Starting January 1, some charges at the landfill are increasing. This follows the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Board’s adoption of new fees on December 12. It has been eleven years since some of these fees were increased.  

Like many other local governments, the SCRD’s Solid Waste Management Plan and the SCRD Board support a user pay system, where the tipping fees fund the full costs of those materials that are diverted for recycling. So, as transportation, recycling and operating costs increase, so unfortunately does the tipping fee associated with these materials. Rates were last updated in 2021 for recyclables and eleven years ago, in 2013 for garbage. 

The table below outlines the changes to disposal of cardboard and mattresses and includes a schedule of increases for the next three years for metal and garbage. As the landfill runs out of capacity, the SCRD estimates the cost of garbage disposal will rise as we need to invest in new infrastructure to manage waste on the Sunshine Coast and save for closing the landfill in an environmentally safe manner.  

Cardboard and scrap metal are both highly recyclable and should not be in the garbage. To make sure recyclables can be properly recycled it is highly recommended to sort and store materials in a way that doesn’t impact on their ability to be recycled. 

For example, cardboard can become contaminated and unrecyclable if it is covered in oil or grease when it is stored with other garbage.   

 Residents can avoid fees for cardboard and metal for everyday appliances like vacuums and other small appliances by going to a local depot and recycling for free instead of bringing it to the landfill.   

For more information on the fees and what materials are accepted at the landfill, visit www.scrd.ca/landfill 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Board recently concluded Round 1 of its Budget and Rates and Fees discussions. These meetings focused on advancing projects and initiatives to maintain and enhance service levels across the region. 

A key consideration for the Board was staff capacity, given the significant number of ongoing projects that carry over from year to year. 

Rates and Fees 

During the November 21 Finance Committee meeting, the Board reviewed proposed rates and fees for services such as water, wastewater, and planning. Following Board direction, adjustments were made to the proposed rates for the Regional Water Service, with a revised report presented on November 28. 

The following water rates were adopted at the December 12, 2024 SCRD Board meeting:  

The daily cost of water utility rates is approximately $3.36 for the Regional Water System and $4.17 to $4.19 for the North and South Pender Water systems. 

Rates for individual wastewater treatment facilities can be found on their respective community pages at letstalk.scrd.ca/wastewater, where residents can also ask questions. All updated rates can be found at www.scrd.ca/utility-billing.  

Also at the December 12 Board meeting, updated fees were adopted for services including planning, building and waste disposal at the landfill. You can find the updated fees for these services linked below.  

• Landfill Fees 
• Curbside Fees
• Planning and Development Fees 
• Plumbing Fees 

Round 1 Budget 

This year, projects that are being considered through the budget process have been broken down into three categories;  

• Mandatory Projects (MUST do) – Projects that must proceed in the budget year due to imminent asset failure (with a defined consequence), regulatory compliance or safety requirements. 

• Strategic (Should do) – Directly relates to Board Strategic Focus Areas of water stewardship or solid waste solutions, a Board Directive, and/or is required because of policy. 

• Discretionary (Could do) – Projects that do not meet any of the criteria for Mandatory or Strategic classification. 

The Board’s focus has been on moving forward mandatory projects and those strategic projects which will maintain service levels with the potential to increase service levels in the future.  

A sample of these projects is below.  

Mandatory Projects 

• Upgrades to the Chapman Water Treatment Plant  

• Soames Creek Monitoring Compliance  

• Several projects focused on health and safety  

• Noxious weed removal at John Daley Park  

• Increased information technology data storage 

Several projects are part of the SCRD Board’s Strategic Plan and focus on two main service areas, Water Stewardship and Solid Waste Solutions. These include; 

• Design and permitting for a treatment plant for the Gray Creek water source 

• Construction of the Langdale Well Field  

• Feasibility study for raw water reservoir  

• Permitting associated with Siphons at Chapman and Edwards Lakes.   

