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Squamish councillors remember Bill McNeney

McNeney was a prominent community member, former councillor and rotarian
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Left, Bill McNeney in 2013, back when he was chair of the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation.

Councillors remembered a prominent Squamish resident as a man who put his heart into serving the community.

Bill McNeney, a former Squamish councillor, died in his home Aug. 26 surrounded by his family, reads an obituary posted to Squamish Funeral Chapel’s website.

“My heart is particularly close to Bill,” said Coun. John French at council on Sept. 3. “He was my neighbour for many years. And I went to school with his daughter, and he happened to be the parent speaker at my graduation ceremony. Bill was an amazing community person who will be missed. My condolences go to his family.”

Coun. Doug Race called McNeney a friend who had a number of interests and talents.

Race noted we was an engineer, a ski race organizer and a member of the Rotary Club, which is how he and Race got to know each other.

“He had a particular talent — it was actually fundraising,” said Race. “It was just unbelievable the way he could put an event together and the way he could get money out of a crowd.”

He said McNeney’s work was key to raising cash for the local hospice.

“His efforts, I think, are going to benefit people in this community for many, many years to come,” he said. “And he will be missed.”

In addition to his work as an elected official and rotarian, McNeney was also in the public eye for a time as chair of the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation.

After he left the corporation, it would later broker the land transaction between the District of Squamish and Newport Beach Developments, a big step in fostering residential construction on the oceanfront.

 

***Updated Sept. 5 to clarify McNeney left Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation before the land transaction between the District and Newport occurred.

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