Residents in the North and South Pender Harbour water service areas will soon receive their first-ever volumetric water bills, marking an important change in how water services are billed in the region. 

Beginning in 2026, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has transitioned from a flat-rate system to a volumetric billing model. This means water charges are now based in part on how much water a property uses, as measured by water meters. 

The first “real” quarterly volumetric bills will arrive this week for those who receive their bills electronically and later this month for paper bills.   

What residents can expect 

Under the new system, each property will receive a quarterly (every three months) bill that includes: 

• A base charge of $212.50 per quarter (or $850 annually), which includes up to 46 cubic metres of water use (approximately 500 litres per day)  

• A volumetric charge of $4.00 per cubic metre for any water used above the included amount  

Please note that service connections larger than ¾” will be billed a higher Base Charge. 

Why the change

The move to volumetric billing is designed to: 

• More fairly distribute costs among users 
• Encourage water conservation 
• Support the long-term sustainability of local water systems  

Under the previous flat-rate system, all users paid the same amount regardless of how much water they used. 

Preparing for your first bill 

To help residents prepare, the SCRD previously issued two mock bills last year to demonstrate how the new system works.  

Wastewater Service 

All residents in the Pender Harbour / Egmont Area who receive wastewater (sewer) services from the SCRD will now receive their annual flat rate bills quarterly. If residents receive water and wastewater, they will receive a quarterly bill with both services on it.

What about users in the Regional / Chapman Water System? 

Residents in the Regional Water Service will receive their regular annual utility bill in early May. Volumetric billing will not begin for this service until next year.  

Learn more:
More information about volumetric billing, including how to read your bill and track your water use, is available at: scrd.ca/water-billing 

Great news! Work has begun on the Cliff Gilker Park Bridges and Trails Remediation Project. Visitors to the park in recent weeks may have seen crews milling wood on-site in preparation for bridge replacement works. 

In the coming months the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), in collaboration with the Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF), will replace two bridges, upgrade trails and boardwalks and improve accessibility through the park.  

This project is fully grant funded with $593,145 from Community Works Funds and $48,000 from the Sunshine Coast Community Forest. 

As the project kicks off there will be some trail closures in the park. These are outlined below, in addition to the anticipated dates for the closures.  

Planned Work Areas and Trail Impacts 

The maps below identify affected sections of the Yellow and Red trail networks, with closure areas highlighted in orange and open trail sections shown in purple. These closures will be in effect from April 15 to May 15.  

Members of the public are reminded that: 

• Construction zones will be active work areas  
• Sawing equipment and heavy machinery may be in operation  
• All signed closures must be respected for public safety  

Please always remain clear of all designated construction areas. 

Trail Access During Construction 

While portions of the park will be impacted, all unaffected trail sections should remain accessible, and any temporarily closed trail segments will reopen as soon as work is safely completed. 

More Information 

Project details, maps, and updates are available at: https://letstalk.scrd.ca/cliff-gilker 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is pleased to welcome Roxanne Shepherd as our new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Roxanne has been hired following a highly competitive recruitment process and will begin working at the SCRD on Monday, May 11, 2026.

Roxanne comes to the SCRD with nearly 20 years of experience in local government. No stranger to Regional Districts, most recently, Roxanne served as Chief Financial Officer for the Peace River Regional District and the Peace River Regional Hospital District.

Her previous roles are varied and include Director of Finance for the District of Clearwater, CFO for the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, and CFO for the City of Grand Forks. Roxanne’s work has been recognized with the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Canadian Award for Financial Reporting for three consecutive years.

At the SCRD, Roxanne will be a key member of the Senior Leadership Team and will oversee several divisions including Finance, Procurement and Risk Management, Asset Management, and IT/GIS.

In her day-to-day work, Roxanne will lead financial planning, budgeting, treasury, and financial reporting, ensuring strong governance and compliance with Public Sector Accounting Standards and local government regulations. She will also support the SCRD Board and its committees by providing financial advice, analysis, and reporting.

Beyond her professional achievements, Roxanne is a dedicated leader and mentor who has spent many years coaching and teaching figure skating and volunteering with community organizations.

“Roxanne brings a wealth of experience in local government finance and a strong track record of leadership,” said Chief Administrative Officer Tina Perreault. “Her expertise in financial planning, governance, and organizational leadership will be instrumental in supporting the SCRD’s long-term priorities. I am very much looking forward to welcoming Roxanne to the team and working alongside her as we continue to strengthen our organization and serve our communities.”