• Software upgrades at water treatment plants, pump stations and reservoirs across all water systems  

• Reservoir maintenance in the Regional and South Pender water systems  

• Continued work and engagement on the Solid Waste Management Plan to explore future waste disposal options on the Sunshine Coast 

Several projects are required to maintain service levels and plan for future demand. These include; 

• Most SCRD services require a base budget lift to adjust to inflation and increased cost of goods and services  

• Budget for Transit Expansion priorities through 2025  

• Major project is required to repair trails and bridges at Cliff Gilker Park  

• Upgrades to Mason Road works yard to prepare for electric buses in the Region  

• Pressure release valves to optimize water flow for the Church Road Well Field  

• Implementation of the Firefighter Compensation Action Plan  

• Several vehicle replacements  

• Ongoing operations and maintenance at wastewater treatment facilities 

A full list of proposed projects in Round 1 can be found in the agenda for the meeting.  

Community Conversations 

The SCRD is changing how outreach is done in the community in relation to the 2025 budget. 

Over the past two years, the SCRD has hosted several information sessions for the budget. These have not been well attended and take a considerable number of resources to set up and promote. In keeping with the focus on best use of staff resources through this year’s budget, the SCRD will provide recorded presentations from key staff.  

These will be posted at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget and the community can ask questions on that page. To date, one question has been asked on the page.  

SCRD Directors will be providing outreach and presentations in their respective areas to ensure that the community can speak directly to those who are making decisions on this year’s budget. These community conversations will continue throughout the budget process, up until the adoption of the financial plan in mid-February. 

If you are a member of a community group or organization that would like a presentation from your elected representative, their contact information can be found at www.scrd.ca/electoral-areas-and-municipalities/. 

On January 9, 2025, the SCRD will host a local government roundtable to present the 2025 budget. This will occur prior to Round 2 budget, where final decisions are made on which projects will be forwarded for adoption in the financial plan. 

The public is welcome to attend this meeting, and more information will be prior to the meeting taking place.  

The best way to stay informed on Budget 2025 is at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget and at www.scrd.ca/news. 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is pleased to announce an extraordinary donation of $2,607,319.32 from the Macadam Fund, made in honor of Doreen and Duncan Macadam. This generous contribution will provide critical support for upgrades and services that will benefit residents of Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast. 

The donation includes $2.2 million allocated to the Gibsons and District Volunteer Fire Department for essential upgrades to vehicles and equipment. Additionally, $315,000 will fund enhancements to key community services, including water infrastructure, libraries, and fire departments, ensuring long-lasting improvements for the region. 

“We are quite overwhelmed by such a generous donation and would like to sincerely thank everyone involved with the Macadam Fund,” says SCRD Board Chair Alton Toth. “This support will enhance critical services, strengthen emergency response, and improve the quality of life for people in the Gibsons area and across the whole Sunshine Coast. This legacy will be felt for generations, and we are truly grateful to receive such an amazing donation.” 

The SCRD will explore options for allocating these funds during Round 2 Budget discussions in January 2025.  

The SCRD extends its heartfelt thanks for this extraordinary gift and the opportunities it will create for residents across the region. 

Due to the ongoing Canada Post strike, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is currently unable to mail out dog licence renewal notices.  

The SCRD’s dog license bylaw requires all dog owners living in Halfmoon Bay, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone, mainland of West Howe Sound (and Keats Island), and the shíshálh Nation Government District to register, number and license their dog(s) over the age of three months by January 31 of each year. 2025 dog licence are valid from January 1 to December 31. 

 Two ways to pay:

1. Come to the SCRD’s main Field Road office at 1975 Field Road, Sechelt and pay at the front counter. The office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on statutory holidays and for Christmas break on December 24 at 2 p.m. and reopens January 2, 2025. 
2. Check an old dog license invoice or call the SCRD at 604-885-6800 to find out your account number. You can then pay for your license at www.scrd.ca/pay.  

As there are so many unknowns with the postal strike situation, the SCRD will provide further information in the coming weeks on the licensing process. At this time, residents renewing their licenses can take advantage of a 50% discount until January 31.  

