Sign In Register The new school site for École du Pacifique in Sechelt is one step closer to fruition following a council decision during its April 16 regular meeting The new francophone school is set to accommodate 200 students an Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment is required to change the designation to Civic Institutional Utilities from Multi-family Mixed Residential and a zoning amendment is required to rezone the area to Community and Civic 1 (CC-1) from Comprehensive Development 3 – Seniors Lodge (CD-3) The staff report also says a portion of the existing road right-of-way would need to be designated accordingly Sechelt’s senior development planner including a trail on the western side.  Alton Toth proposed increasing the notification radius to 250 meters from 100 noting the original radius only included a few neighbours and a larger area would more accurately encompass the neighbourhood Adam Shepherd supported the motion but raised concerns over the potential increase in traffic in the area and suggested discussing residential development with the school district where the staff report says 14 members of the public voiced their opinion on the project and concerns were raised over traffic circulation and congestion “Approximately 80 per cent of students would be travelling to school via school bus and would arrive in staggered time intervals while the remaining students would arrive by other means.” Council approved the motion to increase the notification radius and granted the application second reading Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing If you have been impacted by the tragic events of the Lapu Lapu Day Festival Victim Services phone or text: 1-800-563-0808 | BC Crisis Line: 310-6789 | Suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-784-2433 | Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 Ramin Kholdebarin is working as the new breast cancer surgeon at Sechelt | Shíshálh Hospital and is already making a difference in breast cancer surgeries on the coast Kholdebarin is one of the first surgeons to be able to perform breast cancer surgeries in years in the area He is a general surgeon who also performs intra-abdominal surgery He treats many types of cancer such as colon After setting up breast cancer surgery in Sechelt Kholdebarin acquired a new technology that helps with tumour localization and consists of a small metallic reflector implanted in tumours to help surgeons find them during surgery It is particularly useful for finding small or deep tumors Surgeons use a hand-held device that emits a tiny radar signal to find the reflector and the problematic lump to be removed The reflector replaces what used to be an uncomfortable wire inserted the morning of the surgery The reflector can be inserted several days earlier or even at the time of biopsy and went to medical school at Queen’s University School of Medicine in Ontario He performed his residency at the Health Sciences Centre and St and did a fellowship at the Ottawa Civic Hospital Once he travelled and practised medicine in other cities the ocean and the weather on the West Coast,” he says He’s happy to have settled in Sechelt and recommends other physicians consider working in rural areas “The rural practice is very flexible and not as intense as some of the bigger hospitals in the city and Sechelt is a great place to raise children General surgery can be one of the more time-consuming specialties but I can still get home at a reasonable hour and have the freedom to do a variety of different procedures Not having to deal with the city's traffic or high cost of living is another bonus.” Working in rural areas helps patients get care while staying closer to their home and family Cancer treatment can be a difficult journey and he’ll do anything he can to improve patients’ experience “You feel like you belong in the community and you know you're making a difference in the lives of people who could potentially be your neighbour Patients can be emotional after their treatment is done It looks like the District of Sechelt has not only aligned its residential policies within the Official Community Plan (OCP) to meet recent provincial requirements but beat its deadline by almost nine months A staff report presented at the April 9 District of Sechelt committee of the whole meeting said according to the Local Government Act updates to residential policies to support housing at the municipal level are required by the end of 2025 because present residential policies within the OCP are now aligned with the provincial requirements further updates by the end of 2025 and in advance of the overall OCP review district senior policy planner presented the report calling it a “good news story.” “It talks about the District of Sechelt meeting the provincial requirements on not only the small-scale multi-unit housing requirement that we met last year but also meeting the deadline for a housing needs report,” Pearson told council we had to prove that our OCP met the housing needs report forecast for close to 3,000 units over a 20-year period analysis showed that the recent OCP amendments just adopted this past December have the district in a better position to allow or support development within the present OCP land-use designations for residential housing Pearson noted the work done so far can lead into community land development analysis the district can now focus on other components of the OCP “Because we have been talking a lot about residential [housing] the last two years so we can start looking at other things.” New housing provisions added to the Local Government Act in 2023 state that the residential policies maps and designated areas of all municipal OCPs in B.C. must be consistent with an updated housing needs report (HNR) by the end of 2025 Sechelt received its updated housing needs report last fall. Using methodology prescribed by the Ministry of Housing the district’s updated report identifies a need for the OCP to accommodate a land and density capacity of 726 housing units by the end of 2026 the five and twenty-year time limits of the HNR began at the last Canada Census year (2021) so have already been in the works for four years Coinciding with its 2023-2026 strategic plan to support effective growth and efficiencies with housing availability council directed staff to streamline the development density provisions in the current OCP with new OCP policies supporting increases to floor-area ratios and building heights in the current residential designated areas of Sechelt it’s now apparent that with this amendment and without any mapping changes the current OCP appears to be consistent with the Local Government Act the small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) amendment to Zoning Bylaw No to better accommodate small-scale multi-unit housing has also brought that bylaw into compliance with the act The report says these amendments have resulted in a “win-win” scenario for the district in terms of meeting the new provincial housing requirements and permits it to focus on creating the new OCP rather than on further amendments – noting that the new OCP will also need to include provisions for housing demand described in the HNR the HNR projections may be on the high side with a development pace of approximately 150 new housing units built annually over the next 20-year period 20-year residential trends are closer to an average of 100 units The district’s OCP residential policies are now aligned with act with the new policies adopted in December 2024 to support increased floor area ratios and building heights the quantity of reasonably serviced residential land with development potential is more than sufficient for the required 20-year housing unit forecast District of Sechelt council has approved a development variance permit for a lot on Medusa Street which allows for the stand alone garage to be converted to a laneway house The property owners applied to the district to have the rear-lot setback of the property reduced from 3.0 metres to 0.59 to make way for the laneway house The original plan was to build a second story onto the existing building it was decided to simply convert the one-level garage At a March 19 council meeting what it takes to complete a conversion such as this one since we have our chief building official here if he could talk about the issues in terms of getting building permits for such units when you're taking converting a garage think where the floor and the starting point of the build,” asked McLauchlan Baker said a building permit to convert a space that was not intended for occupation as a residence “not the least of which is coming up with a means to mitigate radon infiltration into the space.” (According to the Canadian Cancer Society no taste and is considered a “known cause of cancer.”) Baker explained the building code does have measures in place to protect against radon including placing an air barrier and layer of material upon which the floor slab is poured A forged pipe would be installed going up through the roof to allow the gas to dissipate the building code also allows for alternative solutions that meet those objectives it's a life-safety objective and so the applicant can certainly explore an alternative solution and present it to staff for radon mitigation,” said Baker “And then it's a matter of having the life-safety systems in place and trying to attain a level meeting the insulation and air leakage requirements of the code McLauchlan was also concerned about the parking for six vehicles included in the plan for the laneway house due to its proximity to the lane that runs beside the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre Baker explained parking will be divided between the principal dwelling Mayor John Henderson asked if the setback reduction to make way for the laneway house was in anyway precedent setting “Are we essentially saying all lots can have this minimum setback?” Henderson asked Baker said the setback variation wasn’t necessarily precedent-setting “Every parcel is unique and every proposal you need to align District planning manager Ian Holl added many councils have considered applications to convert an accessory building into a detached accessory dwelling unit “I think in at least one or two of those cases there were similar kinds of setback variances to one side of the property,” he said “I guess this is probably the most unique in terms of distance to the lane a [development variance permit] is still an entirely discretionary decision of council I think there's sort of the objective of providing housing opportunities given existing buildings there's no obligation on council to approve another laneway house application just because this one was maybe approved it'll be entirely dependent on the site circumstances.” Sunshine Coast Registered Music Teachers will present an emerging Canadian piano star on May 4 at the Raven's Cry Theatre the winner of the piano competition held by the BC Registered Music Teachers Association is in the midst of a seven-concert tour across BC in anticipation of the CFMTA (Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations) National Piano Competition in Montreal this July Lau began his piano studies at the age of four after his grandparents spotted a sign advertising piano lessons in their Coquitlam neighbourhood and urged his parents to enrol him He is currently engrossed in Master's studies at the UBC School of Music and was recently named by CBC as one of "30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30." Lau is also a serial top-ranked finisher at the BC Provincial Festival to which competitors in the currently underway Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts aspire.  "I had such an amazing experience at those small festivals," he recalled of his participation in Vancouver-area regional competitions "I think it really helped push my playing to the next level just the amount of preparation that it requires to learn all the repertoire and polish it to a super-high level." Lau played a solo recital at the Fazioli Concert Hall in Sacile and has appeared with orchestras across BC as well as delivering recitals in Colorado Lau is preparing an hour-long program of music that mixes traditional classical repertoire (Bach Beethoven) with contemporary music (White Rock-born Howard Bashaw and Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti) plus a transcription of Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream by Sergei Rachmaninoff Lau said that he is drawn to composers who sublimate personal struggle into their scores — like Rachmaninoff who completed his second piano concerto while recovering from years of depression "I really like I could be drawn into Rachmaninoff's life and the same for Beethoven especially with his penultimate sonata I'm playing," observed Lau "The sonata itself is very biographical but since Beethoven was a very strong person I think that represents Beethoven showing the audience and the world that there's cause for optimism even though he was suffering from illness." Tickets for the concert at $20 ($10 for students 19 and under), payable by cash at the door or by e-transfer to [email protected] An award-winning Canadian film — Inkwo for When the Starving Return — is being celebrated in Sechelt with a special screening at the Raven’s Cry Theatre on May 1 at 7 p.m.  Amanda Strong is the director and one of the producers behind Inkwo for When the Starving Return a stop-motion animated short film that runs 18 minutes The work is based on the short story “Wheetago War” by acclaimed Tlicho Dene storyteller Richard Van Camp The story was adapted and written for the screen by Strong and screenwriter Bracken Hanuse Corlett.  identity and the enduring power of truth that follows Dove who discovers the gifts and burdens of their Inkwo (medicine) to defend against an army of hungry resilience and alliance with the Earth culminates in a battle against these flesh-consuming creatures who become stronger with each body and soul they devour Inkwo for When the Starving Return is a call to action to fight and protect against the forces of greed around us “I vividly remember getting goosebumps when Richard Van Camp invited me into his 'Wheetago War' universe to create an animated film,” explained Strong “His short story offered a balance of terror and beauty and challenged me to explore important and relatable topics: the gender spectrum and the return of ancestral medicine and teachings I knew we were embarking on something special and it was my dream to lead this production and process into new creative and technical territories.” a Spotted Fawn Productions and the National Film Board of Canada co-production was an official selection for numerous film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival where it was selected for Canada’s Top Ten of 2024 It also won Best Canadian Short Film at the Available Light Film Festival in Whitehorse (2025) This special event will include a screening of Inkwo for When the Starving Return followed by a discussion and question-and-answer session featuring director Amanda Strong screenwriter Bracken Hanuse Corlett and author Richard Van Camp Attendees should note that film is unrated and intended for mature audiences The event is sponsored by the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts the National Film Board of Canada and the Raven’s Cry Theatre The Inspirito Vocal Ensemble has announced concerts on Saturday The theme for the choral showcase is Untraveled Worlds inspired by the 1833 poem "Ulysses" by Alfred Lord Tennyson that expresses a longing for constant exploration and experience The central message of the poem is that the human spirit has enduring capacity for exploration Inspirito's program will invite listeners to "come travel with me," taking them on a journey through music in different styles and languages that provokes the question: "this is your one and only life.. what will you do?" Inspirito performs under the direction of Sarona Mynhardt and accompanied by Toby Aldren on piano Two flutists — Bernard Blary and Yewon Shin — will also perform during the concert Tickets ($25) are on sale by contacting Sarona Mynhardt at [email protected] or texting 778 888-4957 The following are briefs from the April 2, regular council meeting of the District of Sechelt.  A noise variance was approved by District of Sechelt council April 2 which will allow a construction company to complete a large concrete pour for one day during the week of April 28 to May 2 at the Sunshine Coast Community Services building being constructed at 5638 Inlet Ave Council was told by staff at the meeting that since the concrete pour is weather dependent so the application included the entire week and the variance will allow the contractor to exceed permitted hours of the noise bylaw on one of those days In order to pour a large volume of concrete and finish it properly A staff report said the noise itself will come from the concrete trucks concrete pumper and the power trowels used to finish the concrete into a smooth semifinished surface in the morning on the day after the pour began Staff anticipates another variance to the noise bylaw will be requested during construction of the third floor of the building the contractor must give written notice to residents living within a 100-metre radius of the building An application for a temporary use permit (TUP) for limited worker housing at 5536 Kontiki Rd. so by the time it went in front of District of Sechelt council at a regular meeting April 2 the application was made in order to house workers for the Lions Club Medusa Street housing project The property is one of three between Kontiki Road and Dusty Road The applicant (and the construction contractor) contacted the district to inquire about bringing in trailers to house workers and were informed of the requirements to do so in fall of 2024 But the trailers were moved onto the site and occupied prior to all of the TUP application requirements being submitted later in 2024 The staff report was originally going to present the TUP for council consideration with a variety of conditions included but instead the applicant’s request was withdrawn on March 25 The construction company has since removed the trailers this story will be updated as new information comes in. Latest update: 4:45 p.m The senior manager of emergency and protective services with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) says as far as he knows the 5.1 earthquake to hit the Coast Friday afternoon is likely the biggest quake the area has experienced in decades Andy Bellerby said as of the time of the interview with Coast Reporter there had been no reports of major damage since the quake hit at around 1:30 p.m. as soon as an emergency event such as an earthquake takes place “The first protocol is to check that everyone is safe and check the initial damage that could have been caused today our first instance was to check the head office building where we're located to make sure that everyone was safe and all persons accounted for,” said Bellerby “And then we reached out to all our fire departments to make sure that all our emergency first responders were ready and capable of attending any kind of incidents that may have occurred but fortunately,  there were no major incidents Bellerby added not only is staff on the ground physically checking for damage to infrastructure such as water treatment plants but the SCRD was also getting reports from aircraft doing fly pasts over the Coast we get on with provincial agencies to start the networking process and find out if any infrastructure has been damaged “We have been made aware of flyovers of critical infrastructure it's basically a whole check in that everything is still working and there's been no fatalities That’s obviously the most important thing.” He said the SCRD does not have anything to do with BC Ferries but they do get updates when an emergency such as this one takes place Bellerby was aware there were delays in and out of Horseshoe Bay due to crews checking for damage to the terminal following the quake He noted this earthquake is a good reminder for all Sunshine Coast residents to get their “grab and go” kits ready you should always have your grab and go kit and your emergency kit You can find all that information on the website,” he said.  