The official Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) results for the 2026 General Local Election have been certified by the Chief Election Officer and can be found below.  

• Director – Electoral Area A – Egmont/Pender Harbour – Christine Alexander (by acclamation)
• Director – Electoral Area B – Halfmoon Bay – Dean Miller 
• Director – Electoral Area D – Roberts Creek – Kelly Backs  
• Director – Electoral Area E – Elphinstone – Donna McMahon (by acclamation)  
• Director – Electoral Area F – West Howe Sound – Kate-Louise Stamford (by acclamation) 

The official declaration of results can be found linked here.  

The Inaugural SCRD Board meeting will take place on Thursday November 12 at 1 p.m.  

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has advised the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) that the boil water advisory for the Eastbourne water system can be lifted, effective immediately. 

The advisory was issued on October 9, 2026, following the detection of elevated bacteria levels in the water. Four subsequent water samples, two collected last week and two over the weekend have returned clear results, confirming that the elevated bacteria levels are no longer detected. 

As with all water systems, routine water quality monitoring and testing will continue on the Eastbourne system. 

Residents with questions can call 604-885-6806 or email infrastructure@scrd.ca. 

The boil water advisory for residents served by the Eastbourne Water Service remains in effect. The advisory was issued late last week after elevated levels of bacteria were detected in the water.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has received questions from the community and is providing the following update.

Water in Holding Tanks

Regardless of whether a holding tank was filled before or after the advisory was issued, residents should continue to boil water before use and follow the guidelines outlined below.

Water Testing

Additional chlorination has been carried out to address the elevated bacteria levels in the water system. Recent test results indicate that bacteria levels have decreased. However, residents are advised to continue to boil their water until Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) officially lifts the advisory.

Next Update

The boil water advisory will remain in effect throughout the weekend while additional water testing is completed. Further testing is required before VCH can determine whether the advisory can be lifted.

The SCRD anticipates providing another update on Monday, October 19.

Boil water advisory – what you need to do

The following general precautions should be followed when there is a boil water notice 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

Water that has not been boiled can be used for

• Laundry
• Showering/bathing
• Watering plants/flowers
• Cleaning

SCRD utility staff are continuing to investigate the cause of the elevated bacteria levels. For your safety, please continue to follow these precautions until further notice.

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.