The Town of Gibsons and the District of Sechelt provide dog control services to citizens living in those municipalities. 

For more information about dog licensing, visit www.scrd.ca/dog-control. 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), Town of Gibsons, District of Sechelt, and Islands Trust have launched a coastal flood mapping project to better understand current and future flood hazards on the Sunshine Coast.  

With over 500 kilometers of beautiful coastline, flooding from sea level rise and increased storm waves is a growing hazard facing the Sunshine Coast. Many residents will have experienced these hazards, with waves overtopping sections of the Sunshine Coast highway and ocean debris making its way onto beach accesses during major storm events. 

The mapping project addresses how our region can become more resilient to these kinds of challenges and risks of coastal flooding. 

“The project will update coastal flood hazard mapping for future sea level rise with a range of storm scenarios and develop recommendations to better prepare our coastline for future events”, says Raphael Shay, SCRD Sustainable Development Manager. “Community conversations and building awareness will be a vital component of climate adaptation and mapping of coastal flood areas.“ 

Residents in Gibsons, Sechelt, Islands Trust and the Sunshine Coast Regional District can visit letstalk.scrd.ca/coastal-flooding to provide input on areas of concern and share their personal experiences with coastal flooding.  

Right now, we want your pictures of the season’s king tides which are expected to occur on December 16 and 17 and January 14 and 15.  These photos will contribute to essential data that supports planners, local governments, and communities with valuable insights on coastal flooding, erosion, and wave action.  

You can upload your photos here. Please read photo contest regulations first! Four entries will be randomly selected to win emergency kits or headlamps. 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is honoured to receive the BC Municipal Safety Association Certificate of Recognition (COR).

Employers receive COR certification when they implement an occupational health and safety management system that has successfully passed an external audit and met WorkSafeBC’s standards.

During the 2020 budgeting process, the SCRD Board of Directors provided support to pursue certification, however the onset of COVID-19 and staffing vacancies put much of the work on hold for the next three years.  In 2023, SCRD human resources staff worked closely with WorkSafeBC to address its safety system through the Program and Committee Evaluation (PACE) process, producing an organization-wide action plan that was implemented by year end.

“During the past two years, we have developed safety systems to meet the standard required to obtain this certification,” says Gerry Parker, SCRD Senior Manager of Human Resources. “The independent audit consisted of pre-and-post audit meetings, 12 site visits, 48 staff interviews, and a comprehensive document review of safe working practices and procedures. “

At the start of 2024, Parker became certified as an Internal COR Auditor, audited the SCRD’s safety management system, filled the vacant Health and Safety Coordinator position, and rallied the entire HR team around the goal of summer certification.

The audit occurred in July 2024 and involved participation from SCRD staff, volunteer firefighters, and management, as well as guidance from the BC Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA).  An action plan was then submitted, and the SCRD received confirmation it had successfully passed the external audit in October 2024.

“I want to personally acknowledge the efforts of our human resources team, Joint Health and Safety Committees, staff, and the senior leadership team,” says Tina Perreault, Interim CAO at the SCRD. “We are pleased to be part of the group of organizations that have made this commitment to health and safety.”

On November 27, Lisa Houle, BCMSA Director of Programs and Initiatives presented a framed Certificate of Recognition to Gerry Parker at a special event that also included Mike Roberts, BCMSA CEO, members of the SCRD Board, senior management and staff.

“Achieving COR certification is a significant milestone that showcases a commitment to fostering a strong and proactive culture of safety,” says Mike Roberts, BCMSA CEO. “This accomplishment highlights the importance your organization places on ensuring the well-being of its people, with safety being a shared responsibility embraced by everyone, starting with leadership. It reflects a unified effort to prioritize safety as a core value across all levels of the organization. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement and for setting a positive example for others to follow!”

 Of the 27 regional districts in BC, there are seven other regional districts that have completed the audit and become certified.