The SCRD website has an entire page dedicated to what and how to pack emergency kits. Bellerby notes, this is also a good time for Coast residents to sign up for the Voyent alert system.  The alert is a multi-purpose communication service used to send alerts during emergency situations if there is a localized emergency for a particular region of the Coast which he can then immediately send out to anyone who’s registered as a senior manager of emergency protective services have anything pertinent that I need to make everyone aware of within minutes I can have that information out to everybody,” says Bellerby “That you need to leave a certain area and head to a certain area and that's by using the Voyent system because there was no call to action.” An hour after the earthquake hit, communications manager for the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) said that while first responders were on standby so far there had been no reports of damage emergency crews are on it and we're speaking to the RCMP as well,” Aiden Buckley told Coast Reporter “And there's no known issues right now that we're seeing as a result All the fire halls are also all in good shape and emergency responders are standing by.” and no tsunami warning was issued as a result of the quake Buckley said he had just gotten off a conference call with fire chiefs across the Coast and emergency responders are active and available to respond to any situation the SCRD’s infrastructure services team were out checking on infrastructure including water-treatment plants and similar structures.  the SCRD warned that there may be aftershocks in the hours and days following the earthquake desk or any solid furniture that you can get under and hold on to Avoid areas near windows and protect your head and face." ferries were delayed more than an hour after being held up for inspections to the Horseshoe Bay and Langdale ferry terminals "to ensure the integrity" of terminal infrastructure and we appreciate your patience as we complete these important safety checks Our teams are working as quickly as possible. Please reference our Service Notices for sailing updates as more information becomes available Thank you for your understanding," said the notice posted just before 2 p.m Gibsons resident Stafford Lumley was in the reservation lanes of the Horseshoe Bay terminal when the quake struck While the reservation lanes were evacuated he said they were back in their cars and the ferry was coming into berth Lumley was in his car in the Horseshoe Bay terminal reservation lanes close to the berths when the quake struck "It felt like a transport truck might have been driving by," he said "It wasn't as crazy as being in a building –– I don't think I could feel it that much." Then the ferry staff came by and asked the passengers in the section close to the terminal (those on the hill were not evacuated from what Coast Reporter understands) to get out of their cars and go to the bus terminal beside the ferry building The evacuated section was full of cars so there were quite a few people evacuated "because I was standing out in the rain I wasn't really prepared to be in the rain for a long time –– so I was going 'Oh this is going to really suck.'"  School District 46 sent out a notice just after 2 p.m stating all its students and staff are safe and have returned to their buildings after they followed "established earthquake procedures."  District of Sechelt said its infrastructure appears to be unscathed upon initial inspections following the earthquake Staff will continue to check on infrastructure over coming weeks Sechelt asked residents to: remain diligent as there may be aftershocks; report damages to structure or buildings to owners and check in on friends and neighbours particularly those who are elderly or alone An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 The quake was detected in an area 24 km north-northeast of Sechelt, 35 km west of Squamish and 60 km northwest of Vancouver The department added that the shaker was 1 km in depth and was "lightly felt" in the southwestern part of the province Emergency Info BC says there is no tsunami threat See information at the Earthquakes Canada website.  As a follow-up to the Sechelt Community Association Forum's Emergency Preparedness Town Hall last May the group is planning an Emergency Preparedness Fair again for May during Emergency Preparedness Week, where people can purchase emergency kits made by 72 hours The Coast Reporter's editorial team members were working from home Friday and were spread across the Coast here's how they experienced the quake: Connie was not working!): Seconds before the quake struck my dog insisted on coming over to cuddle on the couch which I thought was the soundtrack of the movie I was watching Then I heard what sounded like a loud crack and the house shivered a bit I thought it was either a car crash on the driveway or a tree hitting the house I ran outside to look and my emergency warning then went off on my cellphone It said “earthquake” so I rushed back inside and made sure the dog was in Bronwyn in Gibsons: I was working on my computer in the living room when I heard a rumble I thought was loud thunder Then there was a violent jolt and I thought something had fallen upstairs When things started shaking I was frozen in place on my couch wondering what I should do for a second or two before diving for my table (somehow a blanket coming along with me) I had forgotten my work and personal phones on my couch and they kept buzzing with alert sounds (as I’m signed up for a lot of alert systems) When the shaking had stopped for a few seconds which was blazing “Earthquake detected drop cover and hold on!” Alerts were still coming in and I was still under my table as I started checking feeds and coordinating our local coverage (and on the side googling “what do I do next in an earthquake” as my mind had gone blank) Text alerts came from Natural Resources Canada as well as Alertable I didn’t have an emergency kit I could grab easily if I was terrified and running out the door Sandra in Sechelt: Since moving to Sechelt last June I have experienced windstorms with gusts over 100 km/h and the mother of all snowstorm just a couple of weeks ago But nowhere on my Bingo card did I have bone-shaking earthquake.  I was sitting at my desk in my home office and my husband was on the couch when I heard what sounded like a Harley Davidson motorcycle revving up near our front door our entire place started shaking and all of the glasses in the cupboard started rattling I honestly thought someone had driven into our outside wall the emergency alert came over our TV and phones explaining that an earthquake had hit Sechelt of course it has.  My next thought was we better get on this as a team and before I could even walk back to my office my phone started going off and we all started texting and calling back and forth to come up with a plan Do you have a story about the earthquake to share? Email [email protected] or text 604-314-3004.  A working smoke alarm is being credited for the safe evacuation of a young family from their West Sechelt home last Friday evening after a devastating fire swept through their house The house was home to local volunteer firefighter Roger Joe Sechelt Fire Department chief Dwight Dixon said the family sustained a “very substantial fire,” to their residence it looks like the culprit was a lithium-ion battery the battery system overheated and the result was a fire,” said Dixon “And it was actually a fire on the outside of their house but which sustained a large amount of damage.” Dixon said the battery had originally started to overheat inside the home “They were home at the time and all family members were able to get out of the home safely and the pets were all able to escape safely as well,” said Dixon it was the housing contents that really sustained the major damage thank goodness there was nobody injured.” which can’t be replaced for any amount of money the family is depending on the kindness of friends and family for a place to stay A GoFundMe has been started to help the family and the $20,000 goal had already been surpassed by the weekend it will take up to two years for the family to have a permanent home to return to organized a 50/50 draw to help raise money for the family in just several hours the 50/50 was at $3,1060 Dixon said Sechelt Fire Department had 16 firefighters with three apparatus at the scene which also responded with an apparatus and extra firefighters there’s been an increasing number of residential fires caused by lithium-ion batteries and people should take great care when recharging them “You should charge them in as safe of a place as you can Don't leave them unattended for long periods of time remove them fully from your house and place them far enough away that you know they're not going to touch the house or anything like that,” said Dixon “It's also a good idea that when you are purchasing things like that You want to try to stay away from knock-off products products that don't have that type of certification they don't undergo that same stringent testing that our country puts that kind of stuff through.” Products certified in Canada, will be marked with “CSA,” “cUL,” or “cETL.” The Government of Canada also offers information and safety tips on the use and storage of these batteries the fire service wants to see more research into the batteries including what’s causing the fires and better ways to prevent these types of accidents Dixon says a working smoke detector is also vital in keeping homes safe from fire The family were home and were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm and that gave them the time to escape safely.” The owners of an over-height home near completion in Davis Bay had their application for a development variance permit denied by District of Sechelt council at a regular meeting of council which is located on the Sunshine Coast Highway In a Sept. 2024 report to council staff wrote a stop-work order had been issued by the district’s building department in May 2024 after the discovery of the over-height issue A subsequent development variance permit application was requested to allow a height increase from 8.5 metres to 8.9 for the dwelling while the original intent was to comply with the zoning bylaw height regulation the builder made an error and “managed to go over height by a small margin.” while at least one councillor said the owners had already paid a heavy price by having a stop-work order in place for more than nine months and should be allowed to continue others agreed allowing the bylaw variance and build to be completed as is sets a dangerous precedent for future construction “I want to just say publicly that I find these types of variance requests very difficult because there's a lot of stress for all parties involved for others the impact can be significant and this has been evident in this situation by the letters we've received from the neighbours,” said Coun “I believe that although there was a mistake made throughout the building process in the height guidelines I believe this was a mistake and not deliberate.” there’s been a great deal of consultation between district staff the home’s owners and the community since the time the variance was submitted changes have been introduced which will assist staff in reducing these types of issues particularly when an applicant is designing to a maximum limit.  “A stop-work order can be issued much sooner where a survey requirement has been imposed by the district to ensure construction does not proceed until zoning compliance is confirmed,” said Bell “This new procedure may slow construction development in some cases and incur complaints from builders but will likely reduce the possibility of non-compliance structures.” Coun. Adam Shepherd was also sympathetic to the homeowner’s dilemma, but that did not sway him from recommending staff go with option two of the February 2025 report require compliance with the zoning bylaw and see the third storey of the home be cut down by 0.4 metres The removal of that space would put the house below the 2.1 metre minimum ceiling height required for a variety of residential spaces in Sechelt and result in the removal of three washrooms Shepherd said denying the application was the best option for the community “We're holding to the guideline so that we don't have to deal with these variance requests after the buildings are built this is the most frustrating point of these items that are coming before council,” said Shepherd “So how do we avoid that in the future What's the best thing for the community I don't know what other end point there is.” Alton Toth said he was initially in favour of allowing the variance but after considering remarks from other councillors "I'm still not really supportive of the upheaval but I do appreciate the comments that Councillor McLauchlan has made and that Councillor Inkster has raised regarding both community and the scale of the massing of the building on the land," said Toth "These are things that we do need to have a conversation about as part of the [official community plan] renewal and zoning changes going forward what might work on flat inland parts of Sechelt doesn't necessarily work on hillsides doesn't necessarily work on waterfront so we need to definitely have more conversations.” Toth and Inkster vote to deny the variance permit with Bell and Mayor John Henderson voting in favour of the application which hit the Sunshine Coast during a massive wind storm Nov has been confirmed as a tornado.    Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Chris Doyle told Coast Reporter, video of the dramatic incident was shared with the Northern Tornadoes Project a research arm of Western University and the University of Western Ontario investigate tornado occurrences and then sort of validate all the parameters surrounding the tornado,” said Doyle Doyle explained that while the tornado measured EF-zero on the Enhanced Fujita scale the weakest level on the scale which goes from zero to five it was very lucky no one was injured during the wind storm and tornado it did significant damage to trees and overhead hydro lines so it was a meaningful event for the community you can get winds gusting to 120 kilometers per hour including one that’s connected to a thunderstorm overhead described as a “classic tornado.” He says the Coast did not get a thunderstorm during the wind storm but instead there was a cloud that had built up but wasn’t deep enough to generate lightning they’re like figure skaters when they bring in their arms and they speed up the rotation,” says Doyle this front that was coming through Sechelt at the time it creates a type of tornado called a “gustnado,” which are typically  affiliated with a strong front “And I think that's the kind of tornado that hit Sechelt on the morning of [November] fourth That’s still a tornado with just a slightly different mechanism of generation than the kind of tornadoes you might see over Kansas.” once the Northern Tornadoes Project saw a video of the event it was not difficult for them to deem it an official tornado “Northern Tornadoes Project did receive a video showing some rotation in the clouds around the trees that were being knocked over at the time,” said Doyle it's relatively easy to confirm that a tornado was going on just from the video evidence alone and moreover the sort of scale of damage and the way the damage was localized also suggests that it was a tornado rather than a much larger-scale wind event that created the damage That allowed us to say with high confidence that it was a weak tornado.” Doyle said he saw no reason for Coasters to start digging storm cellars famous for their devastating “twisters.” He added the tornado was a very rare occurrence for the Sunshine Coast with no more predicted for the foreseeable future Doyle was able to give a weather report to Coast Reporter we have an upper trough of very cold air aloft crossing the coast and it's going to generate some showers,” said Doyle “Showers should taper off tomorrow and it's going to feel a bit cool tomorrow and then Friday is actually going to be the nicest day of the week because for later on Saturday and into Sunday morning we have another fairly sharp cold front coming through There will be gusty winds and a shot of heavy showers overnight Saturday into early Sunday morning.” The District of Sechelt voted last week to request a copy of the contract between RainCity Housing and Support Society and BC Housing under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOI) At the Dec. 4 regular District of Sechelt meeting, a notice of motion brought forward by councillors Alton Toth and Brenda Rowe “Whereas the District of Sechelt is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents including those living in supportive housing and emergency shelter; and whereas the current operator of the supportive housing facility and emergency shelter in Sechelt has not sufficiently contributed to alleviating safety concerns in the surrounding neighbourhood vandalism; and whereas these issues are negatively impacting the quality of life for local residents let it be resolved that the District of Sechelt request that BC Housing terminate its contract with the operator of the supportive housing facility and emergency shelter in Sechelt and initiate a new tendering process for the provision of these services ensuring that any future operator demonstrates a strong commitment to community safety and effective management and support of both resident and community needs…” An amendment was later made to the motion asking that the word “terminate,” be replaced due to its implications Deputy mayor Brenda Rowe made the amendment “I understand the word terminate elicits fear in people with job loss And I do want to mitigate that,” said Rowe we're asking BC Housing to terminate a contract They're not just going to terminate it without cause because that would leave them in a perilous situation that I can almost guarantee would require a review Rowe added part of the problem is council’s lack of information because it was denied a request to look at the service agreement “We actually don't know what the nonprofit is supposed to be providing,” said Rowe people come to me all the time and are saying they're probably not even supposed to be doing it We don't have a copy of the service agreement we don't even know when that agreement expires…So we could actually put ourselves in a more tenuous situation by asking for termination that requires longer than if a contract is up next year...” It was Toth who made the amendment to the motion asking that staff begin work on an FOI he was doubtful the motion would result in RainCity’s contract being terminated “Do I actually expect our motion to result in the operators’ contract being terminated and I'm not sure that we would be so fortunate in this particular case,” he told council “What I am hoping for is that the province or BC Housing maybe realize that we do have problems in our little community We're being asked by our residents to do something And I think that that's what this motion is accomplishing by coming forward.” Toth acknowledged the “community is in pain,” so it’s important for the province to understand if the province isn’t going to move forward with a new operator for the supportive housing and shelter at the least they should step up with some extra resources “The provincial RCMP complement hasn't increased in a very long time The security patrol for downtown cost was over $100,000 this year,” said Toth “There are real costs to our staff cleaning up encampments and our parks every week and the downloading of services from the province has a tangible and not insignificant cost too in our community.” He noted some other communities across the province have taken the step of sending the B.C. government bills for resources if the province decides to just pay that bill does that give them the confidence that this downloading is okay?” said Toth I'd rather Sechelt had a voice at the table when it comes to our service providers and who's operating in our community There's a lot of ways to get it right and a lot of impact to getting it wrong it appears that somehow the province in BC Housing has gotten it wrong this time at least here in the District of Sechelt.” the final section of the motion asks that BC Housing consider input from the District of Sechelt in regard to neighbourhood concerns and expectations prior to issuing a new contract, that the district request a financial contribution from BC Housing to assist with security and regular clean-up in the neighbourhood surrounding the supportive housing and shelter buildings "in response to issues perpetuated by those facilities being located in close proximity to each other and residential neighbours," and that a copy of the request be forwarded to MLA Randene Neill for additional assistance Housing said everyone deserves a safe place to live is working to address the urgent need for housing for people experiencing homelessness in the Sechelt area and throughout the province," the email said "We know the district has brought forward concerns about the operations of the shelter on Wharf Ave and the supportive housing building at 5656 Hightide Ave BC Housing is committed to continuing to work with the district to identify issues and work with the provider to address those issues and concerns We recognize that creating safe neighbourhoods requires a coordinated approach with all levels of government as well as Indigenous and community partners As for the end dates for the contracts held by RainCity Housing said the current operating agreement for 5653 Wharf Ave was renewed in February 2023 and is set to expire on March 31 The operating agreement for 5656 Hightide Ave was extended in February 2024 for five years Housing and providers contain sensitive and financial information and for this reason BC Housing does not share them with the public."  