Throughout 2022, we collected and collated a range of feedback on the values, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the region and of the vision for the biosphere. Feedback was collected through various means, including our Discussion Paper Feedback Form, webinars and our November 5, 2022 Future of Howe Sound Forum. This feedback came from individuals of diverse ages, backgrounds, experiences and professional occupations – but all individuals who care deeply about the region and want to see it thrive.

There is a diversity in the feedback which reflects the varied opinions of its contributors. For example, some contributors expressed views that make it clear they feel not enough progress is being made to protect and conserve the marine or terrestrial ecosystems, particularly under the umbrella of industry or development, while others observe the progress being made in moving toward sustainability. Therefore, certain related aspects covering different thematic areas can appear in both the positive and negative parts of this SWOT.

We want to thank all the contributors for their time and effort in providing their input. The feedback forms part of our commitment to UNESCO for managing the designation of the biosphere, including the development of our Nchu'ú7mut/Unity Plan. Collectively the feedback paints a picture of a rich and diverse region, greatly valued by its residents.

Click on the + below to reveal the details. This is feedback collected to January 2023 and will be updated as more feedback is received.

People

+ Strengths

  • Overall, it is perceived that residents enjoy relatively good health and long life expectancy
  • Residents feel passion for place and have pride in regional beauty and environmental recovery
  • Region supported by strong volunteerism and grassroots efforts, and a willingness to collaborate, particularly toward environmental protections
  • Many NGOs at work that are also supported by volunteers and a strong support network
  • Many citizen science volunteers exploring, monitoring and recording environmental data
  • Desire for inclusion and representation from across sectors and demographics
  • Cultural resurgence within the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw with language and traditional practices taught to youth
  • Consistent participation and strong support for regional forums by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, local governments, NGOs, academia, private sector and community groups
  • Record-high secondary graduation rates compared to rest of province, including Sḵwx̱wú7mesh students
  • Access to knowledge and skills from many academic institutions and a large population nearby to tap into
  • Strong intellectual capital of people choosing to live here
  • Regional commitment for holistic and regenerative planning
  • Diversity of economic sectors that benefits a variety of people such as real estate, low-impact business development

+ Weaknesses

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion are not at the levels they should be at
  • Insufficient awareness from many about Indigenous Rights and Title, and history of the land
  • Insufficient awareness from many outdoor users and property owners about human-nature impacts
  • Too few people aware of the AHSUBR
  • Not enough people ‘speaking the same language’ with regards to natural resource management
  • Insufficient recognition of the interconnectedness between humans and nature and that we need to regain more of what has been lost
  • Mental health challenges as a result of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including those that lead to life-altering situations, including the fentanyl crisis
  • Income disparity across communities and the region
  • Those struggling socially or economically have limited capacity for stewardship
  • Phrases such as “balance between environment, society and economy” can mislead, implying that each might be lost at the expense of the other which in the long term need not be true.

+ Opportunities

  • Improve quality of life from enhanced social services such as affordable and adequate daycare
  • Bring forward more traditional knowledge of the First Nations
  • Educate more youth on historical and traditional ways
  • Promote the mindset that environmental health is the building block for societal and economic health
  • Enhance promotion of the AHSUBR and the need to protect the land
  • Increase collaboration between local and regional governments, academia, Indigenous partners and community groups
  • Always improve dialogue and common understanding among interest groups
  • Encourage innovation from vibrant economic activities
  • Utilize the willingness of the younger generations to problem-solve and innovate

+ Threats

  • Health crisis and shortages of food and supplies
  • Diminished mental health and eco-grief over climate change predictions, particularly in youth
  • Changes negatively affecting more economically sensitive segments of the population if the changes are made too quickly to allow for adaptation
  • Impacts from increased development on traffic, and health and safety
  • Lack of overall coordination for emergency planning leaves communities at risk
  • Impacts from hazards (such as wildfire and landslides) and the displacement of people
  • Overuse from locals and tourists recreating in the region and the pressure on habitats and species, in particular day-trippers or weekend visitors from Metro Vancouver
  • Increasing population, the associated urban development and the urban/rural divide, particularly on cleared greenfield spaces
  • Misalignment between human needs and wants, e.g., desire for unconstrained growth and unrestricted access to public land
  • Insufficient recognition of the need to regain additional, but not impoverished, lost habitat
  • Negotiations based on emotional responses of stakeholders rather than known facts can negatively influence the success of AHSUBR implementation