Annual maintenance pool closures will take place as usual this Summer as the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) 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.

Closure Dates

• Sechelt Aquatic Centre – The pool, wet areas and change rooms will be closed from May 31 to July 1, re-opening on July 2. The weight room and fitness studio will remain OPEN. Please keep in mind that change rooms will not be available during this time.

To complete this work, all wet areas (main pool, leisure pool, lazy river, hot tub, steam room and sauna) and change rooms will be closed. The weight room and fitness studio will be open. www.scrd.ca/sechelt-pool/

Gibsons and District Aquatic Facility – The entire facility will be closed from July 2 to July 26, re-opening on Wednesday, July 27. www.scrd.ca/gibsons-pool/

This year, the SAC and GACC weight rooms will each be closed for three days for maintenance work. GACC weight room will be closed May 8 to 10, and the SAC weight room will be closed May 22 to 24.

Pender Harbour Aquatic and Fitness Centre – The entire facility will be closed from, August 1 to September 7, re-opening on September 8. www.scrd.ca/pender-pool/

What work is being done?

Planned maintenance will take place at all three pools, including ongoing work on boilers and pumps, as well as painting and tile and grout repairs.

The SCRD recognizes that temporary pool closures can be inconvenient—particularly for families and regular users. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding as this important work is carried out to keep our facilities safe, reliable, and in excellent condition year-round.

Stay updated on these closures at www.scrd.ca/recreation.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is pleased to announce expanded operating hours at both the Sechelt Aquatic Centre (SAC) and the Pender Harbour Aquatic & Fitness Centre (PHAFC), beginning in April 2026.

These changes reflect ongoing efforts to better meet community demand and enhance access to recreation services across the Sunshine Coast.

Starting April 12, 2026, the Sechelt Aquatic Centre will see an 8.5-hour increase in weekly operating hours, bringing total full facility access to 74.5 hours per week. While the expansion is modest, extended Friday evening hours will provide improved access for patrons.

Sechelt Aquatic Centre – Effective April 12, 2026

Pool Hours:

• Monday: 6:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Tuesday to Friday: 6:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Sunday: Closed

 Fitness Centre Hours:

• Monday to Friday: 6:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

 At the Pender Harbour Aquatic & Fitness Centre, expanded hours will be introduced in two phases:

 Phase 1: Effective April 7 to May 4, 2026

Full Facility Hours

• Monday: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Tuesday: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Friday: Closed
• Saturday: Closed
• Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

 Gym-Only Hours

• Tuesday: 3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

 Phase 2: Effective May 5 to July 31, 2026

Expanded full facility (gym and pool) evening hours.

Full Facility Hours

• Monday: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Friday: Closed
• Saturday: Closed
• Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

 Gym-Only Hours

• Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

 Updated schedules will be posted at the facility and on the SCRD website at www.scrd.ca/recreation.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is partnering with the Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF) to rebuild two key bridges in Cliff Gilker Park in Roberts Creek, advancing recovery work following the 2021 atmospheric river while saving the region over half a million dollars.

The SCRD Board has approved an agreement with SCCF to construct the park’s Upper Waterfall Bridge and Gorge Bridge. Through this partnership, SCCF will provide project management and engineering oversight, along with donated timber and volunteer labour.

This collaborative approach significantly reduces project costs while supporting the restoration of critical park infrastructure. The overall Cliff Gilker Bridges and Trail Remediation Project budget will decrease from approximately $1.2 million to about $620,000.

Additional work in the park will include decommissioning of the Lower Waterfall and Zigzag bridges, as well as trail and signage improvements. This work will remain under SCRD’s responsibility and proceed through the standard procurement process.

Cliff Gilker Park experienced significant infrastructure damage during the November 2021 atmospheric river event. The bridge replacements and trail improvements will restore safe access to one of the Sunshine Coast’s most popular parks while improving long-term resilience.

Just this past weekend, crews were in Cliff Gilker Park milling wood for the bridge replacements.

Existing bridges are expected to be taken down by late April to mid-May, pending permitting approvals. Construction of the replacement bridges is anticipated to be completed later this year, with the Gorge Bridge scheduled for summer installation and the Upper Waterfall Bridge to follow in early fall.

Learn more about the project and see a map of the project locations at:
https://letstalk.scrd.ca/cliff-gilker