Minor user disruptions at the Sechelt landfill are expected throughout March, but the inconveniences are necessary to create space that will add four years to that amenity’s useful life, according to a Feb. 24 Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) press release. landfill crews will not be accepting ammonia and propane fridges and the Ocean Plastics Depot will be temporarily closed The project will see the relocation of the existing contact water pond with that space then being used as a waste disposal area. Most of the currently scheduled work is to finish by March 31 The new contact water pond the SCRD is building is to have better filtration and larger capacity to prevent overflowing during major storm events The budget for the pond relocation approved in 2024 was $520,000 according to the 2025 Round 1 budget submission that was before the board late last November staff forecast the project would be completed by the final quarter of this year “By extending the life of the landfill we are able to reduce long-term costs associated with exporting waste and gain more time to determine a long-term disposal option for the Coast,” regional district manager of solid waste services Marc Sole stated in the release.  Long-term solid waste decisions are to be influenced by a design phase report on vertical landfill expansion which could again extend the current site’s lifespan That is scheduled to be before elected officials in mid-2025 according to that same budget report.  More data will also come in with the region’s solid waste management plan update which is slated for completion by the end of the year.  Accepted last year at the landfill was 12,635 tonnes of waste, according to the 2024 Q4 operations statistics presented at the Feb That was the result of 838 tonnes coming in from the Pender Harbour waste transfer station and 11,797 brought to the site from curbside collection in areas other than Pender Harbour or delivered to the site by individuals Despite population growth in all areas of the Coast over the past two years the trash contribution from the transfer station was down from 869 tonnes in 2023 The tonnage delivered to the station from other contributors in 2024 was higher than the total for 2023 (10,922) and 2022 (11,217) Fourth quarter 2024 SCRD operations statistics showed green waste recycling on the Coast with the highest positive upswing of the products recycled between 2023 and 2024 That tonnage went from 4,562 in 2023 to 5,374 last year A note that accompanied those numbers explained “the increase in green waste for 2024 is due in part to an increase in green waste dropped off at the South Coast Green Waste Henry Road facility after changes were made to allow small businesses access to the previously resident only site.” Recycling of residential curbside food waste collection in areas that have that service (Area A excluded) went up in 2024 for a third year in a row Sechelt and Gibsons combined increased in 2024 with 1,583 tonnes deposited in last year over 1,513 that was delivered to the depots in 2023 The Sechelt Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.) Society is officially insured has T-shirts on the way and patrols have started Trinder and Sarah Rose Birge formed the society last fall in response to what many consider is a growing increase in crime in Sechelt such as completing their website and securing insurance but with final t’s crossed and i’s dotted they’re anxious to recruit more volunteers And some people are working two or three jobs and stuff,” said Trinder now that it's a bit lighter in the evenings maybe we can encourage more people to get out.” who have completed the application process which the Sunshine Coast RCMP will process for free for C.O.P “Everybody has to go through that and it's the last step just to make sure that we're not taking anybody on that's got some sort of dubious past that we need to be concerned about,” said Trinder a form letter that we have identifying what the program is and then the RCMP doesn't charge for the check.” Trinder said he got the idea for a volunteer-driven group after attending two community safety meetings last summer held by the District of Sechelt in partnership with the RCMP in response to concerns from many residents about increased crime Birge was also becoming concerned about a reported escalation in crime It was that common desire to take action that brought the two in contact with each other in the first place Trinder says the society follows the code-of-conduct and guidelines other C.O.P Patrols must be made up of at least two people and they can walk or drive “Obviously we don't want people turning up with “But even something like that simple rule has put a couple of people off and they’ve said ‘I'd like to go out walking with my dog.’ And I tell them they can but just not in an official C.O.P Volunteers are asked to commit to four hours of patrol each month and they can choose where and when they want to be out walking or driving Trinder says that could mean one or two hours per week or four hours in a single day Trinder has been attending community association meetings offering tips on crime prevention He adds, anyone looking for more information about volunteering for C.O.P. can visit their website secheltcop.ca, or drop by the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre April 12, when the Rotary Club is hosting its fourth annual Volunteer Fair The Sechelt Fire Department had their hands full this week firefighters were called to Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital after smoke began to enter the hospital told Coast Reporter there was a malfunction with one of the heating which caused smoke to filter into the hospital just to help cover us while we were dealing with that call,” said Achterberg Assisting the Sechelt members were the Gibsons and Roberts Creek fire departments Firefighters used a ladder truck to get onto the roof of the hospital to determine where the smoke was coming from and then helped in clearing it “Then they checked the unit and we just tagged it out of service and left it with maintenance to repair,” said Achterberg Sechelt Fire Department was called out once again in response to an electrical fire in a garage on private property at Wharf Avenue and Ebbtide Street We had four trucks there and then we also called mutual aid from Roberts Creek and Halfmoon Bay to assist us with operations,” said Achterberg while the cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed the incident is a good reminder to never charge anything that involves batteries and then leave it alone “We all use batteries and chargers throughout our daily life and this is just a good time to remind everybody to be diligent and safe when charging equipment especially things like E-scooters and that sort of stuff Achterberg also wanted to ask the public to please not drive over fire hoses that are in use we had to block off the scene just because the way the hydrants are we had to get across Wharf Avenue with these large-diameter hose lines,” he said “And sometimes traffic tries to skirt by and we may have hoses on the ground That’s why we had to block off the intersection has applied to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) to increase its seating capacity from 60 to 100 the LCRB requires local governments to consult with residents and consider required criteria in order to evaluate some liquor licence applications or amendments The District of Sechelt supported the Legion’s proposal at its regular meeting of council To gather residents’ views on the application it was posted to the district’s social media and notification letters were mailed to neighbours within 100 metres No comments were received on the application proposal The application was also referred to the Sunshine Coast RCMP Detachment and the district’s building department the Sechelt Downtown Business Association supported the application As reported in Coast Reporter last July the Legion celebrated its grand reopening in a new location a culmination of five years of effort to complete renovations of the new building at 5546 Inlet Avenue –– and an introduction to a new sustainable business model While the Sechelt Legion will always maintain its core goals of supporting veterans and their families promoting remembrance and supporting the community through charity its new liquor licence means anyone 19 and older is welcome to attend with or without a membership Also new — the Legion now allows minors if accompanied by an adult.  Prior to giving its approval for the application council had questions regarding washrooms and fire regulations District chief building official James Nyhus explained the building code changed in 2024 making it “much more liberal in the washroom count.” “And changed how we assigned washrooms based on accessibility and as a result of that we were able to approve 100 as the occupant load based on their washroom count as applied through the 2024 BC Building Code.” Nyhus added there's a “very simple rule of thumb,” when it comes to exiting requirements “It’s a 60-person rule and as soon as you have more than 60 persons According to a staff report the hours of liquor service comply with the district’s business licence bylaw and no changes are proposed the amendment only proposes an internal increase in capacity noise has not been a source of bylaw complaints and additional impact is not expected to be an issue with the increase the general impact on the community if the application is approved is expected to be positive and supportive to business in the downtown core and another way to help “develop a more vibrant Sechelt for residents and visitors.” “So how is your retirement going?” Julie Imbeau a nurse of 40 years is still dressed in her scrubs and seated next to her husband Ward laboratory technologist and former part-time department manager at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital “We both still work at the hospital.” the Imbeaus simply haven’t let go of their passion for people “We keep working here because we both really enjoy being able to guide and mentor new staff members,” Ward remarks “We also want to ensure we continue to have local staff working here,” adds Julie a nurse who has worked in the OR and Ambulatory Care Unit for the last 10 years recalls her time at Sechelt| shíshálh Hospital where she has also worked as a nurse in the Emergency Department and Critical Care Units “There are a lot of agency and visiting health care staff these days But it’s important to have staff working here with the history and connection to our community too.” he jumped into the field after being inspired by a fellow baseball player and lab technician and even likens his role to playing sports and everyone has a position to play,” he says “I’ve coached a number of staff members in pursuing their goals in health care during my time here.” they continue to work at the hospital well into their retirement for the value it adds to the hospital and community “That community feeling you get here is one of the things that makes our hospital so special I hope more nurses choose to stay here for their careers,” added Julie Keeping “the best medicine local” and passing the baton to the newest generation of health care workers is more than just an on-the-job mission for Julie and Ward started her career as a pharmacy technician in 2018 and now works at the hospital as well she chose to help people through the pharmacy department because it suits her skills and strengths “You grow up thinking ‘doctor’ or ‘nurse’ are the only two options,” Colleen points out “But there are so many other roles and areas in health care that are just as important Some roles only require a six-month program and are really important jobs.” Colleen’s hope is that she can show local students that there are many sides to working in medicine and consider working at the hospital She’s also dedicated to ensuring the continuity of medical treatment on the Coast “I’ve recently started training in mixing chemotherapy drugs,” says Coleen “Because I want to ensure cancer treatments remain available at the hospital I want to support patients to stay home with their families while undergoing medical treatments.”  According to a District of Sechelt staff report they received 32 formal complaints in 2024 pertaining to the use of short-term rental (STR) units in residential neighbourhoods staff monitored STR business operations using tracking software (Granicus) which enabled the enforcement of the pertinent bylaw This information will be included in a comprehensive report related to short-term rental-related complaints for 2024 including those related to licensed or suspected unlicensed short-term rentals The report on enforcement was to be presented at a regular council meeting Feb after Coast Reporter’s press deadline The report said many of the complaints were resolved by voluntary compliance of the owner/operators but in some cases bylaw infraction notices had to be issued in order to obtain compliance 22 were related to unlicensed operations and 10 to licensed operations It was noted that multiple tickets may have been the result of a single complaint six bylaw-infraction notices were given to licensed STR owner/operators while five were issued to non-licensed operators for violations within Business Licence Bylaw No Violations included operating a business without a licence and advertising without a licence as identified by bylaw enforcement officers using Granicus software The remaining infraction notices were issued for violations within other bylaws Additional non-licensed STR operators were identified and either complied by removing their listings and ceasing operations or by applying for and obtaining a business licence Staff are hoping to move forward with the acquisition of a digital bylaw enforcement platform in 2025 which will consolidate complaints from all sources and enable bylaw enforcement officers to issue notices and/or municipal tickets directly This will greatly improve both efficiency and ability to provide accurate statistics coming from a central database B.C.’s Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act was enacted after the District of Sechelt adopted its short-term rental provisions into Business Licence Bylaw No the enforcement component of the act had not been completed The District of Sechelt is asking residents to prepare for and prevent pooling water that could lead to localized flooding as snow that has accumulated since early February continues to melt and with rain in the forecast for the area for Feb 15 and 16.  12 for residents to help prevent flooding by clearing snow and debris from around catch basins and storm drains It also encouraged locals to report any larger obstructions that would prevent water from getting to a catch basin to the municipality During office hours the district can be reached by telephone at (604) 885-1985 and the after hours number to call is 1-866-951-7540.  "This is a community effort to help the water from snowmelt and rainfall to get to where it needs to go whether that be a ditch or catch basin," the statement from the district reads It also cautions the public that "pooling water and big puddles" along roadways are anticipated and requests that all "please drive carefully."  Editor's note: This story was originally published Sept 25 to add comments from Sechelt Mayor John Henderson.  In early September, Sechelt council endorsed a Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) resolution “Rejection of Residential School Denialism,” without the support of the mayor it was revealed that Mayor John Henderson had a book the UBCIC calls “racist misinformation” in municipal hall and was discussing it with senior staffers.  “The truth of what happened in Residential Schools in this country is well documented,” the Nation’s letter addressed to Henderson said “Our courageous survivors have told us the truth and the truth must be heard and accepted before reconciliation can occur in this country We stand with our survivors and denounce your actions.” In not supporting the UBCIC resolution and refusing to reject residential school denialism and misinformation Henderson “puts the District of Sechelt’s reconciliation efforts at risk,” said the letter It goes on to ask him to step aside.  “At this important time in Canadian history we need courageous and thoughtful leaders who are able to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples and individuals alike to build a better future for all,” the letter concludes “We do not believe that you are capable of this kind of leadership or that you are fit to hold the important office of the Mayor of Sechelt We call on you to immediately step aside and let someone who can meet this challenge take the chair.” The letter asks the mayor to direct all future communications with the Nation through his councillor colleagues thanking them for their support of the UBCIC’s resolution.  “Residential School denialism and misinformation has no place in our society,” says the letter to Sechelt council “It retraumatizes survivors and their families causing further challenges on the path to healing and reconciliation We must be honest about our past and see it clearly before we can move forward together.” The UBCIC resolution – unanimously endorsed by the Chiefs Council in June – came by way of a letter last month specifically addressed to the councils of Powell River The resolution calls on all levels of government and the public to reject residential school denialism to uphold the findings and reports of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to implement the TRC’s 94 calls to action to advance policies acknowledging and taking responsibility for the “history and harmful legacy of residential schools” and to support healing for survivors The UBCIC letter continues to say the organization “rejects any and all Residential School racist denialism and ardent dissemination of racist misinformation put forward by the authors of Grave Error – How the Media Misled Us and perpetuated by members of the public and elected officials.” Grave Error is a collection of essays published last December which accuses the media of perpetuating a false narrative of residential schools and questions the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission District of Sechelt communications manager Lindsay Vickers said the municipality doesn’t have a statement at this time but that they anticipate something will come forward following Wednesday’s council meeting when council is set to receive the correspondence.  