Governance

+ Strengths

  • Democratic and fair elections
  • Functional and responsible local, regional, provincial, federal and First Nations government institutions
  • Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw leadership is working well, with enhanced support, youth involvement and a renewal of their land use plan
  • Increased Indigenous participation in governance decisions, and improved consultation/referral processes on other Crown tenure applications
  • Political peace, stability and safety which in turn helps maintain the unique, natural ecosystems
  • Cross-jurisdictional collaboration as well as across various public sectors and between non-profits and First Nations
  • Increased transparency and data sharing
  • Demonstrated leadership on environmental and sustainability strategies, plans and implementation
  • Current and expanding environmental protection laws
  • Substantial planning documents referencing sustainability
  • Xay Temixw sacred land use plan and commitment toward reconciliation (DRIPA and UNDRIP) between the Province, the Federal government and First Nations
  • Buy-in to the AHSUBR framework
  • Squamish and area residents have access to local Natural Resource District and BC Parks office and staff that live in the area
  • Local Squamish based DFO enforcement officers
  • Services for peace, justice and emergency rescue and support, including RCMP, Search & Rescue (marine and land) and Squamish Nation Guardians and Peace Keepers

+ Weaknesses

  • Recognition of Indigenous rights and governance is taking a long time to become established
  • Limited understanding and knowledge of environmental and social data gaps
  • Lack of understanding and adopting of natural assets’ roles in climate change resiliency
  • Delays in climate change adaptation and mitigation and commitment to reducing GHG emissions
  • Delays adopting strategies and implementing policies to address current and future climate and geohazard threats
  • Delays implementing species at risk (SAR) legislation and cumulative effects planning
  • Delays in planning and zoning enough affordable and rental housing
  • Many stakeholders of the AHSUBR are from local communities and not provincial government, however main focus of the biosphere is largely regarding public lands
  • Insufficient resources for government agencies, including inadequate resources for enforcement of conservation activities, to address the demands of growth in the region

+ Opportunities

  • Tap into communities for knowledge, skills and partnerships
  • Enhance recognition that a healthy society and economy depends on a long-term healthy environment
  • New AHSUBR Roundtable governance that will have regional, multi-sectoral representation, co-created with First Nations which can positively influence public policy
  • Continue to engage local government in the understanding of the benefits of maintaining a healthy ecosystem
  • Use other UNESCO Biospheres as examples to research and emulate where appropriate
  • Modernized Land Use Planning (MLUP) directors and staff could be more engaged and prioritize the AHSUBR, though could present risk considering how much has been accomplished without provincial support

+ Threats

  • Leadership and decision makers not taking steps forward on reconciliation, or addressing the need for urgent climate action
  • Leadership resisting the need for densification and in a planned and sustainable manner
  • Current processes and legislative structure do not yet support meaningful engagement to implement goals for biodiversity conservation
  • Social media and disruptive methods fueling non-factual rhetoric and emotional pleas to garner support
  • Lack of funding and commitment to sustain regular forums and dialogue
  • Outdated Provincial and Federal acts

Economy

+ Strengths

  • Average median after-tax income is above the BC average (https://communityfoundations.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CF3577_SeatoSkyReport_HR-web-single-3.pdf)
  • Natural assets attracting healthy lifestyle-oriented workforce
  • Government commitment to holistic, sustainable economic development frameworks
  • Numerous businesses committed to sustainability and carbon neutrality
  • Financially secure and stable institutions investing in sustainability, reconciliation and conservation
  • Financial investments in restoration activities and species at risk protections

+ Weaknesses

  • Unsustainable economic growth focusing on short term economic gain over long term environmental health
  • Region is in transition from primary industries to secondary/tertiary industries providing sufficient lucrative job opportunities to support lifestyle and cost of living
  • Lack of resources to address sector specific issues such as wood waste, behavior of visitors, poaching, and human wildlife conflict
  • Property values increasing resulting in lack of affordable housing
  • Many residents throughout the region struggle with incomes that have not kept pace with living expenses (https://communityfoundations.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CF3577_SeatoSkyReport_HR-web-single-3.pdf)