Photo (left to right): Mike Roberts, BCMSA CEO; Lisa Houle, BCMSA Director of Programs and Initiatives; Gerry Parker, Senior Manager of Human Resources; Tina Perreault, Interim CAO; Alton Toth, Board Chair.

In recent weeks, operating hours and services have been impacted at some Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) recreation facilities due to staffing vacancies.  These closures have mostly impacted the Gibsons and Pender Harbour pools and are due to a lack of available lifeguards.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, local governments across Canada have experienced a shortage of lifeguards as many either did not renew their certification or moved on to other careers while facility closures were in place.

In January 2022, the SCRD initiated a major lifeguard hiring campaign which resulted in attracting new lifeguards to the organization however, recent vacancies have been hard to fill and have resulted in further service impacts.

Until lifeguard vacancies are filled, these impacts will continue. The SCRD will try to provide as much notice to the community about any change to operating hours or temporary closures of recreation facilities and any associated cancellation of programming.  The SCRD appreciates the community’s patience and understanding as recruitment and training of new lifeguards continues.

If you, or anyone you know would consider a career as a lifeguard, the SCRD offers courses to become certified which can be found at www.scrd.ca/lifeguard. Current vacancies can be found at www.scrd.ca/careers.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), along with other local governments on the Sunshine Coast are working on several projects to increase water supply.

This is the November update on projects and initiatives underway in the Region.  Previous month’s updates can be found at www.scrd.ca/news.

Projects

Water Meter Program

The residential portion of the water meter installation program has been underway for nine months in the District of Sechelt. This project will see over 4,000 meters installed by next year. Once in place, these meters will greatly assist with leak detection in the system and will also provide the community with valuable information about their own water use.

To date, over 3,000 water meters have been installed. You can learn more about this project at letstalk.scrd.ca/water-metering.

Groundwater wells – Sechelt

The SCRD has initiated another phase of groundwater investigations to explore the feasibility of supplementing the Chapman Water System with a new groundwater source or reducing the demands on that system by creating dedicated sources for recreational facilities.

This investigation focuses on the Sechelt area, with multiple identified sites where test wells will be drilled and two additional sites where established wells are located.

Pump tests have been completed at three locations to date; Cliff Gilker Park, the Sunshine Coast Arena and Sechelt Airport.

Two more wells will be drilled in the coming weeks; Whitaker Park in Davis Bay and a newly added area well near the Sechelt Hospital. The initial findings during the drilling of these wells will guide which of the remaining wells could benefit from additional pump testing.

If the test results of these wells are favourable, and if the required funding is secured, the next phase would be applications for license(s), design & engineering and permitting of production wells in the chosen location(s).

Stay informed on this project at letstalk.scrd.ca/groundwater.

 Lower Crown Raw Water Reservoir

A decision is still pending on grant applications under the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) for funding of the construction costs for this project. If funding confirmation is received, the SCRD Board and the service participants will be engaged to determine if this project will proceed.

Gray Creek

Multi-year monitoring of stream flows on Gray Creek will be completed by year-end. Staff and a consultant will subsequently determine the viability of this as a year-round water source. Should Gray Creek be seen as a water source for the future, staff will bring a budget request forward to confirm the technical and financial feasibility of the development of this water source.

Langdale Well Field

This project was deferred during Budget 2024, however staff have continued work to ensure the lengthy provincially mandated permitting process can move forward. Further information on this project is anticipated to come forward after results are known from cost-benefit analyses for different development options for this well field. These results are scheduled to be presented to the SCRD Board in December 2024.

Environmental Flow Needs (EFN)

The SCRD releases water from Chapman Lake into Chapman Creek to ensure that there is 200 litres of water in the lower reaches of the creek to maintain the health of the ecosystem. This is provided in addition to the water for community use.

The shíshálh Nation is collaborating with the SCRD and the Provincial Government to confirm if the EFN can be reduced without impacting the salmon populations in 2025 and 2026.