Henderson called the letters “hurtful.” Clarifying that he was speaking on his own behalf and not on council’s he reiterated that he is not a residential school denier “I've never denied the residential school system I accept that it's had serious impacts on the descendants.” “I’ve listened to survivors tell their stories I've been honored that they've listened to some of the experiences that some of my family have had but…one of my extended family endured,” said Henderson “It's that sort of sharing that I think is at the core of how we find common ground.” Henderson said he wants to understand what it is about Grave Error in particular that makes it  “considered to be so inappropriate” and would welcome conversations.  Henderson said he finds it “deeply sad” to receive the letters “without any effort on the part of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs or [shishalh Nation lhe hiwus yalxwemult Lenora Joe] “It's not the way to move forward to where it's reconciliation in my view.” Henderson said he has not reached out to the lhe hiwus pointing to a busy week and figuring out how not to escalate the issue.  Henderson said he is not stepping aside and that he’s announcing he intends to run in the next election.  “I was elected by the taxpayers of Sechelt and I've got a mandate I know that some of what I'm doing is ruffling some of what I'm doing is causing difficulties for some people but I'm getting a lot of people encouraging me to keep going.” which could see 77 childcare spaces created with affordable housing units built above At a committee of the whole meeting April 9 District of Sechelt (DOS) council approved a motion that will initiate the rezoning subdivision and land-transfer processes for the mixed-use building at 6000 Lighthouse Ave. adjacent to Kinnikinnick Elementary School The zoning amendment bylaw can receive three readings at one council meeting and then be adopted at a second council meeting According to a staff report the land is occupied by Suncoast Racquet Club on the north end requiring the childcare section to be subdivided off to facilitate a joint ownership parcel Subdivision and rezoning can be initiated concurrently This initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) BC Housing and the Sunshine Coast Affordable Housing Society MECC is contributing $5.4 million towards the project with the remainder to be financed by BC Housing The daycare is to include 37 spaces for infants to children five-years-old Rezoning will address site-specific permitted uses and other regulations As the proposed rezoning is deemed consistent with the district’s Official Community Plan a public hearing is not permitted for the rezoning portion of the project director of regional development for BC Housing told council the affordable housing would have a low-to-moderate income threshold with a target tenant who lives independently and is employed A certain number of the units will be dedicated to workers employed at the daycare due to the fact housing has been an issue for similar operations unable to hire staff because they can’t find anywhere to live Brunemeyer said fewer than 10 would be reserved for daycare staff while likely another three would be available to management and maintenance staff of the building itself Brenda Rowe said she was grateful to see the report which operates the majority of childcare options on the Coast was forced to bring staff over from Vancouver because some daycare spaces weren’t being filled due to a lack of workers “I'm glad to see that this includes the funding for this to be lower fees for the parents and also wage top-up for the staff “This group of staff are not highly paid and so housing was really identified in early talks with providers on the Coast and in meetings that we had at UBCM in my last term "Being able to offer housing as an incentive not just for Sechelt but for the Coast because it will have a trickle-down effect," said Rowe.  During the meeting, Amber Osadan-Ullman and Mariazel Rios Motte, project managers with Colliers Project Leaders, which is heading up the proposal, presented a 20-page report detailing what’s been done to date and next steps The report noted BC Housing’s capital funds are equity-based and can only be applied once title has been transferred to them the land title transfer is to be completed at project confirmation instead of at completion which helps avoid borrowing costs to develop the residential portion of the work The rent paid by tenants will cover maintenance operations and long-term asset renewal and the ownership will be a joint strata between BC Housing and DOS due diligence will be carried out where needed work will begin on the rezoning and subdividing of the parcel of land a financial analysis will be completed and the budget will be confirmed The project is expected to be completed in about three years Despite its vacant appearance, the Sunshine Coast Primary Care Network (PCN) is open for business in downtown Sechelt — so long as you have a referral its patient list is limited to those referred by a doctor or nurse practitioner to see the social worker pharmacist or one of the two counsellors working out of the two-storey building PCN manager for the Sunshine Coast Division of Family Practice explained this is just the first wave of services to be offered at centre “There are actually a lot of mental health services on the Coast but it was figuring out where in the continuum of care that counsellors fit in we landed on the scope of mild-to-moderate more like preventive care,” said Clogg “This is a mild-to-moderate mental health counselling service for adults so their physicians are referring their patients who need mental health support and they're seeing patients during weekly sessions Clogg notes the counselling offered at the centre is considered a short-term solution and the counsellor then reports back to the network if a physician feels like that patient would benefit from counselling they can refer them to any member of the team the network will include three full-time and one part-time social workers two full-time and one part-time counsellors six full-time and one part-time registered nurse with specialties one shíshálh Nation Elder and Indigenous community champion one community pharmacist and an unlimited number of family doctors and nurse practitioners The Sunshine Coast project is part of the province’s third wave of PCNs About 100 PCNs are planned across the province by the end of 2025 “The goal of the primary care network is to deliver team-based primary care a patient will go to see their family doctor or nurse practitioner now you have a team of people supporting you and supporting the doctor,” Clogg explained “We’ve spent about two years developing a service plan where did doctors and providers feel like the gaps were Where did they need help with their patients the most we essentially made a list of professions that we felt would be the most helpful for team-based care on the Coast and then had to write about a 50-page proposal including population data and we did a lot of committees and outreach to the public managed by the Division of Family Practice under Vancouver Coastal Health and funded by the provincial Ministry of Health aims to alleviate doctor shortages by implementing this collaborative system the Sunshine Coast PCN plans to transform local primary health-care services by introducing more than 18 new primary care (doctors and nurse practitioners) positions This expansion is centered on the team-based care and integration with the Health Connect Registry centralized patient waitlist the initiative also focuses on improving access to care particularly for vulnerable populations like frail seniors and youth Recruitment is ongoing and of vital importance She notes the Coast has a lot to offer young families it’s just a matter of getting doctors and nurse practitioners over here to see its potential “We’ve got this recruitment committee and we bring in family doctor and nurse practitioners to visit the community but they ultimately choose where they want to work and what type of practice they want,” said Clogg “And we are one of the facilities that they can choose from there are 42 family physicians and one nurse practitioner working on the Coast In regards to last week’s article involving the relocation of the Sechelt Farmers’ Market, I would like to add my voice. Over the last two years working on the Who Cares? Project (whocaresproject.org) to understand what life is like for our elders on the Sunshine Coast I have had the great fortune to observe and converse with dynamic adults of every age on this topic I am sure there are so many economic and convenience considerations being discussed and weighed by the district and others in this relocation economics and mental health of our senior population should also be taken into consideration I have met people who were able to attend the market regularly as differently-abled adults –– when other places on the Coast are just completely unattainable to them social and free engagement opportunity is crucial in the mental and physical health of not just our older adults but all who will attend such an open community event Some seniors used to be able to reach the market weekly from Shornecliffe before it became Silverstone and moved to a mobility-challenged inaccessible location.  Their lives have been changed based on the decisions of others.  Before making lasting decisions through the lens of economics please consider the implications of this as one of the few accessible and inclusive touch-points of our great community.  News | January 31, 2025 | By: ATA to be built in a mined out section of the Heidelberg Material’s Sechelt mine in Sechelt will include a geomembrane liner underlain by a non-woven geotextile to protect the quality of the stored water The Lower Crown Reservoir portion of the water security project of the shíshálh Nation in cooperation with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is still awaiting permits to proceed Coast Reporter was unable to speak with a Nation representative about the project in advance of deadline Weiler stated that the Nation has approvals for development work at that site He said he anticipated full permission to proceed with the 800,000-cubic-meter storage facility where water will be collected during the wet months for distribution to the community during drier times and that permission will be forthcoming shortly As the site is a “brown field” (one already disturbed for an industrial use) the MP said permitting is subject to less stringent environmental reviews That funding is “a 100 percent grant,” he said with no requirement on the recipients to match any portion of those dollars and the grant proceeds will be available up to 2032 When the Nation announced its intentions to explore reservoir development in May 2023 it had aspired to have that facility ready for use in just over a year Two reservoirs and water treatment expansion planned A fact sheet circulated in support of that funding announcement details the project has two phases is to be built in a mined-out section of the Heidelberg Material’s Sechelt mine and will include a “geomembrane liner underlain by a non-woven geotextile” to protect the quality of the stored water The existing SCRD Chapman Creek intake infrastructure will be used to draw water from that reservoir with a system of pumps and pipelines to facilitate flows back to the Chapman Creek Water Treatment Plant for processing and distribution The document emphasizes that no upgrades to that plant will be required for Phase 1 of the project aims to establish a reservoir with a 1.5 million cubic meter capacity with the goal to select one to “maximize benefits for the Sunshine Coast.” SCRD to continue water diversification efforts With the initial reservoir slated to arrive in about two years, the SCRD indicated it will continue its focus and capital planning for Chapman and other system water supply enhancements in 2025 reflecting the SCRD board’s commitment to diversifying our water sources This approach ensures we are not solely reliant on a single source like the Church Road Well Field Project,” regional district communications manager Aidan Buckley told Coast Reporter in a Jan There is considerable background work the regional district needs to complete before any reservoir water becomes part of its supply system. In May 2024, the SCRD board received a report that outlined along with technical and engineering type considerations via referendum or alternative approval process of any agreements between the Nation and the SCRD for joint efforts in water supply may be required While no date for Phase 1 groundbreaking ceremonies has been communicated Weiler stated he “absolutely” plans to be on the coast to attend Learn more about Coast Reporter here GeoManitoba 2025 paper submission deadline extended to May 14 Geo-Institute 2026 award nominations open RENOLIT building new geomembrane plant in India Registration now open for Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 Webinar – Geomembranes for Produced Water and Brine Containment – May 13 Register for GMA Spring Lobby Days Geosynthetics Magazine is a publication of the Advanced Textiles Association Copyright © 2025 Advanced Textiles Association Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account A 4.7 magnitude earthquake that hit northeast of Sechelt on Friday afternoon was felt by residents across southwestern B.C Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWhile the quake was originally listed at a magnitude of 5.1 Natural Resources Canada upgraded it later on Friday senior research scientist with Natural Resources Canada said the earthquake lasted about 10 seconds He said there could be aftershocks because it was a shallow quake Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. which struck shortly after 1:30 p.m at a depth of one kilometre was “lightly felt” across southwestern B.C The National Tsunami Warning Centre says there was no tsunami threat The location is an unpopulated mountainous area in the Tetrahedron Provincial Park on the Sunshine Coast Natural Resources Canada issued an automated earthquake alert for people close to the epicentre Then wait 60 seconds until the shaking stops Many schools put their earthquake drills into practice Students at Handsworth Secondary School in North Vancouver said their building shook The North Vancouver school district said everyone was safe and no injury or damage had been reported all the students were having an assembly in the gym which is designated as one of the school’s meeting areas The principal notified parents to say no one was injured and all the children were safe The Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal was temporarily evacuated to allow staff to conduct a thorough inspection of the terminal infrastructure It was the only terminal that was evacuated customers and staff returned to the terminal District of Sechelt Mayor John Henderson said he hadn’t had any reports of damage “We heard a loud boom and then the shaking really started I’ve been connecting with people and other locations around Sechelt and so far things remain in good standing,” he said “This is a great reminder to not just prepare but actually have a plan for when emergencies happen There’s a reason we’ve been trained in earthquake drills The Sunshine Coast Regional District has been in contact with emergency responders and continues to monitor the situation The district also said it had not been advised of any major issues Officials urged people living in the affected areas to take precaution in case of aftershock and to prepare for a community emergency including preparing a grab-and-go bag with essential items The district advised residents to have the supplies they need to cope on their own for at least seven days B.C.’s emergency information website says officials are monitoring the situation and the public should stand by for more information Vancouver city councillor Rebecca Bligh posted on social media that it was “very unnerving to feel that earthquake while in an older office building.” “Every small seismic event is a reminder to get prepared,” she said The shaking was also felt on Vancouver Island Autumn Maxwell was working at her desk near Sooke when she heard the sound of something rattling and then I can see that the window’s moving and the whole house was shaking,” she said A large earthquake hit the region was a 7.4-magnitude quake in 1872 There have been eight earthquakes over a 5-magnitude in the region This story has been edited to reflect the accurate magnitude of the earthquake With files from the Victoria Times Colonist and The Canadian Press transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account With the arrival of spring comes the start of the 32nd year of the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market – the biggest one on the Coast With the current interest in supporting “Made in Canada” and local business the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market is the perfect place to explore As a member of the British Columbia Farmers Market Association all vendors are vetted to strictly adhere to the ethos of only allowing local (Sunshine Coast) artisan growers So instead of having to check every label for the maple leaf The vetting committee is delighted with the range of talent on the Coast More than 100 vendors were approved with some rotating throughout the season A 2023 Economic Impact Study showed that the SFAM generated $2.3 million annually By having only local vendors it means almost all of these dollars stay on the Sunshine Coast The provincial mandate for farmers markets is They have the highest priority for admission though most don’t appear until later into the season with their produce The market will continue to participate in the provincial Nutrition Coupon program accepting coupons for certain food products including produce This year the market will be adding a food court by the totem poles at the school property featuring local hot food vendors This season’s market starts April 5 and runs every Saturday, rain or shine, on Cowrie Street behind the library until Oct. 11. For more information contact [email protected] Guilty pleas were entered at provincial court in Sechelt on Jan for vandalizing the Friendship Park washroom mural and trying to break into 22 Taphouse Judge Robert Hamilton agreed with a sentencing proposal jointly submitted by Crown counsel Tim McKelvey and defence attorney Sandi Janicki That included 30 days on the vandalism charge for the Oct 2023 defacing of the artwork on the washroom with spray paint and 60 days for the May 18 2024 attempt to unlawfully enter the Taphouse.   The judge also ordered that Tak reimburse the District of Sechelt $10,920 the costs incurred to repair the damaged mural and a 12-month probation period to follow the sentences.  McKelvey summarized the offences.   He noted that a citizen contacted the Sunshine Coast RCMP at about 3 p.m stating that he had seen what had occurred and taken a cellphone photo of the person responsible spoke with the witness and viewed the photograph in downtown Sechelt just over an hour later He was charged and released that same day.   an alarm from the 22 Taphouse location alerted the police to suspicious activity at that site’s back door While there was no perpetrator on scene by the time officers arrived there was a security camera video recording of a male wearing a hoodie with distinctive markings and riding a bicycle with a unique colour scheme the police were called to the Hightide Supportive Housing development with a reported fight having occurred outside that building reviewing video security footage of the incident as the individual in the footage from the 22 Taphouse.   