This week, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is issuing 2026 annual utility bills to property owners in Halfmoon Bay, Sechelt, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound who receive SCRD curbside collection, water and SCRD wastewater services.

Rates reflect ongoing efforts to maintain reliable services, invest in infrastructure, and ensure long-term sustainability of water systems across the region.

Questions about your utility bill
Each year, the SCRD receives hundreds of calls and emails from the community in relation to utility bills.

Our staff aim to respond to enquiries within 72-hours. Members of the public attending the front counter at the main Field Road office may experience a delay while staff deal with other enquiries.

The SCRD has a respectful workplace policy, and the safety and wellbeing of our staff is our primary concern.  The SCRD asks that members of the community be respectful when speaking with staff.

You can also ask questions about your bill at letstalk.scrd.ca/utility-bill.

Other questions
Information on options to pay monthly and deadlines for payments will be available on the bill. You can also check out the frequently asked questions that are listed at www.scrd.ca/utility-bill.

Volumetric Billing
In your utility bill, you will find an insert with information on volumetric billing. This is a new way of billing for water that will be introduced for customers on the Regional Water Service in 2027. You can learn more about this project at letstalk.scrd.ca/water-billing.

North and South Pender Harbour residents received their first volumetric bill earlier this month. Further information can be found here.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) will be testing the emergency alert system for the Region on May 7 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

If you are signed up for alerts with the SCRD’s emergency alert system (Voyent Alert!), you will receive a TEST alert. Users who have subscribed to have alerts sent to their cellphones will hear a loud alert sound like THIS.

Voyent Alert! allows residents, businesses and visitors to receive messages through an app, text message, voice call or email for critical and emergency events such as earthquakes, fires and flooding events.

During the test, subscribers will receive on their mobile, voice call or email the following message:

“This is a TEST of the Sunshine Coast Regional District Emergency Alert System. This is ONLY a TEST. If this had been an actual emergency or threat, you would now see or hear instructions with information to help keep you safe. For further information go to scrd.ca/alert-system.  This is ONLY a TEST, no action is required.”

A user can subscribe to receive alerts from the SCRD for multiple locations including home, school and work. Information included in the alert sent to users can include maps, images, messages and web links to better assist the community prepare and respond to emergency situations.

Learn more about the alert system and sign up at www.scrd.ca/alert-system.

Each year, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) brings in Stage 1 water conservation regulations on May 1. With a low snowpack and hot weather forecasted through the spring and summer, water regulations are more important that ever to secure water supply into late summer and early fall.

The regulations outlined below apply to all SCRD water customers on the Sunshine Coast. If you live in the Town of Gibsons, please visit www.gibsons.ca for water conservation regulations in that water service area.

Regulations define the types of watering and separate plants into three categories: lawns; trees, shrubs, and flowers; and food producing plants. Watering schedules can vary in different water systems across the region.

Stage 1 Watering Schedule

Watering Lawns

Sprinklers, soaker hoses or micro spray can be used to water lawns according to the Stage 1 schedule which is:

• For even numbered addresses, lawn sprinkling is allowed Thursday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
• For odd numbered addresses, lawn sprinkling is allowed on Wednesday and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Watering trees, shrubs, flowers and food producing plants

Sprinklers, soaker hoses or micro spray can be used to water trees, shrubs, flowers and food producing plants and trees according to the Stage 1 schedule:

• For even numbered addresses, sprinkling is allowed Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from
• 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• For odd numbered addresses, sprinkling is allowed on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

During Stage 1 water conservation regulations, handheld hoses with nozzles, handheld containers, or drip-irrigation can be used anytime for watering lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers or food producing plants and trees.

Rain sensors are required on all irrigation systems to prevent watering in the rain.

Other uses of water

Pressure washing sidewalks and driveways, windows or exterior building surfaces is permitted only during Stage 1.

“Snowpack is an important indicator for our summer water supply, but it’s only one piece of the picture,” says Remko Rosenboom, General Manager, Infrastructure Services. “While coastal snowpack is below normal in parts of southern BC, the timing of any move to Stage 2 water conservation regulations will depend on spring weather, rainfall, and seasonal forecasts. With warmer conditions expected and uncertain precipitation, we’re closely monitoring conditions and using all available tools to guide our decisions.”

Visit www.scrd.ca/water-regulations for further details.

A reminder that staff do not take bylaw complaints by phone. Please submit bylaw complaints using the online form at www.scrd.ca/bylaw-complaint-form. Please note that anonymous or third-party complaints will not be accepted.

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.”