People usually have a pretty good idea why they're moving to Squamish.

The mountains.

The trails.

Mountain biking.

Hiking.

Climbing.

Being closer to nature.

Getting away from some of the big-city feeling of Vancouver.

Those are the obvious reasons, and they're important.

But after living in Squamish for roughly 26 years—and helping a lot of people move here—I think there are some things people don't fully appreciate until they've actually made the move.

For me, three stand out.

The sense of safety.

How incredibly accessible the outdoors actually is.

And how much community, culture and entertainment exists once you start looking for it.

People know about the mountains before they move here.

What they don't necessarily understand is how those other characteristics can change their everyday quality of life.

The Sense of Safety Surprises People

This one is personal for me.

I've lived in Squamish for roughly 26 years, and I've generally felt very comfortable living and raising my family here.

I'm not suggesting there's no crime in Squamish. There is crime here, just as there is in any community, and people should obviously take normal precautions with their homes, vehicles and belongings.

But my personal experience of living here has always been a strong sense of safety.

When my kids were around ten years old, they would take the transit bus downtown and go shopping on their own.

As a parent, I was comfortable with that.

And I think that's one of the things people coming from a larger city sometimes notice after they've lived here for a while.

It's not necessarily something you can understand during a weekend visit.

You experience it by living here.

It's the comfort of your kids getting around the community.

It's recognizing people.

It's the smaller-town environment.

It's the general feeling you develop as Squamish becomes home.

For me, that has been a significant part of raising a family here.

People Know Squamish Is Outdoorsy. They Don't Realize How Accessible It Is.

Everybody knows Squamish is an outdoor town.

That's not exactly breaking news.

The District itself describes an enormous range of recreation around Squamish, including mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, hiking, fishing and other activities. Squamish sits at the head of Howe Sound surrounded by the Coast Mountains, so the geography is obviously a huge part of the community.

But knowing those things exist and living with them every day are different experiences.

That's what I think surprises people.

You don't necessarily have to pack the car and plan an expedition every time you want to get outside.

Depending on where you live in Squamish, trails, forests, rivers, the waterfront and other outdoor spaces can be remarkably close.

You finish work and go for a bike ride.

You walk the dog and end up beside the river.

You head out for a hike.

You get onto the water.

You take the kids somewhere outside.

It starts becoming part of normal life rather than something you organize for the weekend.

Nature at Your Doorstep Changes How You Use It

This distinction matters.

Imagine two communities that both have fantastic hiking 30 minutes away.

Technically, both offer hiking.

But if you can leave your house and very quickly get onto a trail, you're probably going to use it differently.

You don't need three free hours.

Maybe you've only got 45 minutes.

That's enough.

And that's where I think people underestimate the effect Squamish can have on their lifestyle.

They move here partly because they like the idea of being outdoors.

Then they discover that the accessibility means they actually get outside more often.

The outdoors becomes less of an activity and more of the background to everyday life.

You Also Don't Have to Be an Extreme Athlete

There's sometimes a perception from outside Squamish that everybody here is an elite mountain biker, climber or trail runner.

They're not.

You don't have to spend your weekends climbing the Chief or riding the most difficult mountain-bike trails to benefit from living here.

Maybe you walk.

Maybe you garden.

Maybe you paddle.

Maybe you take your dog into the forest.

Maybe you ride an e-bike.

Maybe you sit beside the river.

Maybe you just appreciate looking out your window and seeing trees and mountains instead of another building.

That's still part of the lifestyle.

The value isn't simply having world-class recreation nearby. It's having nature become unusually easy to incorporate into whatever version of outdoor life works for you.

“But There's Nothing to Do in Squamish”

This is the other thing I hear.

And I understand where it comes from.

If you're comparing Squamish with Vancouver based on major entertainment infrastructure, Vancouver obviously wins.

We don't have the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

We don't have an opera house.

We don't have the same collection of large entertainment venues.

There are things that a city of Vancouver's size can support that Squamish simply can't.

But I think people sometimes take that fact and jump to:

“There's nothing to do in Squamish.”

That's not my experience at all.

What Squamish has is smaller.

And you sometimes have to look a little harder to find it.

But there's a remarkable amount happening.

Look at What's Happening in Squamish Right Now

We checked the Tourism Squamish events calendar while preparing this article, just to see whether my impression actually held up.

It did.

This isn't a cherry-picked summer festival schedule. This is September 2026.

The current calendar includes live music, yoga, pottery sessions, running events, sports competitions, community gatherings, workshops and other activities. Tourism Squamish's calendar describes concerts, festivals, races, workshops and sports camps throughout the year.

This week alone, the Brackendale Fall Fair runs September 11 and 12, with live music, farm animals, hay rides, community organizations, local food, artisans and more than 80 vendors.

The Brackendale Art Gallery has also been running live music programming, and its next monthly open-mic night is September 17.

There are pottery-wheel sessions scheduled throughout September and into October. There are ongoing outdoor and recreational events. And the District has its own community programming and events alongside the Tourism Squamish calendar.

That's just a snapshot.

Squamish Culture Is Smaller and More Community-Based

I think this is the adjustment newcomers sometimes have to make.

If you're waiting for Squamish to offer the same entertainment infrastructure as Vancouver, you're going to be disappointed.

That's not what Squamish is.

Here, you might go to a performance at a small local venue.

You might hear live music at the Brackendale Art Gallery.

You might discover an interesting talk, workshop or community event.

You might go to a local festival and know several of the people there.

You might discover something simply because somebody you know tells you about it.

It's more community-based.

And personally, I think there's something really enjoyable about that.

You Have to Investigate a Little More

This is one piece of advice I'd give somebody who has recently moved here.

Look for your community.

Don't assume that because something isn't obvious, it doesn't exist.

If you're interested in art, find out what's happening in the arts community.

If you're interested in music, look at the smaller venues.

If you want community events, follow the local calendars.

If you're into a particular outdoor activity, there are probably other people doing it.

If you have kids, investigate what's happening for families.

Squamish isn't necessarily going to put everything in front of you the way a large city can.

You have to explore a little.

But once you do, you start discovering how much is actually here.

That's Part of What Makes Squamish Feel Different

When somebody tells me they're thinking about moving to Squamish, obviously we talk about real estate.

What neighbourhood works?

Do they want a house, townhouse or condo?

How important is the commute?

Do they want trail access?

Do they want to walk downtown?

Do they need a suite?

What's their budget?

Those are all important questions.

But they're really questions about something bigger:

What do you want your life to look like?

Because buying a property in Squamish isn't just choosing a house.

You're choosing the environment around it.

And that's why I think some of the biggest benefits of moving here aren't necessarily the things people put on their original checklist.

What Surprised Me After 26 Years?

At this point, Squamish has been home for a long time.

But when I think about what I've appreciated while living here and raising a family, it isn't just having spectacular mountains around me.

It's feeling comfortable in my community.

It's the ability to get outside without turning it into a major undertaking.

It's raising kids in an environment where the outdoors is part of normal life.

It's discovering that a smaller community can still have art, music, events, interesting people and things happening—you just experience them on a different scale.

And that's what I think people considering a move sometimes miss.

People know they're moving to Squamish for the outdoors. What they don't understand until they live here is how close that outdoor life actually is—and how much that can change the way they live.

Squamish isn't Vancouver with mountains.

And it shouldn't try to be.

For the people who want what Squamish actually offers, that's the whole point.