Conditions attached to Tak’s sentencing and probation included a curfew an order to undertake counselling as recommended by his conditional sentence officer and no contact with the witness to the vandalism incident 36 is also prohibited from possessing tools that could be used to conduct a break in and instruments including spray paint and permanent markers which could be used to produce graffiti or deface property.  In discussion of Tak’s repayment to the district Janicki noted that Tak was employed and may be able to come up with the funds to do so “over the next five years.” Hamilton did not include a timeframe on his order for restitution and also did not levy a victim surcharge.  Did you feel that? At 1: 26 pm this afternoon Earthquakes Canada detected a 5.4 magnitude earthquake northeast of Sechelt triggering an emergency alert to be sent out for the public to drop “I swore that a semi-truck ran into the building up on Marine Avenue or something; this building was swaying,” said Peak publisher Kelly Keil who was in the Peak office in downtown Powell River at the time “I was on the phone with an IT guy in Vancouver and he said ‘that was an earthquake The Peak also received a report that the quake was felt on Savary Island. Emergency Info BC stated that there is no tsunami threat after the quake shook the province's southwest There are no reports of damage at this time qathet School District stated that confirmations had been received from every principal in the district that everyone was safe qathet Regional District general manager of emergency services Ryan Thoms said the earthquake is a good opportunity to become acquainted with emergency procedures He said the earthquake hit the regional district office noticeably and it was over and done with quickly He added that the regional district is going to do a safety follow-up to remind everyone about emergency plans “For the public, we are always promoting Shakeout BC [shakeoutbc.ca] and Earthquakes Canada [earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca],” said Thoms “It is no surprise that the earthquake was located not too far away so that’s why it felt like a good hit “It was the kind of earthquake that we know historically happens here.” Thoms said emergency services has worked to promote the history of earthquakes in the region He said the last big earthquake in 1946 is a reminder that a significant earthquake can happen here “These things happen,” said Thoms “We’ve been in a really quiet period for the last few decades It’s easy to be lulled by the quiet and to think earthquakes only happen elsewhere The reality is there is nowhere around the Pacific Rim that doesn’t experience earthquakes.” since earthquakes can’t be prevented is to think about how best to prepare for them in homes and workplaces He said this earthquake happened so fast that at his workplace by the time people realized the earthquake was occurring getting under the desk was almost too late Thoms said in a longer duration earthquake “It’s why we have the shakeout every year,” said Thoms “It reminds people of the right things to do I encourage people to go to those two websites and learn the simple things that will help in an earthquake Learning to protect yourself is important.” Thoms said it is also an important time to think about assembling a go-kit for emergencies which could be helpful in an earthquake if substantial damage is done to homes He said it is also important for families to have discussions about things to do if an earthquake hits and if you haven’t thought about it ahead of time there is a tendency to not react and to not keep yourself safe,” said Thoms “It’s useful to seek good information and education we don’t have to think about it again for a while but it is definitely a reality here.” Thoms said the regional emergency service is always happy to hear from people who are seeking information. Emails can be sent to [email protected] “Earthquakes are real,” said Thoms “They are something that you should be prepared for.” The quake was detected in an area 24 kilometres north/northeast of Sechelt 35 kilometres west of Squamish and 60 kilometres northwest of Vancouver The department added that the shaker was one kilometre in depth and was "lightly felt" in the southwestern part of the province To report where and when an earthquake was felt, go to earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/dyfi-lavr/form-en.php?eventid=20250221.2126 While barges and tugboats are a usual sight to Sechelt residents it’s not every day a carrier comes to fill up at the Heidelberg Materials gravel conveyor.  a self-discharging bulk carrier departed from Long Beach 17 and arrived at Sechelt early this morning Her length overall is 228.6 meters and her width is 32.26 meters.       The TECUMSEH was built in 2013 and can carry over 17,000 tonnes of cargo which it can discharge at rates of 4,200 - 6,000 metric tonnes per hour depending on the material.       Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative Please note this story may contain information that is triggering to readers Survivors and those impacted by residential schools can call the 24-hour national Indian Residential School Crisis Line for support services: 1-866-925-4419 Support is also available through Hope for Wellness helpline at 1-855-242-3310 or at hopeforwellness.ca With the revelation that Sechelt Mayor John Henderson had a book at municipal hall that the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) has called “racist misinformation,” Sechelt’s six councillors endorsed a resolution rejecting residential school denialism Wednesday evening They did so without the support of the mayor.  According to council discussion and Coast Reporter conversations with the mayor and councillors in late January Henderson had Grave Error: How The Media Misled Us in municipal hall and was discussing it with senior staffers.  The collection of essays published last December prompted controversy in Quesnel in March when it came to light that the mayor’s wife had been distributing the book to residents The ensuing controversy saw the Quesnel council sanction the mayor and saw him banned from the local Lhtako Dene First Nation’s lands.  A letter from UBCIC dated Aug specifically addressed to the councils of Powell River informs of a resolution unanimously endorsed by the UBCIC Chiefs Council in June  The UBCIC letter continues to say the organization “rejects any and all Residential School racist denialism and ardent dissemination of racist misinformation put forward by the authors of Grave Error – How the Media Misled Us and perpetuated by members of the public and elected officials.” a statement on behalf of shíshálh Nation Council said the Nation supports the UBCIC’s resolution I had it in council,” Henderson told Sechelt Council at their Sept Henderson said he’s concerned that this book has been singled out then listing several books by Indigenous authors and I think it's an important thing to [read] because we – I “I think the assessment of the assertions in the letter are [I think] that we should be encouraging people to read everything they want to read,” said Henderson “It doesn't mean that I support all the claims or the comments in that book but I don't think it's acceptable for anybody to attempt to dictate what any individual can or cannot read.” Henderson proposed responding to the letter thanking UBCIC for their views He also said he has one or two members of shíshálh Nation prepared to accompany him to visit the chiefs of the UBCIC “I think it's an important step in learning for all of us because I could go on a great length about the complexities of reconciliation but I think the first thing that we have to do is engage with each other.” Councillors came out strongly against the book “I have trouble reconciling how one can speak about reconciliation and then residential school denialism in the same breath,” said Coun “Nobody is saying you can’t read a book discussing it with senior staff –– that's inappropriate in a community that you're leading with a First Nation neighbour and partnership “These are our neighbors but this is a shared community.” He pointed to the land acknowledgment on the agenda (but referenced that Henderson didn’t read the entire acknowledgment out loud at the top of the meeting) and that some see land within the community as unceded territory and to have it where it was and to present it to who it was I just don't think it's appropriate.” but I would never bring Mein Kampf around the District of Sechelt and the employees,” said Inkster.  Donna Bell encouraged Henderson to take up the opportunity to talk with his shíshálh friends and with UBCIC chiefs “It would be good to hear the outcome of that if it provides an opportunity for you to have a conversation and to be able to speak about how they feel in terms of why we're on this list.”  “We might have some damage control to do here,” said Bell “It's important that I think we're all saying we don't support this We don't support this book.”  Alton Toth pointed to the Sechelt strategic plan which states among its values work with shíshálh Nation “I haven't had this conversation with any of the members of shíshálh Nation Council and I'm not sure how to have this conversation with them,” said Toth “Because I also don’t believe that the book belongs in municipal hall offices.” Sechelt staff are council’s subordinates “There's a power differential there that I don't think it's appropriate to present such a book to them.” “When you look at residential school damages they're not our truth to tell,” said Toth “Nobody at this table attended residential schools When councillors moved to endorse UBCIC’s resolution and send a copy of that support to shíshálh Nation Henderson responded that this is a contentious issue in our communities We need to focus on activities that we can share in and have a win “I have grave concerns at the moment that too many things are being held up that will benefit us So we need to focus on building up our communities embracing mutual respect for everyone and creating prosperity for everybody,” said Henderson “I think that that's far more important than getting locked into a debate about what is or isn't appropriate in the world.” Henderson stated that he is not a residential school denier “I'm not in favor of this motion because I think it frankly continues a process that we need to get past,” he said Noting that other councillors have not read Grave Error it's hard for me to understand how you can be critical of it.” Support for UBCIC’s resolution passed six to one a Sechelt councillor from 2018 to 2022 and member of Spuzzum First Nation “I'm appalled that this was brought into this community,” she said “what is your position on all the missing children that never came home?” “To the extent there are children that are missing I'd love to see them be brought home,” answered Henderson “So if they are buried in cemeteries I think what we must do is find them and bring them home for a proper burial.”  Keuster brought her own reading material to offer councillors –– copies of  Gladys We Never Knew: The life of a child in a BC Indian Residential School about a girl who died attending a residential school and whose sister didn’t return home I'm absolutely appalled that [Grave Error] was brought into city hall and presented to staff,” she reiterated virtually attended the meeting and asked who on council had read the book I don’t read Playboy either but I know what’s in it.” asking whether it was appropriate for councillors to take a position on a book they had not read “It’s totally appropriate for me to take that stand.” “I think this is an example of totalitarianism that is taking over city councils across British Columbia,” Widdowson answered UBCIC shared that the letter was sent to all B.C municipalities and was specifically directed at several municipalities where the organization was “aware of discussions about residential school issues denials of the history of the injustice of residential schools and actions contrary to the letter and spirit of reconciliation.” “We hope that the Resolution will assist in discussions within those communities towards a greater understanding of the well-documented harms against Indigenous peoples and the importance of reconciliation,” said the statement.  UBCIC president Grand Chief Stewart Phillip pointed to rising violence toward racialized peoples and the need to condemn such sentiments Asked if Sechelt was sent the letter because the book had been in the municipal hall insofar as racialized violence is becoming a very serious and grave issue on a global scale and particularly within British Columbia.” He said racialized violence needs to be challenged and that residential school denialism has become a hobby horse for those who hold discriminatory views The municipalities specifically named in the letter were ones “most noteworthy in regard to this becoming a very disruptive issue in business.” “What we're witnessing in these particular communities is a colossal failure of leadership on the part of the subject mayors,” said Stewart “Those particular mayors are demonstrating a very autocratic style of leadership whereby they make unilateral decisions on particular issues without any real consultation with their council members “I applaud the council members in these instances that have spoken up against their mayors and have carried a view that respects human rights and respects the fact that we're all here to stay and we need to accommodate our unique histories and faith and cultures,” he said.  A kilometre down the road from where municipal hall now stands a residential school operated in Sechelt from 1904 until June 30 the institution was run by the Sisters of Instruction of the Child Jesus then the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate from 1924 to 1969 The federal government managed and operated the school from April 1969 until its closure and funded the institution for more than 70 years members of more than 50 First Nations attended the institution including members of shíshálh Nation While five names are listed on the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s virtual memorial dedicated to Sechelt Residential School Augustine’s – with other government documentation referencing a total of approximately 10 deaths – the Nation has long said that number doesn’t come even close to the number of children who died attending the institution.  a shíshálh Nation ground penetrating radar investigation found 40 unmarked graves on the institution’s former grounds and statements at the time said that was a “very conservative number,” that not all the children have been found and that many will never be found.  our Elders have told us and we always believed them We want to show the little ones to know we haven’t forgotten them and they are important,” lhe hiwus yalxwemult (Chief Lenora Joe) said in a statement at the time –  With files from Keili Bartlett A recent report from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) shows that in September six homes in the Sechelt area were leaking the approximate equivalent of 500 homes’ worth of water every day The findings were part of a water update report presented at the Nov District of Sechelt regular council meeting by Coun The SCRD expects the water savings to continue as meters identify new leaks as they emerge. As of the end of October, 2,974 accounts of a scheduled 4,100 water meters had been installed The report also showed this past summer was “very successful” from a water systems management perspective that the district had not had to move to Stage 3 restrictions considering the Chapman water system is primarily driven by rainfall in the summer contributions from the Church Road well field also helped The well field provided approximately 20 per cent of Sechelt’s water over the summer the Church Road well field will continue to require monitoring for several years and notes nearby residents still want the water treatment chemicals kept on site to be relocated The Chapman water treatment plant was recently upgraded to allow for the use of chlorine on site which negates the need to transport and store dangerous chlorine gas at a facility located uphill of the community The new transport method has chlorine bound as a much more stable salt because the facility only has a single UV disinfection system which is nearing the end of life — with no backup system should it go offline — UV reactor upgrades are going to be started the SCRD has seen initial proposals to look at two additional upgrades relating to the Chapman Water Treatment Plant The first upgrade would be the design and engineering for replacement of the intake weir at Chapman Creek (approximate value of $205,000) and inspections over the last couple of years have shown the concrete and timber structure to be in a state of rapidly accelerating decay The other project being contemplated is the replacement of the raw-water intake pumps as well as their emergency backup generator (approximate cost of $794,000) These are relatively small works compared to a new water source but do show an increasing need for replacement of aging assets Toth says the water utility rates have been sufficient over the past couple of years to be able to fund this work from capital reserves which will mean no impact to taxation or user fees should the district approve these projects during the budget process Gray Creek was not used this past summer due to the fact Vancouver Coastal Health would have required the SCRD to publish Water Quality Advisories for the Sandy Hook and Tuwanek areas an operational decision was made to hold off until Stage 3 “If we find that Gray Creek can provide a sustainable yield into the future staff expect to spend 2025 doing design work on system upgrades that would allow for a permanent draw of water in future years,” Toth wrote “The good news is that we already have a water licence for Gray Creek that would cover off our draw with improved infrastructure." Langdale Well field is currently moving through the permitting process with the province the project was deferred for a year due to the estimated $22 million cost and instead the district opted to take the year to get results for the drilling of the test wells in the Sechelt area One of the proposed well locations was originally at the bicycle pump track on Trail Ave but it was determined that with both gas lines and pressurized sewer mains close by there were too many risks to proceed with that location staff are looking at drilling a test well on the grounds of the hospital which could help with both the community water supply as well as disaster resilience for the hospital That test well is expected to be drilled pending confirmation of a specific location on the hospital campus Other test wells have been drilled at Roberts Creek Hall (drilling and pump test complete) Kinnikinnick Sport Fields (test drill complete pump testing expected towards the end of November) and finally at Whitaker Park in Davis Bay (drilling to start early November) resources were put into the exploration of an existing decommissioned well at the Sunshine Coast Arena with a view to possibly using that water supply to offset potable water use at the arena for ice-making Reports on all of these wells and their potentials are expected in the first quarter of 2025 (January to March) a test well previously drilled at Cliff Gilker Park has an approved project to install necessary infrastructure onto the well saving substantial potable water to keep some sport fields irrigated That project is expected to be completed in 2025 The report says the SCRD and shíshálh Nation are still moving forward with work relating to local reservoirs while they await announcement on whether they were successful in receiving the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund grant which was applied for to undertake design and construction Work also continued with the “Site B” reservoir option which the SCRD has spent the past couple of years working on behind the scenes The SCRD is expected to continue technical exploration into one or more reservoir options in 2025 even if senior government funding is ultimately unsuccessful at this time In a step to address the increasing homeless population on the Sunshine Coast, District of Sechelt Council voted to submit an expression of interest to the Ministry of Housing for the Heart and Hearth program during its Feb. 5 regular meeting. Brenda Rowe introduced the motion to the council outlining Sechelt’s growing homelessness issue which “disproportionately affects seniors and Indigenous individuals both of whom are particularly vulnerable populations,” she said.  