Getting around the Sunshine Coast is easier for youth with the return of the Youth Travel Pass, known as the S-Pass.

The program provides eligible youth with fare-free travel on Sunshine Coast transit routes, helping young people stay connected to school, friends and their community.

The S-Pass is available to youth aged 13 to 18 who are currently attending secondary school.

How to Get an S-Pass

Youth must provide proof of age and Sunshine Coast residency when registering. Acceptable documentation includes:

• A valid School District No. 46 (SD46) student ID card
• Current government-issued photo identification, such as a passport, driver’s licence or BC Services Card

Eligible youth can register for and receive their S-Pass at any of the following locations:

Sechelt Aquatic Centre, 5500 Shorncliffe Avenue, Sechelt
Gibsons and Area Community Centre, 700 Park Road, Gibsons
Sunshine Coast Regional District Office, 1975 Field Road, Sechelt

The S-Pass is valid on all SCRD transit buses and can be accessed through either the Umo app or a Umo card. The pass validity period for the upcoming program year is November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027.

Plan Your Journey

Riders are encouraged to use the Umo app, Transit app, Google Maps or another preferred trip-planning tool to check schedules, track buses in real time and plan their journeys.

For transit schedules, trip-planning information and customer alerts, visit bctransit.com/sunshine-coast

Children aged 12 and under already ride for free on the Sunshine Coast Transit System through BC Transit’s Get on Board program.

For more information about the S-Pass, eligibility requirements and registration, visit scrd.ca/s-pass.

Effective immediately, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is advising customers on the Eastbourne Water Service on Keats Island to boil their drinking water due to elevated levels of bacteria detected in the water supply. A map of the affected area can be found here.

The boil water advisory, issued by Vancouver Coastal Health will remain in effect until further notice.

The SCRD has received some questions from the community in relation to water that is already stored in tanks at residences. Residents should following the guidance below prior to using any of this water.

What you need to do

The following general precautions should be followed when there is a boil water advisory in effect.

Residents are asked to:

• Fill a pot with water.
• Heat the water until bubbles come quickly from the bottom of the pot to the top.
• Keep heating the water for one more minute.
• Turn off the heat source and let the water cool.
• Pour water into a clean, sanitized container with a cover for storage.

Customers should use boiled water that has cooled or bottled water for:

• Drinking.
• Brushing teeth.
• Washing fruits and vegetables.
• Preparing food and baby formula.
• Making ice.
• Giving to pets.

SCRD utility staff will be on Keats Island today to investigate the cause of the elevated bacteria levels. The issue is not believed to be related to delivery of supplemental water supply that took place during the summer.

Signage will also be posted throughout the community to help ensure customers are aware of the advisory. Residents are asked to advise their neighbours of the need to boil their water.

The advisory will remain in place until Vancouver Coastal Health is confident the boil water advisory is no longer needed.

For your safety, please continue to follow these precautions until further notice.

For more information and updates, go to www.scrd.ca or call, 604-885-6806 or email infrastructure@scrd.ca.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is celebrating the success of its 13^th annual Backroad Trash Bash, which took place on Saturday, September 12.

20 volunteers gathered to clean up trash illegally dumped on the backroads of Halfmoon Bay to Pender Harbour. Volunteers included community residents, members of the Sunshine Coast Off-Road Club, Sunshine Coast Dirt Bike Association, Pender Harbour Hikers, and the Conservation Officers Service.

Special thanks to the Pender Lions Club for providing a gathering space and cooking the volunteer’s lunch and the Pender Harbour Hikers for their generous support and volunteer help with the event. Thank you to this year’s sponsors Sustainable Forestry Initiative of Western Canada, IGA and Rona for donating water bottles, gloves and bags for the volunteer’s use.

This year, 890 kilograms of illegally dumped waste was collected by community volunteers. This included 160 kg of scrap metal, 280 kg of roofing, 450 kg of garbage, 8 tires and 2 propane tanks. Extra thanks to Don White’s help with an excavator for the removal of an old trailer and surrounding garbage, although the weight of that garbage hasn’t been calculated yet.

FYI! A lot of what is collected from these events is free to drop off a local depot, off rim tires can be brought to a local tire shop and both appliances and electronics are free to drop off locally.

“The Backroad Trash Bash is a great example of what we can accomplish when our community comes together to care for the places we all enjoy,” says Marc Sole, SCRD Manager of Solid Waste Services. “We sincerely thank all the volunteers who came out to help clean up illegal dump sites. Their efforts help protect our forests, wildlife, and waterways while making the Sunshine Coast a cleaner, safer place for everyone.”

To learn more about the Backroad Trash Bash, visit letstalk.scrd.ca/trash-bash.

