News Release
Reminder – Hopkins Landing Renovation Open House
April 29, 2024
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has launched a community-wide effort to revamp the beloved Hopkins Landing dock and this Wednesday (May 1) will host an open house for community input on the project.
The open house will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre at 700 Park Road, Gibsons. The contractor for the project will provide a presentation at 6 p.m., followed by plenty of opportunities to speak with both the contractor and SCRD staff about the project.
If you are joining virtually, you can view the presentation and ask questions from 6 p.m. via the Zoom meeting link below. The presentation will also be streamed on YouTube.
- Join the meeting by clicking here.
- Watch the meeting by clicking here.
Lots more information about the project and ways to share your ideas and memories can be found at letstalk.scrd.ca/Hopkins. To date, over 120 visitors to the page have provided valuable input on the project. You can continue to share your input on this page until May 3rd.
Katherine Lake Park and Campground to Remain Closed
April 24, 2024
Katherine Lake Park and Campground will remain closed until at least after the May long weekend due to ongoing emergency road repairs.
Heavy rainfall in February caused significant damage to the park’s access road, leading to a sinkhole which poses major safety risks. The road was closed after an inspection found the road has structural damage including an undersized and corroded culvert system.
Repairs of the road involve a complete replacement of the culvert system and reinforcement of the road base. All this work must be approved by both Provincial and Federal authorities due to the fish bearing stream which runs beneath the road. Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) staff are doing all they can to expedite the remediation process, and have already engaged the professional services required to complete the work.
Unfortunately, the road work will not be completed in time for the typical opening of the Katherine Lake Campground.
“We understand that this is frustrating for those who use the park and campground but it’s just not safe to use the road right now,” says Shelley Gagnon, SCRD General Manager of Community Services. “The remediation and upgrade of the road will be completed with climate resiliency in mind so that we are building for the future, and other potential heavy rain events that are completely out of our control.”
Anyone who has reserved a camp space for the coming weeks will be contacted directly by the operator of the Katherine Lake Campground for a refund.
Further updates will be provided when available both at www.scrd.ca and www.katherinelakecampground.ca.
2024-Annual Pool Closures
April 23, 2024
Annual maintenance pool closures will take place as usual this Summer as the Sunshine Coast Regional District works to extend the life of the facilities and minimize unexpected closures throughout the year.
During these closures, water is drained from the wet areas (pool, hot tub etc.) of some of the facilities so that the maintenance work can be completed.
The pool closures are scheduled to ensure that at least two pools are open to the public at any one time.
Sechelt Aquatic Centre – The entire facility will be closed from Saturday, May 26 to Monday, July 1, re-opening on Tuesday, July 2. This year, the fire suppression sprinklers will be replaced at the Sechelt Aquatic Centre. In order to complete this work, all wet areas (main pool, leisure pool, lazy river, hot tub, steam room and sauna), change rooms, weight room and fitness studio will be closed. www.scrd.ca/sechelt-pool/
Gibsons and District Aquatic Facility – The entire facility will be closed from Monday, July 1 to Sunday, July 21, re-opening on Monday, July 22. www.scrd.ca/gibsons-pool/
Pender Harbour Aquatic and Fitness Centre – The entire facility will be closed from Saturday, July 27 to September 2, re-opening on Tuesday, September 3. www.scrd.ca/pender-pool/
Learn more at www.scrd.ca/recreation.
Stage 1 Water Conservation Regulations in Effect May 1
April 22, 2024
Each year, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) brings in Stage 1 water conservation regulations on May 1. After successive years of extreme drought, water regulations are more important than ever to secure water supply into late summer and early fall.
The regulations outlined below apply to all SCRD water customers on the Sunshine Coast.
Regulations define the types of watering and separate plants into three categories: lawns; trees, shrubs, and flowers; and food producing plants. Watering schedules can vary in different water systems across the region.