The Heart and Hearth program is made of two components the Heart piece is a homeless encampment action response team The Hearth piece is a homeless encampment action response to temporary housing Rowe said there have been successful implementations of this in smaller communities including Port Alberni and Duncan on Vancouver Island.  Rowe also highlighted a critical lack of affordable and supportive housing opportunities in Sechelt which she said is insufficient to meet the increasing needs of our community and explained the Heart and Hearth program promotes community-oriented and sustainable solutions to homelessness and housing insecurity Rowe motioned to include a particular focus on addressing homelessness among seniors and Indigenous individuals in the letter and for staff to reach out to the shíshálh Nation to partner in the expression of interest noting that she has already spoken with lhe hiwus yalxwemult (Chief Lenora Joe) about the proposal.  Explaining why the expression of interest focuses mainly on these two populations Rowe said the percentage of homeless seniors in the community increases with every point in time (PIT) count conducted a concern that she said she sees in her daily work in health care.  Rowe explained that 40 per cent of the communities homeless population is made up of Indigenous people Pointing out that Indigenous people only account for 8 per cent of the general population Rowe said this was “highly disproportionate.”  Part of the expression of interest is meant to raise the exposure of the community The larger municipalities are getting all the attention from both of these programs … it has just as much of an impact on our community even though we're a smaller size,” she said.  and staff were directed to prepare and submit expression of interest to the Ministry of Housing for the Heart and Hearth Program It was also resolved that staff will reach out to the Town of Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) for letters of support to strengthen the expression of interest.  As a way to update and better enforce bylaw violations the District of Sechelt has done an overhaul of its municipal ticket information regulations which staff described in a report as being “badly out of date and badly out of sync.” At a March 19 council meeting chief building official for the district told council, staff went over the fines included in the bylaw notice and enforcement implementation bylaw and part of that process was to increase damages considered too low to be an effective deterrent the fine for construction without a permit within the building bylaw was $100 “Now that looks more like the cost of doing business to me before you obtain a permit rather than a real deterrent,” said Nyhus “And so that has subsequently been raised to $400 which is probably a better deterrent with no discount The bylaw amendments also brings some fines up to $1,000, including violations for failure to obtain a building permit and disobeying the order of a building official. A full list of bylaw violation fines can be found here the changes put the district more in sync with other jurisdictions early and late payment amounts were removed because they were difficult to process many people who received a bylaw violation ticket tried to insist they should only have to pay the early payment amount — even if they were late in particular for the front counter staff The bylaw amendments approved at the meeting affected municipal ticket information Nyhus noted the district always attempts to first seek compliance through voluntary measures before issuing fines there are some frequent flyers that need a better deterrent,” said Nyhus “And I think part of it is word getting around that it is a higher level of pain for contravening bylaws.” The report also noted inconsistency in the naming conventions used in the bylaws was an issue so going forward bylaws will be amended to no longer include “District of Sechelt” in the formal title for citation purposes Watching the Sechelt council meeting of Feb. 5, I was shocked to hear not one of the councillors supported Mayor Henderson’s motion to direct staff to provide options on ways to reduce local government spending.  How can senior management of the district think significant spending increases over the last year are even remotely acceptable It seems management has lost sight of the need to be fiscally responsible and accountable.  The fact that councillors are unwilling to even discuss this is a disgrace.  They were elected to make tough decisions following thoughtful and informed discussion It seems being vindictive takes precedence over the best interest of Sechelt taxpayers That they refuse to discuss the issue indicates a serious neglect of responsibility.  a male driver from Sechelt drove into a large panel of glass windows at the RBC bank at Trail Bay Centre Police say the 79-year-old man stated he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes of his vehicle there was no structural integrity damage to the bank and no sign of impairment The Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market has been asked to find a new home for 2026 but market president Jon Bell is determined to argue the case for staying put on Cowrie Street to District of Sechelt (DOS) mayor and council Bell is also hoping to discuss the proposed relocation with the DOS planning department the market board had a virtual meeting with the manager of community services to discuss the letter of agreement between the district and Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market Bell assumed the meeting would be to address topics such as garbage but then was told the DOS would provide a letter of agreement for 2025 and that they should start looking for a new location “It's not easy moving a farmers' market it would be a mud bowl or it would be a dust bowl The grass would not survive and it wouldn't be accessible and we pride ourselves on being accessible.” At issue is the construction of a rental apartment development at 5535 Shorncliffe Ave. which is approved to include 109 units The farmers’ market cuts off the west end of Cowrie Street at Shorncliffe as well as the northwest highway entrance to downtown from the Sunshine Coast Highway In a staff report to council regarding the development proposal “The future of the farmers market in its current location will need to be reviewed in light of the proposed development Additional residential traffic will be generated from Shorncliffe through the Cowrie Street intersection and the farmers market location would be problematic Shifting it further east along Cowrie Street would allow the district to close a block off to traffic on the market day and more easily divert traffic around the area.” Bell says construction of the development can easily go ahead “We understand that the vehicles do need to come in on off Shorncliffe “And most construction is not on Saturday morning so it's just a very small portion of the year that we're there we can get some resolution with the district is not an option because it’s a weekly event which was a successful event on Cowrie Street this past summer He says the market would interfere with the retail shops and businesses located along Cowrie He adds it’s also been suggested Inlet Street between Cowrie and Dolphin could be blocked off and used as an alternative but he was told residents of the street were opposed to the idea “That was not going to work for whatever reason we're really pushing to stay on Cowrie Street between Ocean and Shorncliffe,” said Bell “Because it's such a good location for the market and a lot of people have just gone It's such a positive downtown event.’ And if we were to have to find a new location there's no guarantee of where it would be.” executive director for Sunshine Coast Tourism told Coast Reporter she’s been aware of the issue since 2022 “Sunshine Coast Tourism has long supported the Sechelt Farmers' and Artisans Market as a key partner in both local tourism and economic development,” said Wise drawing visitors to the Sunshine Coast and providing a valuable platform for local producers.” farmers' markets in the region are important economic drivers “contributing significantly to local economies and creating community spaces where locals and visitors alike can enjoy unique experiences.” The report included combined data on both the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market and Powell River Farmers Market which are members of the BC Association of Farmers Markets (BCAFM) An average of 372 people participated in the survey which is 10 per cent of the estimated total crowd counts for all of the market assessment days According to the 2023 annual economic impact contribute an estimated $5.2 million to the provincial economy each year the ‘spillover’ effect the Sunshine Coast BCAFM member markets have on their neighbouring businesses worked out to an average of $3.5 million in spending at neighbourhood businesses for 2023 The average amount spent by survey respondents at neighbouring businesses in the Sunshine Coast region is $54.94 Wise suggests a relocation of the market could be an opportunity to explore new possibilities and adds moving it to Cowrie between Trail and Inlet where it could be closed to through-traffic during market hours benefiting both the market and the surrounding businesses “We saw this work really well during last year's Car Free Day on Cowrie This would not only maintain the market’s role as an economic driver but also strengthen downtown Sechelt as a destination for both locals and tourists alike,” said Wise Sunshine Coast Tourism remains committed to supporting the market’s growth and sustainability and we are hopeful that the new location will allow the market to thrive even more in the future.” said the discussion about potentially moving the market has been ongoing since 2021 as well as a traffic light at Shorncliffe and the highway are all big factors,” Vickers wrote it's about ensuring the market is located in a safe space for all to enjoy.” Vickers noted the district has yet to receive an application from the market for 2025 but staff assumed it would like to continue in the same space so “are pleased to bring one-year renewal forward for Council's consideration on February 5.” “We recognize there are challenges and opportunities as Sechelt continues to grow and will present to council in February to seek direction for the future We'll work hard to find a great location for all to enjoy the market.” The Coast Reporter minions only publish on a Friday so it hits the boxes April 25 six days before the month of record actually begins My favorite months are those that begin on Friday; that only happens in August this year but my special favorite was in April 2022 when I described viewing the Apollo 11 landing site with binoculars For this article I’ll use that long lead time to suggest people hit the beach to see some remarkable tides New Moon and its closest perigee of the year happen before just noon on April 27 and the tide ranges peak April 28 to 30 I’m still not sure why the two-day delay but you can see the details for the Pt Atkinson station at: tide-forecast.com/locations/Point-Atkinson-British-Columbia-2/tides/latest The Eta Aquariid meteors are due to peak on May 5 This group averages about 60 per hour and should spread over about five days The radiant is due east and rises about 03:00 each morning so there will be a limited viewing window daily before dawn Venus and Saturn are now in the morning sky after March’s evening displays Because the ecliptic is pretty low to the west of the Sun for us in the Northern Hemisphere we’ll see them both low in the east as they pull away from the Sun Saturn will be just to the right of brilliant Venus and will pull away from it up and west until April 22 when it will be just below and left of a waning crescent Moon For those watching the pair on April 30 you should see the International Space Station setting in the east just left of Venus about 04:55 The ISS passes have been morning ones through April but switch to evening ones by mid-May as many as three per day on either side of midnight plug in your lat/long coordinates (easy on Google Earth) and you’re away to the races Mars has been pretty impressive this year; it was at opposition in mid-January and its closest approach to Earth We’ve since passed it and pulled away and it’s doing its normal thing –– prograde motion from west to east relative to the stars It has left Gemini and is traversing Cancer into Leo in late May From the Gemini pair of Castor and Pollux you can watch it move eastward every night until by May 31 it has moved to about eight degrees (one palm width) right of Regulus That’s the brightest star in Leo and just about the same brightness as Mars although it’s distinctly bluish-white and twinkly It’s the difference between looking at the glowing surface of a ball of fusing hydrogen at 12,000K versus a small rusty ball of rock at 200K there’s more to Regulus than you’d think: it’s not one star but four There are two large stars that orbit each other (masses 4x and 0.8x our Sun) and each apparently has a smaller companion star a blue sub-giant with a surface temperature twice that of our Sun and rotating so quickly – 15.9 hours – that its equatorial diameter is 33 per cent bigger than its polar diameter Picture a guy singing in Italian and tossing a spinning ball of pizza dough in the air except that the “dough” at the edges is moving about 0.1 per cent the speed of light almost fast enough to tear it apart from centrifugal force Jupiter has been bright and beautiful high in the sky but it’s sinking towards its superior conjunction on June 24 (opposite side of the Sun) It will be just below a thin New Moon after sunset on April 30 and again just left of the Moon after sunset May 27 we’re still waiting for the predicted flareup of T Corona Borealis Check its brightness goings-on and many other events at spaceweather.com/ The next SCAC monthly meeting will be at the Sechelt Library UBC Associate Professor of Planetary Astronomy and co-director of The Outer Space Institute Sechelt residents Gary Trinder and Sarah Rose Birge want to make one thing very clear — the new Sechelt Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.) Society they recently created “One of the things that I think is important to highlight is that the society is about helping people feel safer in their communities and deterring crime And it's not a persecution of any specific group of individuals,” says Birge detachment commander for the Sunshine Coast RCMP warned them that if the society's goal was to harass the residents of the tent city on Hightide Avenue and the RainCity shelter ‘I want to join because I want to walk up and down that strip,’ then I'm sorry because the society is more around disrupting potential crime by being visible in patrols of two or more either in cars or on bicycles or on foot,” says Trinder which operates with the co-operation of local law enforcement agencies across Canada members provide a visible presence in their communities while patrolling by vehicle by bicycle or other means with a goal to act as the extended “eyes and ears” of local law enforcement agencies Prunty confirmed she’s spoken to Trinder about the formation of the Sechelt C.O.P there are several different types of citizen patrol organizations and RCMP involvement can range from organizing and coordinating the program to a completely separate and distinct organization registered under the BC Societies Act.  “This second type is the case with the Sechelt program,” she said “We will welcome information sharing with the group in terms of identifying local crime trends and ‘hot spots,’ but they will not be under the coordination or direction of the RCMP.”  Trinder says he got the idea for a volunteer-driven group after attending two recent community safety meetings “I just started doing quite a bit of research around Sechelt and the Coast area and it has something like the third largest retirement population in Canada it's an extremely vulnerable community,” she says what can we do to make ourselves less of an easy target Because I think if we can deter the perception that we are an easy target through some sort of structure and organization — and offer a spot for the community to come together and work on that together — then perhaps we could have a positive impact in deterring the crime that people are experiencing And then one of the other personal concerns that I had was that's when I got really scared.” It was that common desire to take action that brought Trinder and Birge in contact with each other in the first place as well as social media including a community WhatsApp chat group “It was sort of just seeing that there were people taking small initiatives in their smaller collectives and smaller neighborhoods but there was no real resources for anyone who wanted to get involved just in their immediate neighborhoods and sort of make a little bit more of an impact,” says Birge They initially thought a neighbourhood Block Watch program would be the way to go but discovered the local RCMP detachment doesn’t have the resources to help coordinate it rather than focussing on what’s wrong in Sechelt they would try and find some solutions and a citizens patrol seemed like the way to go Realizing there was  a lack of data for identifying high-crime areas one of the first things they did was create an incident reporting form They then met a volunteer who is helping them translate that data onto a map there is now a map available where you can visualize where these crimes are happening and when and what the dates are,” says Birge The next steps for the Sechelt Citizens on Patrol Society include taking volunteer applications a District of Sechelt councillor and head of the district’s safety committee says she has met with both Trinder and Birge and the idea of some  funding for the group is being considered so we’re considering what are the things we want to support the Citizens on Patrol is certainly one of those initiatives that has come up.” while the district supports the initiative what that is going to look like officially has yet to be decided “It’s early days,” says Bell The website for the Sechelt C.O.P. Society can be fiound at secheltcop.ca Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing." “We kinda hit the jackpot here,” was committee chair and Elphinstone area director Donna McMahon’s reaction to a report regarding the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) most recent test well drilling program to locate groundwater sources to add to its Chapman Water System The report came forward at a April 10 committee of the whole meeting Of the five sites described in that document a test well near Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital showed the best results In her presentation at the meeting consultant Ineke Kalwij described that as the maximum volume possible in the six-inch (15 centimetre) piping used in the test drilling “Potentially a very productive aquifer at this location,” was Kalwij’s comment about the site. She added that water from the test well met drinking water quality standards had no measurable saltwater intrusion and no discernible impact on other area wells was detected in the testing program Regional staff at the meeting indicated water from the site tested as “ready to drink” if chlorinated While further testing is needed to confirm the early exploration results, Kalwij estimated the output of a production well at the site could yield 74 litres per second. In comparison, SCRD manager of infrastructure services advised the committee the Church Road well, commissioned in mid-2023 While early indications are that the hospital site water is coming from a different source both staff and Kalwij stressed the need for further exploration to confirm that the committee endorsed all staff recommendations on the matter the SCRD will be advancing engagement with shíshálh Nation and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) about developing the water source.  