lands and the mountain resort development portfolio to a new Crown Corporation, BC Assets and Land Corporation. "We hope these initiatives will be of assistance to you and encouraging for the community. Please advise me if there is anything else my Cabinet colleagues or I can do to assist your efforts to bring this vital project to fruition in 1999." Richter said in a release, "We have always said that we will be a positive factor in leading Squamish through its economic transition from a community dependent on forestry to one that should be known as the outdoor recreation capital of the world. It is encouraging that our vision to showcase Garibaldi and Squamish to the world is being recognized by our political leaders as well."