Stage 1 Watering Schedule
Watering Lawns
Sprinklers, soaker hoses or micro spray can be used to water lawns according to the Stage 1 schedule which is:
- For even numbered addresses, lawn sprinkling is allowed Thursday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- For odd numbered addresses, lawn sprinkling is allowed on Wednesday and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Watering trees, shrubs, flowers and food producing plants
Sprinklers, soaker hoses or micro spray can be used to water trees, shrubs, flowers and food producing plants and trees according to the Stage 1 schedule:
- For even numbered addresses, sprinkling is allowed Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- For odd numbered addresses, sprinkling is allowed on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
During Stage 1 water conservation regulations, hand held hoses with nozzles, hand held containers,
or drip-irrigation can be used anytime for watering lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers or food producing plants and trees.
Rain sensors are required on all irrigation systems to prevent watering in the rain.
Other uses of water
Pressure washing sidewalks and driveways, windows or exterior building surfaces is permitted only during Stage 1.
“As we have communicated on a number of occasions in the past few weeks, our snowpack which is vital to our summer water supply, is well below average this year,” says Shane Walkey, Manager of Utility Services. “Along with the rest of the Province, we are gearing up for a summer which could see significant drought. As a result, there is potential that Stage 2 water conservation regulations could be implemented earlier than in previous years.”
For more information, contact the SCRD at 604-885-6806 or infrastructure@scrd.ca. Visit www.scrd.ca/water-regulations for further details.
Staff do not take bylaw complaints by phone. Please submit bylaw complaints using the online form at www.scrd.ca/bylaw-complaint-form
2024 Utility Bills Have Been Issued
April 22, 2024
Utility bills for 2024 are being mailed out to Sunshine Coast property owners who receive water, wastewater and curbside collection service from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
As you will see from your bill, water rates have increased. In mid-April, SCRD Chair, Leonard Lee, provided a message to the community in the Coast Reporter newspaper with some context as to why water rates have gone up. You can read this message here.
Here is some further information about 2024 utility bills:
Rates
This year’s rates can be found at www.scrd.ca/utility-bill and at letstalk.scrd.ca/utility-bill
An easy way to pay
You can pay your utility bill by visiting www.scrd.ca/pay and selecting ‘Utility Bills’ on the menu that is provided. All you need to pay is your address and a credit card.
There are several other ways to pay which are all outlined at www.scrd.ca/utility-bill.
Questions about your utility bill
Last year, more than 2,000 calls and emails were received by the SCRD from the community in relation to utility bills.
Our staff aim to respond to enquiries within 48-hours. Members of the public attending the front counter at the main Field Road office may experience a delay while staff deal with other enquiries.
The SCRD has a respectful workplace policy, and the safety and wellbeing of our staff is our primary concern. The SCRD asks that members of the community be respectful when speaking with staff. Any foul or disparaging language will not be tolerated and will result in your call being terminated immediately.
You can also ask questions about your bill at letstalk.scrd.ca/utility-bill.
Other questions
Information on options to pay monthly and deadlines for payments will be available on the bill. You can also check out the frequently asked questions that are listed at www.scrd.ca/utility-bill.
Share Your Ideas for the Renovation of Hopkins Landing
April 16, 2024
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has launched a community-wide effort to renovate the beloved Hopkins Landing dock.
The trusty old dock had to be closed to public access in June 2023 after a structural assessment found it was unsafe for public use. Following a report to the SCRD Board, staff received budget to move forward with the dock renovation project.
An engineering consultant has now been secured and it’s time to hear from our community and users of the dock. What would you like to see done as part of the renovation process to improve your experience of Hopkins Landing?
Lots of information about the project and ways to share your ideas and memories can be found at letstalk.scrd.ca/Hopkins.
You can also join SCRD staff and the local contractor working on this project for an open house between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on May 1 at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre.
If you are unable to attend, you can also join the online portion of the open house which will commence with a presentation at 6 p.m.
Information on how to join the open house virtually will be provided on the Lets Talk Hopkins Landing page and the SCRD website prior to the open house taking place.
Contact Us
Aidan Buckley
Manager, Communications and Engagement
Phone: 604-885-6800 Ext. 6123
Cellular: 604-885-8052
Email: aidan.buckley@scrd.ca