The potential for a new well to provide a direct water supply for the hospital eliminating the need for that facility to construct on-site water storage for use when other supplies on the Chapman system are restricted or compromised is anticipated to be a consideration in talks with VCH.  Also recommended is for the region to apply for a water licence and initiate groundwater monitoring for the hospital test well site The financial implications associated with further wellfield development at the site are to be prepared for board consideration and an update on strategic water supply expansion scenarios including new groundwater and reservoir sources is to come forward at a May committee meeting Sechelt area director Adam Shepherd voiced the view that consultation with the Nation should be “a first step." His view was that both parties need to consider “how this fits with their plans for the reservoir," especially in the area of the costs to develop a well in comparison to reservoir construction Christine Alexander asked about the fit of this potential new development and the additional workload it could bring with existing staff capacity Rosenboom stated the work that is proposed to be done is within current staff resources and that reallocation of resources to the project could be considered if required should it proceed to the development phase The test well drilling program also looked into sites near the Roberts Creek Fire Hall as well as at Kinnikinnick and Whitaker Parks All hit water but none showed results as promising as the drilling near the hospital. The airport location produced 4.6 litres per second (based on 72-hour pumping tests) almost five times less than at the hospital and came in a distant second in volume of water accessed – Residents of an upscale neighbourhood on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast will officially be barred from returning to their dream homes today Sinkholes throughout the subdivision have prompted the District of Sechelt to issue evacuation orders covering 14 properties are similar to others in a nearby […] are similar to others in a nearby subdivision valued at over $1 million although the BC Assessment Authority values most of the buildings in the Seawatch subdivision at zero An engineering report issued to the district says future sinkholes or landslides within the subdivision could damage infrastructure or buildings and injury or death are possible consequences The district has informed residents by email that fences around the subdivision will be locked Friday afternoon and only RCMP and firefighters will be permitted inside after that A statement issued by the district says Concordia Seawatch Ltd despite engineering reports as early as 2006 describing the development of sinkholes Risk Claims affecting more than 400,000 Hydro One customers Claimants can't "engage in a never-ending debate" with insurers to avoid filing claims on time: Appeal Court We use cookies to make your website experience better. By accepting this notice and continuing to browse our website you confirm you accept our Terms of Use & Privacy Policy arcade and late-night coffee shop are some of the top suggestions the Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA) has received in response to a Facebook post asking the public what new businesses it would like to see says she’d love to see a combination bowling alley/arcade/billiards hall open downtown “We're definitely seeing a lot of need for activities for kids so not everybody's outside on a mountain bike,” said Logan “So how do we have activities for young people that was really interesting to see.” Hundreds of people responded to the request for input and a common thread was a need for activities for young families Other popular suggestions included an art gallery Logan says with more young families moving to the Coast there’s a real need for indoor activities for kids and the SDBA is happy to include that message in the new marketing strategy the association is working on and then see if anyone’s interested in opening such a space We have buildings that have ample space to do that type of thing,” says Logan but it's whoever's going to be that champion What we're doing is we're trying to find that champion to come to our community and do this because they have to have a strong business sense we have to find our fairy out there that exists someone to come in and be part of our community Or it could be somebody that's already here.” Logan would like to see a late-night coffee shop/café/lounge that caters to youth and adults who don’t drink “Not everybody drinks anymore and young people don't drink anyway But why don't we have coffee shops that stay open past four o'clock where there's young people and have music nights and things like that We're just we're missing a nightlife that doesn't include alcohol.” Logan said there are 12 empty storefronts in downtown Sechelt right now and their job at the SDBA is to get those filled which are much more affordable than Vancouver and the great quality of life on the Coast entrepreneurs and businesses should seriously consider a move to Sechelt if we can combine that with a business opportunity Logan notes changes to provincial and local short-term rental legislation have been hard on businesses across the Coast due to the drop in tourism She argues the plan to ban short-term rentals as a way to increase long-term housing doesn’t work in Sechelt where many homes are vacation places that have stayed within the same family for decades but Sechelt is unique because we have a lot of wealthy families that have waterfront homes and they will never rent those homes out long-term because they come there for the summer,” says Logan where there was short-term renting. Because people were never planning to put it on the market long term we heard concerns from residents about what they say is an increase in crime Part two of this series is dedicated to hearing from residents of the tent city on Hightide Avenue you’ll also hear from the district’s decision makers and sunny Thursday morning and the Sechelt RCMP district bylaw enforcement officers and clean-up crews are just wrapping up one of their twice-weekly visits to what’s become known as “tent city,” an ad-hoc community on Hightide Avenue made up of “unhoused” residents Tuesday visits are organized to touch base with the residents to remind them about Thursday which is when the actual clean up takes place — anything not neatly tucked away inside or beside a tent is gathered up by the work crew which uses a small backhoe to pick up any larger piles of garbage.  As part two of this series examining what many Sechelt residents are calling an unprecedented rise in crime the Coast Reporter joined Whitby for a weekly cleanup session but stayed after the crews and police left in order to speak to more homeless residents The tent city is located across the road from Hightide Modular Housing which offers transitional housing for participants with “directed goals,” a program allowing them to liaise with community resources the only year-round homeless shelter on the lower Sunshine Coast The tent is made up of residents living in tents who are either waiting for a bed to become available in Hightide those who have no desire to live in structured housing or those who did live in at Hightide or the shelter There was no response to an interview request from RainCity Housing and Support Society begins to twirl the silver band around his finger “I lost my wife on the 26th of December,” Paul says He explains it was decided that his wife was another victim of the overdose crisis and toxic illegal drug supply in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside “There's a lot of suspicious stuff going on down there now,” says Paul who at the time Paul moved to the Sunshine Coast to be closer to family Due to a years-old back injury while working construction he’s not able to work full time so makes ends meet by collecting cans and bottles and taking odd jobs Paul is also a product of B.C.’s foster-care program which saw him bounced around from home to home and abused as a child after his mother abandoned him and his brothers and sister Paul says he finished school and found a high-paying job that saw him building houses across B.C He says it was a combination of making “too much money” and then getting injured that caused his life to spiral into drug dependency Paul feels lucky he has a bed to sleep in at Hightide Paul is handling his grief through writing music “But most of it gets stolen,” he says shrugging his shoulders in apparent apathy Paul’s missing writing would be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stolen goods and their connection to both Hightide and tent city When asked about the fact many fingers are pointing to the area as a hot spot for stolen goods but adds not everyone living in the tent city is a thief “I don't like being judged based on their ignorance,” says Kevin called every name in the book and beaten up because I can’t afford a place to live.” Life wasn’t always like this for Kevin who was once happily married and moved to the Sunshine Coast with his wife 12 years ago Kevin was living on his own but says he was illegally evicted more than three years ago “I'm not here because of drugs or other things,” says Kevin “I live on a disability pension because I received a head injury at work many years ago I can't even afford a walk-in closet.” one-pot garden and is surrounded by sculptures The hallmark of his tiny space is a large piece of driftwood which makes a natural bench — a piece that would likely fetch a hefty price in one of the Coast’s many art galleries art and “things” was beyond the two-bag limit allowed and he refused to give them up Kevin says it’s tough to own anything of value while living in a tent He adds his choice of location near the end of the tent city is strategic.  Kevin’s mom lives just down the road and for a while he was able to store his belongings in a grey van in front of her place but the windows were smashed in and everything he owned was stolen At the time of the Coast Reporter’s visit bylaw officers were having Kevin sign the ownership of the vehicle over to the district so they could tow it away from where it had been parked on Wharf Avenue “And if I leave here,” he says I’ve literally given some of them the shirt off my back before but I get stuff stolen every day.” Kevin says he often acts as a liaison between residents who show up looking for their stolen goods and the person in possession of them He adds he recently helped a man who had two crossbows and his father’s knife stolen “He recognized them and I got them back for him,” he says “It happens a lot with bikes too.” Not even a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire can keep thieves from breaking into the RONA Home Builders location on Wharf Avenue manager Larry Bergh shows examples of where the heavy chain had been sliced through and then repaired “We used to keep all our lawnmowers and barbecues outside but now we have to bring them all in all the time,” says Bergh who notes chainsaws were also popular items getting stolen until they started locking them up at night during which someone cut the fence and then forced open the door of the small office located at the gate a walkie-talkie and every key to every truck on the lot “Do you know how expensive that is to replace those keys And now those guys have keys to these trucks,” says Bergh who adds staff now park heavy equipment in front of the trucks so they can’t be moved which is partially visible from the sidewalk outside of the store Bergh says after a robbery he sometimes wanders over to see if he can spot any of their stolen merchandise One time they stole one of those big aluminum tubs,” says Bergh pointing to a number of large bathtub-shaped tubs on display outside the store “They were taking baths in it.” He describes the store’s location in relation to the tent city as “ground zero.” “Sometimes they even wander in here during the day completely spaced out wandering around the store with a backpack we have to watch them or stuff gets stolen,” he says Bergh shows off the new heavy duty galvanized fencing being installed against the chain-link as an added security measure — at great expense to the owner nearly $10,000 in lawnmowers and chainsaws the labour for our guys to keep fixing all this stuff,” says Bergh “And I’ve got to get someone to download the tape and then the cop comes over and I spend a couple hours with them and it takes hours.” Bergh says he’s not unsympathetic to the situation many of the residents of the tent city have found themselves in “It's such a sensitive topic and I've been trying to be really fair to everybody and you’ve got to realize it's a lack of resources and stuff but also there it's there's a real cost to pay,” says Bergh “I feel really bad for a lot of them Sechelt council compelled Mayor John Henderson not to engage with shíshálh Nation as a representative of the municipality following receipt of a letter from the First Nation council appointed acting mayor (essentially deputy mayor) Brenda Rowe as Indigenous relations liaison to “help build constructive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities” and improve the relationship between the Nation and district council The mayor is to “disengage and not correspond with shíshálh Nation as a representative of the District of Sechelt” and that includes attending Nation events or gatherings and meeting with Nation council on district business.  While he said he would abide by the will of council Henderson called the motion a “blind side” and a “poor choice.” He said he would continue to reach out to friends and maintain relations.  The resolution arose as Sechelt council received two letters from the shíshálh Nation council: one thanking Sechelt council for standing with the Nation and survivors of residential schools, the second denouncing Henderson for not rejecting residential school denialism and calling for him to “step aside.” In early September, Sechelt council endorsed a Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) resolution Henderson saying he wanted to engage in “dialogue.” the Nation told the mayor to direct all future communications through his councillor colleagues Henderson reiterated that he is not a residential school denier and that he does not intend to step aside and have always acknowledged a tremendous trauma and worse for some students and their families and that this has had very serious impacts on their children and grandchildren.” Henderson said this issue is driving people apart and he’s inviting former elected shíshálh hiwus (chief) Garry Feschuk and former Sechelt mayor Cam Reid to continue their work with the syiyaya Reconciliation Movement.  Henderson said it was “puzzling” that no one has asked him his views of the book Grave Error “Just having it in my possession is all people need it seems to defame me These are sad times indeed when having a book substitutes for having a dialogue about what is in the book.” Brenda Rowe said the “gaslighting” needs to stop “This is not about us telling anyone what they can and can't read,” she told Henderson “This letter comes as a result of your decision to not support the [UBCIC] resolution you talked with staff about it and thought we should all read it,” said Rowe.  “You did not ever say that you didn't agree with [Grave Error] that apparently speaks volumes to a lot of people especially to our First Nations neighbours “I have no problem with people who want to research the facts,” said Coun “Nor do I have any judgment around those who want to choose to read this book What I have a problem with is the impact this book is having on the emotional well being of our First Nations community at this very point of time “You've broken the trust of our First Nations community and at this time when we have been coming together as a community and I feel your poor judgment will divide rather than unite,” said Bell “And the one principle I have always believed in as a leader is that great leaders unite and weak leaders divide.” Toth said he has no intention of reading the book and “anybody [who] wants to read it “But for the mayor to double down on it on September 4 when given an opportunity to acknowledge that maybe it wasn't appropriate to bring in the municipal hall “Our staff shouldn't have to deal with that It should not be part of the municipal government landscape in the least.” Asked during question period how the mayor’s actions have affected councillors’ ability to move forward with reconciliation councillors reiterated their commitment to reconciliation but acknowledged that a trust has been broken.  The Nation council called Sechelt councillors in to give them notice that the letter would be coming forward (Henderson was apparently unaware this had happened.) “I was very moved by their expression about what a break in trust it's been,” he said “I recognize that reconciliation moves forward and it moves backwards and this has just been a time when it's moved backwards.” I work in the land of all sorts of clients and patients around me having trauma responses,” said Rowe While some may call it a minor incident and wonder why it’s become such a big deal “it’s not a minor incident for this community,” said Rowe “The trauma that I saw sitting at that meeting will stay with me.” “You can see it on their faces that they're worried about the whole reconciliation piece and I hate to be part of the cause that leads them to doubting that which also just factors into the trauma that they're feeling even talking about it again.” The vote was six to one to install Rowe as Indigenous relations liaison The District of Sechelt wants the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) and Union of BC Municipalities to join them in urging the provincial government and BC Housing to have all supportive housing and shelter operators enter into a “good neighbour agreement” with local governments councillors Brenda Rowe and Alton Toth presented a motion asking that local governments across B.C. which are experiencing challenges related to supportive housing and shelter facilities “including concerns about community safety and local accountability… urge the Province of British Columbia and BC Housing to require that all supportive housing and shelter operators enter into a good neighbour agreement with the local governments in which these facilities operate to ensure clear expectations regarding community impact mitigation and ongoing engagement with local government and residents.” Toth explained the deadline to submit motions to AVICC was that same week so the meeting would be the last opportunity to approve and submit the motion As reported earlier in Coast Reporter the district proposed a motion that BC Housing terminate its contract with RainCity Housing and Support Society due to concerns the society has “not sufficiently contributed to alleviating safety concerns in the surrounding neighbourhood and emergency responders.” That motion was later amended to first request an FOI into the contract between BC Housing and RainCity.  