We are writing to express our profound frustration and disappointment with the unacceptable condition of the basketball gym floors at our public schools this Fall.  Specifically, the floors at Don Ross Middle School and the Howe Sound High School are in terrible condition following the re-waxing that occurred over the summer.  Our frustration is not from just the floors, but also from the lack of urgency and accountability in addressing this problem.

As local parents, we consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have an organization like Squamish Hustle in our community. The club currently has nearly 150 youth players and has served well over 500 players in the past several years, giving them an opportunity to learn and develop a love for basketball, build friendships, experience teamwork, and be part of a positive, healthy community. For many families, it has become an invaluable part of life in Squamish, offering meaningful afterschool activity and connection throughout the year.

Over the years, the floors have been commonly dirty and unwashed, but this Fall has been exceptional.  It is very clear that it is DIFFERENT, otherwise we would not be elevating the issue.  It also appears to be unrelated to just one school (DMRS), as HSS also has this issue this year, as well as BRE.  Our players are not in the other schools, so we do not know if it extends even further.  In conversations with some of the hardworking custodians that are in the gyms daily to clean the floor, they have also observed the issue.  These are your boots on the ground. It is not just parents that can attest to the problem.

Beyond the local basketball program, we are concerned about this matter and the liability it may incur to the school district. At some point, a student or player may be injured from these unsafe conditions. Slippery floors lead to a heightened risk of head and neck injuries that are otherwise uncommon in basketball and other court sports. 

Steps Already Attempted

The problem at DRS started with an incorrect installation of the new wax over the summer.  From there, many bandaid approaches have been attempted to resolve this issue.  All have failed, including: 

• Washing the floors before practices
• Applying specialized cleaning products to try and work around the wax issue
• Dry mopping the floors immediately before EVERY PRACTICE
• Making clean, indoor basketball shoes mandatory at practices (the norm)
• Not allowing anyone on the floors before practice (including parents and small kids)

Action Plan Requested

We are elevating this to the school board with a request to take this concern seriously and request immediate action.  This includes: 

• Acknowledging the problem
• Committing to re-surfacing the floor over the winter break or before
• Adding professional help to ensure installation is correct

Acknowledging the Problem

One of the theories we have heard coming from school officials is that the issue is related to construction particles entering the school.  We suspect this is not the main reason, otherwise the same problem would not exist at HSS and BRE.  To repeat, the coaches sweep the floor aggressively before every practice, which does not resolve the issue.  If the construction dust is so heavy that it can accumulate in a very short period of time following this effort (i.e. within 30 minutes), then we question the air quality at the school overall and would ask for a full air quality assessment to be done.  Construction dust can be a significant health risk, especially for youth from the release of fine particles into the air that can easily pass through some HVAC systems.  This could affect everyone there, all day every day, at school.  As we are not experts, we only ask that safety is considered first and professional guidance is provided.

That being said, we believe that the floor wax is the issue, not air filtration issues.  The latter would be a much worse outcome for the SD.

Re-Surfacing Over Winter Break Or Earlier 

Our simple request is that a commitment is made to re-do the floor.  Ideally, shut down the gym now for one week to do it quickly.  If that is too disruptive, then over the Winter Break so we can kick off the winter season in the best possible way.

Adding Professional Support

Getting this right may require getting a product specialist to come and oversee the process. Given the investment and risk of getting it wrong, we believe this would be a wise decision. 

And then, let’s keep it clean. 

There seems to have been some degradation in policies related to dirty shoes on the floors. We know this from what we observe in immediate after-school activities.  The gyms we have are valuable assets paid for by taxpayers, and we must treat them as such.  We ask that as a supplemental effort, NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR RE-FINISHING, the schools build a plan to keep filthy shoes, food, and drinks strictly off the court.  Where large assemblies or events are occurring, inconspicuous coverings should be considered, or at a minimum, deliberate plans to thoroughly clean the floor afterward must be made.

In summary…

We know Squamish needs another ice rink… it should not be the floors at our local school gyms!  While there is some humour in that comparison, the underlying issue is anything but funny. These are children and teenagers participating in organized sport, and they deserve facilities that are safe and fit for their intended purpose. It should not take a serious injury for this problem to receive the attention it warrants.

Our children deserve better, and this community deserves better.

We ask for a level of urgency and accountability that has yet to be demonstrated. We are a hardworking, committed group of parents who contribute enormously to youth sport in this community. We understand that budgets, scheduling, and competing demands create challenges. Providing a safe surface for children to play basketball is not an unreasonable expectation, and we are left wondering where the pride and commitment in maintaining these facilities have gone.

We are asking for immediate leadership and action from SD48. Specifically, a prompt assessment of the DRMS gym floors, a clear plan and timeline for remediation, and meaningful communication with those affected.  

We ask that you reply to this letter by November 1st.  We do not want to wait until the public school board meeting in November to discuss this, as it is simply too far away.  We are asking you to communicate a clear plan now and ask for a reply to this letter by November 1st; we cannot wait until a public school board meeting next month for solving this problem to be delayed or delegated.

We hope you will treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and provide a concrete response outlining what steps will be taken to resolve it.

Sincerely,

Evan Williams, local parent and youth sports coach

Dr Kathryn Wynn, local parent and physician

On behalf of concerned Squamish Hustle parents and families