OurSquamish Placemaking Society acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) who have inhabited these lands since time immemorial.
Our Mission
OurSquamish is a community non-profit dedicated to enhancing Squamish’s urban public spaces for a lively, inclusive, sustainable, safe & healthy Squamish. Through people-driven projects, education, and advocacy, OurSquamish is committed to building equitable public spaces that support the diversity of our community.
About Us
Our Story
OurSquamish formed in the Spring of 2019 when a small group of Squamish residents saw that, while we are surrounded by amazing natural spaces, our urban public spaces (think: streets, sidewalks, parks etc.) where we spend much of our daily lives, could better serve the people that live here.
With experience in building, painting, and gardening, they gathered some discarded pallets, bought a few cans of paint, and built a temporary corner seating area: OurSquamish’s first act of placemaking. People loved it!
Our very first installation! From a couple of discarded pallets, a temporary seating area was made at the corner of Winnipeg St. & 2nd Ave, Downtown Squamish.
They have gone on to build more benches and public seating, host community events, provide pop-up patios, paint murals, build planters, install bike racks, advocate for public spaces, and provide people with opportunities to create the community around them. Through prioritizing the human experience in our shared spaces, from providing safe spaces for people walking, rolling, and biking, to areas to play and relax, to urban greenery and public art, we create a healthier, happier community.
Looking to the future, we’re excited to build our team and keep collaborating with our neighbours to make Squamish's urban public spaces better for us all.
Check out our Reading List at the Squamish Library and Resources Page to dig deeper into what inspires us!
What is placemaking?
Public spaces are of high importance in every community. These are the spaces used for daily travel, recreation, gathering with others, and even for the seemingly mundane utilities and infrastructure needed in cities. Public spaces are challenged to meet the needs of many diverse users, and because of this, it can be difficult to create public spaces that are not only useful but are inclusive of the diversity of people present in our communities.
"Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution." - Project for Public Spaces
Placemaking is:
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Community-driven
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Collaborative
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Transformative & vibrant
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Context-specific
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Flexible & adaptive
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Inclusive & accessible
Our Staff
Anna Kroeker
Our Project Manager, Anna Kroeker, grew up in Winnipeg Manitoba, and moved to British Columbia to attend UBC in 2016. She graduated with a degree in International Relations, and is very grateful for the interdisciplinary education she received, and the ways it has been able to shape her understanding of the world. She has worked in Sustainable Development, education, and communications, and is excited to bring these skills to OurSquamish. She is passionate about the future of Squamish and being a positive force in the growth of this amazing town, and is always available for a chat about the ways to continue working towards healthy urban growth and community building in Squamish.
She moved to Squamish in 2021 to climb and has fallen in love with the community. In her free time she loves climbing long routes, trail running, camping, lake swimming, and feeling grateful for this place we are lucky enough to call home. She will never take for granted getting to say good morning to the mountains every single day, and the glory of watching the alpenglow from the patio of a fun brewery.
Our Board of Directors
Emily Willobee
Emily, OurSquamish's Secretary, grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She lived in Chicago’s near-west side for years working in active transportation until she moved to Vancouver in 2009 to complete her Master in Public Policy, where she rapidly fell in love with Canada and the Pacific Coast.
Professionally, Emily is a policy analyst, a communications specialist and a senior project manager. She works in local government looking after a broad portfolio that includes community outreach programs, solid waste, fleet and GIS/mapping.
Personally, she has a keen interest in playing outside and being an active participant in the making of a healthy, vibrant and connected community. She appreciates a bit of whimsy in public spaces – sometimes it’s the little things that help bring us together.
Emily settled in Squamish in 2021. She also volunteers at the Squamish Food Hub.
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David Lee
David, OurSquamish's Treasurer, is fascinated by the hidden design of our everyday built environment and how great public spaces can actually make us happier and healthier. David grew up in North Vancouver and has called Squamish home since 2020. His appreciation for urban design is shaped by time spent living abroad in San Francisco, Singapore and France.
David is an avid cyclist who loves sharing the joy of bicycles with other people. He's a transit nerd who enjoys riding the bus, but he owns a car and drives too. He has worked for startups building technology for cyclists and runners. His passion for sustainable transportation led him to become an entrepreneur focussed on solving zero emission transportation of goods.
He is happiest outdoors playing in the mountains with friends or else indoors with a fresh croissant and piping hot cappuccino.
Douglas Hamilton
Doug was born and raised in East Vancouver and later in the ’suburbs’ of West Burnaby. He completed a degree in Electrical Engineering and worked five years as a technical designer, before returning to school to pursue a degree in Architecture. In 1983 he moved to Brackendale with his young family to join a new local IT ’startup’ company, eventually transitioning into a 30 year career serving the local design and building industry (all) while raising three kids.
Doug has served as Chairman on the Squamish Board of Variance, and currently sits as Vice President in charge of Community Projects for the Squamish Man’s Shed Society.
As a lifetime proponent for the powers of interdisciplinary design and social collaboration, Doug is very excited to have been approached by Our Squamish to sit on the Board as an advisor, collaborator, and hopefully contributor to the enrichment of our community.
Zoe Linford
Growing up in Northern BC, Zoe has always been surrounded by rivers and mountains and can't think of a better place to be than in the forest.
Zoe Relocated to Vancouver in 2005 to go to school for Early Childhood Care and Education, moving to Squamish in 2017 and finishing her bachelor’s degree in early childhood care and education at Capilano University in 2023.
Zoe lives in Squamish with her 2 children, her partner and their two cats.
Zoe loves seeing how community spaces come alive, evolving and changing under the influence of whoever finds themselves in there.
Hope Moir
Hope grew up in northern Ontario and has called BC home since 2016. She moved from Vancouver to Squamish to be closer to the mountains and back in a small community. She holds a Masters in Public Health and focused her studies on housing and urban density. Her professional background is as a registered nurse, currently working as a policy analyst with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC.
Hope has a passion for healthy built environments and is looking forward to contributing to the
community through OurSquamish. Outside of these endeavours you can often find Hope running, skiing,
or hiking.
Partners and Sponsors
