Fire Chiefs from Sunshine Coast fire departments in Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour and Egmont are advising residents that a campfire ban will be in effect as of 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, June 8 across the Sunshine Coast.

This includes all fires whether for warmth or cooking and all beach fires, burning barrels, fireworks, firecrackers and sky lanterns.

A great resource explaining the different categories of open burning is available here online.

The campfire prohibition does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or portable campfire devices that use briquettes, liquid, or gaseous fuel, provided they are CSA or ULC approved, and the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

This ban will be in place until Tuesday, October 31, 2023, or until the order is rescinded.

“We are seeing wildfires hit other parts of our Province right now and it’s hugely important that residents and visitors follow this ban to prevent the threat of wildfire on the Sunshine Coast,” says Matt Treit, Manager of Protective Services at the SCRD. “While we are hopeful that we won’t have an emergency situation on the Sunshine Coast, we are prepared for a wildfire with a community wildfire protection plan for the Region.”

Please contact your local fire department for more information at www.scrd.ca/fire-departments

Last week, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) launched a community information page and announced a first public event to help guide the vision for a new community hall at Connor Park.

After feedback from Halfmoon Bay residents, the SCRD has changed the date of the first public event at Connor Park from Thursday, June 15 to Wednesday, June 21.

The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is an opportunity for the community to identify their vision and values for the park and how a new hall would integrate with the existing amenities at Connor Park.  This will be the first of several events to take place through the summer.

Stay up to date on the project on the SCRD’s community information space at letstalk.scrd.ca/community-hall.

Enquiries:
Aidan Buckley, Manager, Communications and Engagement
aidan.buckley@scrd.ca

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 closures will begin in early June with the Sechelt Aquatic Centre, followed by the Gibsons & District Aquatic Facility in mid-July and the Pender Harbour Aquatic & Fitness Centre in August.

The pool closures are scheduled to ensure that at least two pools are open to the public at any one time.

The full schedule of closures is outlined below:

Sechelt Aquatic Centre – Thursday, June 8 to Friday, July 14. Reopening on Saturday, July 15.

Here’s what you can expect during this time:

• All wet areas (main pool, leisure pool, lazy river, hot tub, steam room and sauna) will be closed.
• Changerooms will be closed.
• Gibsons and Pender Harbour pools will be open as an alternative during this time.

The weight room will remain open except on Sundays, June 11, 18 and 25. On these three Sundays, the weight room will be closed.

Gibsons & District Aquatic Facility – Saturday, July 15 to Monday, August 7, re-opening on Tuesday, August 8.

Here’s what you can expect during this time:

• The entire facility will be closed.
• Pender Harbour Aquatic & Fitness Centre and the Sechelt Aquatic Centre will be open.

Pender Harbour Aquatic & Fitness Centre – Saturday, August 5 to Monday, September 4, re-opening on Tuesday, September 5.

Here’s what you can expect during this time:

• The entire facility will be closed.

Sechelt pool will be open during this time and the Gibsons pool will be open effective Tuesday, August 8.

Learn more at www.scrd.ca/recreation.

A new community hall is coming to Connor Park in Halfmoon Bay and the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) wants residents in the region to help guide the vision for the hall.

The project, originally slated for Coopers Green Park was moved to Connor Park earlier this year following the emergence of significant challenges with building the hall at Coopers Green.

An important piece of the planning is for the community to identify their vision and values for the park and how a new hall would integrate with the existing amenities at Connor Park.  The first of several public events will take place at Connor Park on Thursday, June 15 between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The event will include opportunities to view potential sites for the hall and provide ideas and suggestions on the new community hall’s use.

The SCRD is aware of community concern with the hall being located at Connor Park and is keen to clear up one major misconception about the project. We know that environmental conservation and protection of our forested areas and white pine trees is very important to our residents. The intention is to construct the hall with as little impact to the forested area as possible.

The SCRD has launched a community information page for the project at letstalk.scrd.ca/community-hall. On this page, the community can see a timeline of the hall project and see answers to common questions the SCRD has received. This page will be regularly updated as the project continues, and residents are encouraged to share their own ideas for the hall.

Enquiries:
Aidan Buckley,
Manager, Communications and Engagement
aidan.buckley@scrd.ca

After a week of hot dry weather, the BC Wildfire Service is prohibiting some open burning in the Coastal Fire Centre.

As of tomorrow (Thursday, May 18), no open burning except for campfires is allowed. Those who wish to have campfires must ensure that the fire is no larger than half a metre wide by half a metre high in size.

If you are planning to have a campfire, you must ensure that you always have at least eight litres of water or  a hand tool with you while the campfire is lit. Before leaving your fire, you must put it out so that it is cool to the touch. Check out this great resource from the BC Wildfire Service for further information.

“We have seen what other parts of the province are facing right now and it is vital that residents follow this burn ban and are also careful when having campfires at this time,” says Matt Treit, Manager of Protective Services at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD). “If you light a campfire, it is your responsibility to make sure it is safe.”

As fires burn in other parts of the Province, firefighters from the SCRD are doing their part to help out communities in need. Last weekend, seven firefighters and three trucks from Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Halfmoon Bay deployed to Fort St. John to assist with efforts to contain a major wildfire burning in that area. The seven firefighters are due to be deployed for a total of two weeks.