+ Opportunities

  • Promote best practices for innovative technologies
  • Increase funding from grants, donations and government commitments
  • Promote community forests as a model of best practices for sustainability
  • Continual shift away from traditional extractive industry brings opportunities for innovation and adaptation
  • Highlight the objectives of UNESCO Biospheres through ecotourism
  • Take a longer planning perspective – the next seven generations – while prioritizing the most urgent and important issues now

+ Threats

  • Global economic crises
  • Acts of vandalism
  • Continual increase in the property values threatens the cost of living
  • Costly impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss

Natural Assets/Biodiversity

+ Strengths

  • Recovery of marine life as reported by Ocean Wise Howe Sound 2020 Edition
  • Indigenous community cultural resurgence and local knowledge holders
  • Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw commitment to marine use planning Xay Temixw sacred land use plan and advancements on further planning and land resettlements
  • Town of Gibsons’ leadership commitment to natural assets
  • Awareness of sensitive ecosystems and protections applied Communities collecting and mapping ecological and natural assets
  • Watershed and aquifers provide water supply
  • Water Quality has improved after years of industrial pollution and heavy usage though caution still advised as measures and standards are required to maintain water quality
  • Average air quality is good ([https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/bcaq-016_e.html][0])
  • Existing terrestrial protected and conserved areas
  • Legal tools available for private landowners to protect sensitive ecosystems

+ Weaknesses

  • Lack of funding to sustain restoration and conservation efforts
  • Previous industrial activity delaying recovery of environment
  • Insufficient data on species habitats and movement
  • Invasive species travel most efficiently along highways, railway lines and power rights of way and from private homes purchasing from garden centres
  • Insufficient compliance and understanding of the importance of regulations, laws and policies
  • The large systemic changes required to adequately address sustainability in a meaningful and long term manner are not occurring
  • Lack of enforcement to prevent environmental harm
  • Cumulative effects assessment not integrated with values and areas outside provincial governance
  • Determination of values on which impacts are measured by the BC Environmental Assessment are not aligned with Indigenous values
  • Absence of coordinated effort across the region on wood waste management

+ Opportunities

  • Recognize and protect wildlife habitat and sensitive ecosystems
  • Identify and plan to proatect corridors between already fragmented ecosystems
  • Innovate new ways to continue to reverse historic environmental damage
  • Add certain plant species to the Noxious Weed list to better enable their control
  • Bring industry together to innovate on consumption issues
  • Integrate sustainable tourism development best practices to develop ecotourism that enriches rather than depletes resources
  • Innovate and implement sustainable harvesting
  • Invest in carbon sequestration
  • Increase opportunities for education through ecotourism to explain natural ecosystems and heritage

+ Threats

  • Wildfires
  • Erosion
  • Poaching
  • Impact of global events such as warming oceans
  • Uncontrolled invasive species, including the spread beyond property boundaries
  • Preserving land in impoverished conditions
  • Development within protected areas
  • Deviations from sustainable, manageable growth commitments
  • Unsustainably managed exploitation of natural resources
  • Not enough people understanding the need to keep their distance from cetaceans
  • Pressure from multiple sectors (e.g., tourism, recreation) on any particular area
  • Continued degradation of quality wildlife and plant populations

Infrastructure

+ Strengths

  • Strong law enforcement
  • Emergency response systems
  • Strong social support systems for persons in need and adequate health care
  • Planning departments adopting smart growth principles
  • Islands Trust Preserve & Protect mandate
  • Reliable and well-maintained transportation links within communities
  • Universities within easy access of region

+ Weaknesses

  • Lag time implementing infrastructure improvements to keep up with climate change impacts
  • Aging and insufficient infrastructure for population and visitor growth
  • Limited or non-existent public transport between some communities
  • Lack of funding available for capital infrastructure improvements
  • Lack of sufficient public washrooms

+ Opportunities

  • Improve current infrastructure to provide adequate water resources

+ Threats

  • Lack of overall coordination for emergency planning
  • Risk of natural hazards, particularly in Squamish, with flood and wildfire of particular note
  • Overuse from locals and tourists recreating in the region and the pressure on habitats and species
  • Insufficient recognition of the need to regain additional, but not impoverished, lost habitat