For information on how to clean up an illegal dump site year-round in our region or how to report sites to the Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line, visit www.scrd.ca/illegal-dumping.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has begun accepting applications for the 2026 Waste Reduction Initiatives Program (WRIP).

Launched in 2015, WRIP was introduced to support waste reduction and recycling priorities identified in the SCRD’s Solid Waste Management Plan.

The program has a total of $7,500 available for financial assistance to Sunshine Coast based community groups and associations, non-profit societies, registered charitable organizations, school groups from school districts 46 and 93. for projects that will reduce waste in the region. Project applications must include a plan for measuring and reporting the amount of waste diverted from the landfill.

Project categories considered for the program include:

• Community reuse and repair
• Composting
• Construction and demolition waste reduction, reuse and recycling
• Food waste reduction
• Green waste reduction
• Recycling initiatives

Applications are now open and must be received by midnight on October 26, 2026.

Projects must be completed, including a final report, by June 30, 2027. Interim reporting, project guidelines and restrictions can be found at https://letstalk.scrd.ca/wrip. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the SCRD in advance of submitting their application to ensure that their project is eligible for funding.

Successful past projects include:

• The xwesám–Roberts Creek Community Association utilized their funding to enhance recycling sorting efforts within the community—improvements that may have already been noticed. The team successfully diverted at least 25 kg of recyclable materials from landfill. With the addition of new recycling bins, the Association continues to make meaningful progress toward its zero-waste goals.
• Chatelech Community School allocated their funding to support barrier-free breakfast, lunch, and snack programs for students at Chatelech Secondary School. Through their efforts to reduce waste, they successfully prevented the use of at least 2,500 paper plates—demonstrating a strong commitment to both student well-being and environmental sustainability.
• Cedar Grove Elementary School has enhanced classroom access to composting, resulting in reduced waste across the school. Both students and staff are actively engaging in learning what materials are recyclable and compostable. New bins and clear signage have been introduced to support ongoing waste-sorting education and environmental responsibility.

If you have questions about the Waste Reduction Initiatives Program, or are interested in applying, please visit https://letstalk.scrd.ca/wrip email infrastructure@scrd.ca or call 604-885-6806.

What would you do if an earthquake, wildfire, or other emergency happened tomorrow?

 The shíshálh Nation Government District and Sunshine Coast Regional District are inviting residents of all ages to “get prepared” at Community Emergency Preparedness Day on Saturday, September 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the shíshálh Nation Administration Building, 5555 Sunshine Coast Highway, Sechelt.

This free, interactive event will give residents an opportunity to learn practical emergency preparedness skills, connect with local emergency organizations and experience hands-on activities.

Highlights include:

• Quake Cottage — experience what an earthquake can feel like.
• Personal Preparedness — learn about household preparedness planning and what goes in your emergency kit.
• FireSmart Demonstration — learn how to reduce wildfire risk around your home.
• DIY Air Purifier Workshop — build an air purifier with the BC Lung Foundation.
• Emergency preparedness exhibitors and first responders from across the Sunshine Coast.
• Food will be served from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
• Raffle draw at 2:30 p.m., featuring prizes including a generator, portable power station, grab-and-go kits and more. Winners must be present.

Workshop spaces are limited to approximately 15 to 20 participants, so early registration is encouraged. Confirmation emails will be sent by September 15. Registration is not required to attend the event itself.

For more information on the event and to register for a workshop, visit www.scrd.ca/emergency-preparedness-day

Community feedback gathered through the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) Parks Service Review shows strong support for parks, trails and the proposed management framework delivering park services.

Engagement took place from June 10 to July 6, 2026, and included seven community check-in events, a workshop with organizations that have formal operating agreements with the SCRD, and online surveys.

In total, 413 public survey responses and 117 youth survey responses were received.

The engagement process identified several key themes

• Parks and trails are highly valued and widely used throughout the region.
• Environmental protection was identified as the strongest community value.
• Approximately 80–90 per cent of respondents supported each element of the proposed service delivery framework.
• Additional investment in core park amenities could improve visitor experiences.
• Access to parks, trails, and beach accesses for all ages and abilities requires targeted improvement.
• Volunteer capacity may impact service delivery in the long term.
• Long-term funding sustainability may affect the SCRD’s ability to maintain park infrastructure or enhance service levels.

The feedback will inform the final Parks Service Review report, which will include recommendations on park classifications, management zones, service levels, resource requirements and performance measures.

The final Parks Service Review report is currently under development and is expected to be completed later this year.

The full What We Heard Report is available through the SCRD’s Let’s Talk Parks project page and will be presented to the SCRD’s Committee of the Whole tomorrow (Thursday, September 10).