When firefighting resources are deployed to other parts of the Province, fire departments on the Sunshine Coast rely on a mutual aid agreement which allows for the fire departments to assist one another when required.

Further information on the burning ban can be found here from the BC Wildfire Service.

As the weather warms up and the Region enters water conservation regulations, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is providing an update on water projects.

Getting Ready for Summer

In the last update at the end of March, the SCRD outlined the priority for this summer being retaining as much water as possible in our main water sources, Chapman and Edwards Lakes for community use through late summer and early fall.

Since this last update, as with many other jurisdictions in the Province, Stage 1 Water Conservation Regulations have been implemented. A mailout has also gone to homes on the Sunshine Coast with advice on how residents can get ready for summer.

The SCRD is preparing for similar drought periods as the past two years. This means little to no rainfall with extended (100+ days) of drought. If we have a significant drought, then Stage 4 Water Conservation Regulations (complete ban on outdoor water use) will be in place at some point this summer.

The SCRD implements water conservation regulations to ensure that water is available for community use, health purposes and fire suppression through the summer and into the fall. As we have seen from this past year, these regulations helped extend water supply into December.

An update on water projects can be found below.

Church Road Well Field Project

This project has been underway for the past year and has the potential to provide 4.6 million litres of water per day to users on the Chapman Water System. The well field is anticipated to be complete and available for use in June. The following are the priorities for this project:

1. The SCRD has secured larger pumps which will allow for a larger quantity of water to be drawn from the well field rather than the pumps that are currently in place. These pumps are due to be installed in the coming week and tested through late May.
2. Water licence. The SCRD continues to collect Soames Creek flow and fish habitat survey data for Provincial Government review. This is one of the critical pieces of missing information that must be completed and provided as part of the water license issuance. The Province will require long-term well and stream monitoring to be continued after the water licence is issued.

Soames Creek Flow Monitoring Weir

Gray Creek

Gray Creek is used as a water source throughout the summer months and provides roughly one million litres of water to users on the Chapman Water System per day. However, when rainfall occurs, the SCRD cannot use this source. This is due to what is known as “turbidity.” Rainfall causes particles on the creek bed to mix with the water making it unsafe to drink without some form of treatment at the creek.

The SCRD is in the second year of a three-year creek flow monitoring project that is required before further steps can be taken on the installation of a treatment plant. A flow sensor has been installed and real time creek flow data is being received for creek flow monitoring purposes. The installation of the treatment plant at this location would ensure that Gray Creek becomes a more reliable water source throughout the year.

Town of Gibsons Water Supply

The SCRD and the Town of Gibsons are jointly developing an agreement that would allow for the Town of Gibsons to supply water to the Chapman Water System earlier than past summers.

Reduction of Environment Flow Needs

The SCRD is required to release a significant amount of water from Chapman Lake for Environmental Flow Needs (EFN). This water ensures that fish habitat and aquatic ecosystems along Chapman Creek are maintained. The SCRD has developed recommendations on the reduction of the EFN that have been submitted to the Provincial Government. The current EFN is 200 litres per second. The SCRD has requested a reduction to 160 litres per second in June and July, and a reduction to 180 litres per second in August and September.

Any reduction in EFN would be supported by a robust monitoring program.

Siphons at Chapman Lake and Edwards Lake

Siphons at Chapman and Edwards Lakes are still in place to ensure that water can be accessed from the lakes when the channels that bring water from these lakes run dry. The siphons can be operated in an emergency basis during Stage 4 Water Conservation Regulations.

Staff have submitted applications to use siphons in the lakes for 2023 and 2024. The SCRD has engaged with the shishalh Nation in this process. The applications to use siphons require approval from both the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forests.

Water Meter Project

The contract to install water meters in the Sechelt area has been awarded with work due to begin later this year. You can read more about the water meter project and the six-million-dollar grant awarded for the project here.

Raw Water Reservoir

Geotechnical drilling has been completed at a potential reservoir location near the Sechelt Airport. The SCRD’s consultant is finalizing analysis to determine the maximum and most economical footprint for a reservoir at this location. Further information on this project can be found at https://letstalk.scrd.ca/reservoir.

Langdale Well Field

Results from this well field have appeared favourable so far. Through the summer, staff will finalize a Board report outlining the potential impacts of the well field to Langdale Creek. An initial groundwater license application will be submitted to the Province this summer. A request for proposal (RFP) will be issued this summer for consultant services to complete the final design, permitting, and preparation of the new well field drawings and conveyance system.

Upcoming Meetings

On Thursday, May 11, at the Committee of the Whole meeting, SCRD infrastructure staff will provide a water supply update to the SCRD Board and to the community. This meeting will also include reports on water projects and water supply for this summer. Anyone can attend this meeting in the SCRD Boardroom at 1975 Field Road in Sechelt. Agendas and links to join virtually or watch the meeting online can be found at www.scrd.ca/agendas.

Enquiries:

Aidan Buckley,
Manager, Communications and Engagement
aidan.buckley@scrd.ca