Siphons

While siphons were not required for water supply in summer 2024, the SCRD had received approval from the shíshálh Nation to use the siphons at Chapman and Edwards Lakes until early fall 2025. The provincial permits for their use in 2025 are currently being sought. The SCRD is continuing to work on securing long-terms support for the use of these siphons from the shíshálh Nation and the Province.

North and South Pender Harbour Areas

Vital safety upgrades have now been completed at McNeil lake dam. This will increase the dams resiliency and bring it into compliance with provincial regulations.

Work continues at the Cove Cay water system with a contractor retained to complete the design and construction of an upgraded treatment process for the water treatment plant in that water system.

There are also two projects approved by the Board to support water supply for the South Pender Water System. A study to confirm the necessity and feasibility of several options to improve water supply for the system and a study to confirm the potential to connect the North Pender and South Pender Water Systems. This project will be undertaken in 2025.

Water Map Resource

The SCRD has developed a map to show where water projects are taking place on the Sunshine Coast. The map can be found here. Users can click on any of the locations / icons on the map and learn about each project. This information will be updated as these projects progress further.

You can learn more and ask questions at any time about water projects under way in the region at letstalk.scrd.ca/water.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) budget process is underway as the SCRD Board consider projects to maintain service levels in the region.

This year, the SCRD is focused on ensuring that staffing capacity is available for all the projects required to maintain service levels. Currently the SCRD has a high number of projects from prior years that have yet to be completed. With this in mind, following pre-budget discussions, several projects have been deferred to future budgets.

In the coming months, several key events and opportunities for community conversations on our budget are coming up.

Let’s Talk Budget

The community information space for this year’s budget can be found at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget. This page will be updated as the budget process continues. Right now, you can find information from pre-budget meetings that took place in October.  There is also an opportunity to ask questions at any time.

Members of the public are also welcome to attend any of the upcoming budget meetings at the SCRD. Information about these meetings can be found at www.scrd.ca/agendas.

Fees and Rates

This Thursday, November 21, the SCRD Board will consider rates and fees for 2025. In addition to the annual utility rates for water, curbside collection and wastewater, increases are being considered for some of the fees associated with development applications and services provided by the SCRD’s Building Division.

These fees have not kept pace with the staff time required to do the associated work and are not in line with fees and charges in other similar jurisdictions. SCRD staff are bringing forward recommended updates to ensure that the applicant is being charged appropriately for these services.

The agenda package which includes further information and rationale for these fees and rates can be found here.

Round 1 Budget

On November 25 and 26, SCRD staff will bring forward budget proposals as part of Round 1 Budget. The SCRD continues to deal with decades of underfunding of major services including water, solid waste and SCRD facilities. This year’s budget will be reflective of these challenges which align with the priorities in the SCRD Board’s Strategic Plan.

Many of the budget proposals being brought forward are focused on maintaining reliable service levels.

Community Conversations

The SCRD is changing how conversations take place in the community in relation to the 2025 budget.

Over the past two years, the SCRD has hosted several information sessions for the budget. These have not been well attended and take a considerable number of resources to set up and promote. In keeping with the focus on best use of staff resources through this year’s budget, the SCRD will provide recorded presentations from key staff. These will be posted at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget and the community can ask questions on that page.

SCRD Directors will be providing outreach and presentations in their respective areas to ensure that the community can speak directly to those who are making decisions in this year’s budget. These community conversations will continue throughout the budget process, up until the adoption of the financial plan in mid-February.

If you are a member of a community group or organization that would like a presentation from your elected representative, their contact information can be found at www.scrd.ca/electoral-areas-and-municipalities/.

Local Government Roundtable

In early January, the SCRD will host a local government roundtable to present the 2025 budget. This will occur prior to Round 2 budget, where final decisions are made on which projects will be forwarded for adoption in the financial plan.

The public is welcome to attend this meeting, and more information will be provided in December.

The best way to stay informed on Budget 2025 is at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget and at www.scrd.ca/news.