Powell River recently adopted that first motion, modified it and within a week had struck a committee to look at homelessness and the issues surrounding supportive housing Rowe explained a good neighbour agreement can mean different things a municipality could use a good neighbour agreement to help build community trust and reduce opposition to supportive housing projects get it out there before the project is built and start building that community connection to ensure housing operators are accountable for how their facilities integrate into the neighborhood and to create a structured way for community members to voice concerns without escalating conflicts,” said Rowe are the driving force in putting this forward because I think if the provincial government is putting tons of taxpayer dollars into all of these supportive housing units and shelters in municipalities they need to make us have the ability to be a partner with them and have expectations and communication.” AVICC’s annual general meeting and conference takes place in Nanaimo Sechelt resident Joseph Dooks says when a noise woke him up at 2 a.m he realized it was the sound of someone running through the bushes near his apartment Dooks saw a man run towards the delivery vans parked in the lot within Wharf Plaza and watched as the man attempted to light one of the vehicles on fire Dooks ran out of his apartment and started to chase the man but then stopped to turn his attention to the van but turned to the truck instead to call the fire department,” Dooks told Coast Reporter the van most likely would have exploded.” his two children asleep upstairs just metres away Dooks said the man was wearing a light-blue hoodie but he booked it near Batch 44 [brew house],” Dooks wrote deputy chief of prevention for the Sechelt Fire Department said the fire was in the parking lot behind 5530 Wharf Ave He noted by the time the fire department arrived the blaze was isolated to the driver’s side mirror “Our battalion arrived to see the driver-side mirror on fire which they put out with a fire extinguisher and then notified RCMP,” said Achterberg there's really not much to investigate We know where the fire started and we know it was suspicious We don't follow up with any criminal charges A news release from the Sunshine Coast RCMP said they are investigating the report of a vehicle arson The release said police responded to the 5500 block of Wharf Ave in response to a report of a male spraying an unknown substance on a white Mercedes-Benz sprinter van before lighting it on fire “Sechelt Fire attended and put the fire out while police made patrols looking for an individual wearing a light blue hoody and dark pants,” the release continued Police are asking the public if there are any witnesses or video that could have captured the incident to please get in touch Anyone walking in that area and who has not already spoken with police are asked to call the RCMP at 604-885-2266 and quote file number 2025-2161 District of Sechelt (DOS) staff have been asked to explore some alternative plans for the Sechelt Farmers' and Artisans' Market and report back to council with some ideas regarding its future which has been located in downtown Sechelt for 12 years has been asked to find a new home for 2026 council passed a motion to renew the market’s licence for 2025 Darren Inkster then brought forward a second motion at the meeting asking staff to report back to council with options for the market by July 1 “Because when we talk about another year we know from being on this council for a term how quickly October comes,” said Inkster.  Market board president Jon Bell told council that last December the board attended a virtual meeting with the DOS manager of community services to discuss their letter of agreement but then was told the district would provide a letter of agreement for 2025 and that they should start looking for a new location for the market “And the reason for the objections were from the planning department transit and the fire department… Well we have had absolutely zero consultation with planning we need to discuss this,” Bell told council “The future of the farmers' market in its current location will need to be reviewed in light of the proposed development Additional residential traffic will be generated from Shorncliffe through the Cowrie Street intersection and the farmers' market location would be problematic In a presentation to council Feb described the market as more than just a place to shop The market aligns with multiple policies in our [official community plan] our strategic plan and our sustainability plan and supporting the market aligns with our own long-term goals for a vibrant and economically diverse Sechelt that welcomes tourism,” said Smith according to a 2023 BC Farmers Market economic impact study the Sechelt market generates an estimated $3.2 million for the local economy annually and many of the vendors who participate in the market use it as their primary source of income it supports food security through the BC Farmers Market Nutrition coupon program it was clear district council is supportive of the market and reluctant to force its move Dianne McLauchlan opposed the motion to renew the market’s license for 2025 because she said it didn’t include any immediate options She did vote in favour of Inkster’s second motion I live in the village area and I've noticed that Cowrie Street And I'm just concerned if we take the market or say we're going to move the market or even suggest that it won’t be there next year and we don't know where else it'll be it'll be devastating,” said McLauchlan “It could just take all the business away from the downtown and I think the idea of food security now is really critical I'd like to see more food brought there and work on that in the next two years of my tenure here.” McLauchlan requested the original motion be reworded to ask staff look at some working solutions including holding trial markets in different locations said she is confident staff will put in the work to find an appropriate solution There's no question that this market is a tremendous asset to the Sunshine Coast But to the District of Sechelt and some of the numbers we're seeing in the report in terms of the economic impact we really need everything right now in the District of Sechelt to bring dollars in and to bring tourism in,” said Bell I am completely supportive of doing everything we can to keep this going beyond a year…” Sitting at the kitchen table of his cozy home in Sechelt Anthony (Tony) Price is a lifetime away from the Internierungslager (Ilag) camp where he spent almost five years as a young man during the Second World War time spent first in a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany before being moved to Ilag VII internment camp The camp had a large number of British men among its population which are obviously still painful to recall “I was in solitary confinement for 125 days,” Price says Price was born and raised in Belgium because his British-born father was working there after returning from India and Burma during his time with the Royal Engineers the Germans invaded Belgium and started arresting anyone who wasn’t Belgian That spurred the 20-year-old Price to became part of a resistance group and he was tasked to plant bombs on the railway lines where German troops were being transported "The Resistance" became the name for secret groups formed in Europe during the Second World War to fight the Nazis. Young Jewish men and women who had escaped ghettos and camps and fought against the Germans were also part of the Resistance and became known as "Partisans."  Robert Price says his dad's story is just as important as any tales of military valour to come out of the Second World War "Members of Partisans and Resistance fighters should be considered as equal veterans," he says Much like the Merchant Navy on the convoys the bombs on trains action is how they finally got caught Price’s wife Margaret picks up the story from there following the German invasion and as members of the Resistance “He and his friend were on the run and they depended on locals to protect them,” she says “They were hiding in an attic in a house of French people but a guy who was a German sympathizer gave them away They went into the attic and they arrested them.” Price was arrested as per the Geneva Conventions but his Belgian friend was shot and killed It was then Price was sent to the German prison and kept in small cell in solitary confinement Knowing his family likely assumed he was dead Price pretended to have a painful toothache and was taken by a guard to the dentist by streetcar — it was his first time out of solitary confinement since his arrest He was able to secretly write a note to his mother which he hid until he boarded the streetcar “I was on the streetcar and there was a woman holding onto the strap,” he says “We were holding the same strap and I gave her the note.” Price had no idea what would become of the note after slipping it to the woman but as it turned out she took it to the Swiss Embassy which at the time was assisting British citizens The message was sent to his mother in England who let the British authorities know he was still alive That’s when Price was placed an a “cattle car,” and moved to Ilag VII in Laufen a German town separated from Austria by the Salzach River The men on the train had a choice between standing for the entirety of the lengthy journey or sitting on the floor covered in filth from the cows that had been transported previously But not before the guards at the prisoner of war camp had removed all of Price’s teeth — “slowly.” Price was moved, again as per regulations of the Geneva Conventions of 1929, created after the First World War on behalf of the International Red Cross, and based on the Hague Regulations of 1899 and 1907 prisoners were to be treated “humanely.” Germany largely adhered to the Conventions during the Second World War That meant while prisoners were kept alive and not tortured at the Internierungslager camps the living conditions were almost unbearable curling his nose up at the just the thought of the root vegetable which grew in neighbouring fields and the Germans could pick for free Massachusetts-based (retired) librarian and researcher Eve Brandel has written extensively about her parents' experiences during the Holocaust in particular her father’s stay in a camp for officers adjacent to where Price was being held prisoners could be used for labour only under limited circumstances and they were entitled to food medical care and repatriation in case of serious illness “Prisoners could send and receive a fixed number of letters per month Delegates of humanitarian agencies were allowed to monitor conditions.” In an article for Medium magazine Brandel writes about how she discovered her father had been drawing caricatures during his internment now owned by the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.  Oberbayern-Germany was drawn by Brandel’s father It’s the same book Price held in his hand He and his wife bought the book while visiting what remains of the camp during a trip retracing his steps as a young man “The people who were interned in the camp wrote the book,” says Margaret “About different things about the camp It's quite interesting to read.” Margaret says the visit to Laufen was a fascinating look into the place her husband spent so much time as a young man It was the Americans who finally liberated the prisoners of Ilag VII “The men cheered and went crazy because the Americans were there but didn't know when and then the Americans came into the camp,” says Margaret “They opened the camp and took the Germans and made them clean up the camp It's a long way from Huddersfield to Sechelt the prisoners were repatriated to the country of their paperwork while Price was deemed British because of his father the young man had never stepped foot in the country and couldn’t speak a word of English “He was driving a bus in my hometown And I travelled with him so when he was on early shift I'd go to work with him,” remembers Margaret where Price got a job at a Cadillac dealership Robert then joined the Canadian military and after retiring eventually making his way to the Sunshine Coast It didn’t take long for his parents to follow that’s how we got here,” says Margaret “We want to acknowledge and honour the past shíshálh Chiefs and Matriarchs for their profound vision wisdom and unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of the shíshálh people and communities of the Sunshine Coast,” said lhe hiwus yalxwemult “Their remarkable leadership and dedication have laid a strong foundation for accessible health care ensuring that the needs of the community are met and everyone benefits from their caring guidance Their legacy continues to inspire our collective efforts toward health and wellness for all.”  Sunshine Coast communities relied on the Columbia Coast Mission hospital ship or travelled to Vancouver to access health-care services Mary’s Hospital was established in Pender Harbour so did the need for more centrally located health-care services The land gifted by shíshálh Nation created the opportunity for the new hospital to be built in Sechelt in 1964.  at the request of shíshálh Nation and following consultation with the local community VCH renamed the facility Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital as part of the organization’s commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of lasting and meaningful reconciliation VCH and shíshálh Nation signed a Memorandum of Understanding reflecting this shared commitment to ongoing partnership and collaboration in promoting the health and wellness of the community.  “We are profoundly grateful for the enduring gift of the shíshálh Nation and for their dedication to improving the health and wellness of their community,” said Josie Osborne “We will continue to work together with Indigenous leaders and our health-care partners investing in health care that supports Indigenous people on the Sunshine Coast and throughout B.C. and taking meaningful steps towards lasting reconciliation.” The present day Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital campus now includes a 63-bed acute care building that serves Sechelt and the communities of Langdale “We are grateful for the generosity of shíshálh Nation and the Chiefs and Matriarchs who had the foresight to donate land and prioritize health care for the growing population on the Sunshine Coast,” said Darlene MacKinnon Vice-President – Coastal Community of Care “Health care delivery in Sechelt has changed substantially during the past 60 years We look forward to continued collaboration with shíshálh Nation to deliver culturally safe quality care that addresses the unique needs of the community and its members.”  a Coast Salish master weaver and fibre artist designed a blanket representing all Sunshine Coast people coming together in reconciliation She created the blanket onsite at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital and invited staff and medical staff to join her in weaving and build connection through conversation and the shared experienced.  “Weaving side by side on this blanket project gives Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous people the opportunity to get to know each other on a different level,” said Jessica Silvey just as the hospital land gift by the shíshálh people brought the Sunshine Coast community together.”  The blanket was commissioned for Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital by syiyaya Reconciliation Movement the Sechelt Hospital Foundation and the Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary to mark the anniversary and was gifted to shíshálh Nation and VCH during the celebratory ceremony.  VCH is currently planning for the future of health-care services at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital and across the broader Sunshine Coast. Learn more at: Health Vision Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital. "The syiyaya Reconciliation Movement supports calls to action towards reconciliation One of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was that we effect change within the Canadian health care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested This 60th anniversary celebration commemorates the shíshálh peoples' gift of land for the hospital and the Reconciliation Blanket initiated by Ɂakista xaxanak Gerry Feschuk former Chief and created by Master Weaver Jessica Silvey is an act of reconciliation which demonstrates tangible evidence of the journey towards reconciliation." “The Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary is committed to working in collaboration with Vancouver Coastal Health the Sechelt Hospital Foundation and the shíshálh Nation to provide essential equipment for our hospital and surrounding healthcare facilities Thank you so much to the Nation for providing this initial gift of land to enable us to have a first-rate hospital in our community.” The shíshálh Nation is a governing entity dedicated to stewarding and protecting the relationship between our shíshálh people and the lands and resources of our swiya (birthplace We carry out this work in ways that enhance our way of life The swiya of the shíshálh people lies between Queens Reach in lekw’emin (Jervis Inlet) and Howe Sound on the south coast of British Columbia The shíshálh people come from four main tribes: sxixus (with main village at kalpilin) xenichen (with main village at the head of lekw’emin) Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is committed to delivering exceptional care to 1.25 million people Métis and Inuit within the traditional territories of the Heiltsuk The syiyaya Reconciliation Movement is a local initiative welcoming all people living on the shíshálh swiya (homelands) to come together to work together as one for healing of the intergenerational harm done to First People by Canada’s history of cultural genocide and abuse in residential schools The word ‘syiyaya’ literally means “family and friends” in the shashishalhem This visionary movement is a joint initiative of Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents of the Sunshine Coast offering a local response to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action while also calling for systemic change Sechelt Hospital Foundation has raised and invested over $25 million in new medical equipment We achieve our mandate to support local health care through the generosity of donors and we are committed to stewarding all donations to achieve the greatest good for our community This story was originally published in Coast Reporter's fall edition of Coast Life For access to MacKenzie Sea Services I drive down a winding road surrounded by trees to a beach work site on calm Sechelt Inlet this marine business is pulsing with activity Work crews are scrambling to board their boats moored at the marina a welder is noisily riveting a work boat up in dock and several men are lugging equipment to and from the wharf Hard to believe this busy commercial enterprise is just a quick paddle from Sechelt almost within sight of the government dock one curious fellow asks me if I’ve met the owner He’s 89 now,” the man tells me “Will he mind you telling me his age?” I ask Most of his 89 years have been spent on the water and he still supports the day-to-day activities of the business he founded “I’m afraid to stop,” he says His father was a marine engineer and when Don was just ten years old He was small enough to get right inside a boiler—a big help when it needed repair This part-time job at a tender age often kept him out of school—much against the wishes of his mom “I made up my mind at seven that I wanted to go to sea,” Don says he became a deckhand at Kingcome Navigation One of the company’s runs was from the mill in Powell River to Vancouver towing Davis rafts Don pauses here while he searches for a photo of a Davis raft He shows me a raft being towed—it could be up to 400 feet long—piled high with bundles of logs Over the years Don went from deckhand to mate to tug master of the vessels In 1974 he bought Seaforth Towing & Salvage becoming owner and master of many vessels throughout the 1970s and 1980s Not all tugs are good with ocean crossings but in 1977 Don’s business bought the tug Glengary in Southampton “I didn’t even want to come on land,” he says adding that for most of his life he spent an average of 250 days of the year at sea that his wife supported him in buying his current marine business where he could stay closer to home In 1988 he moved to Sechelt and began MacKenzie Sea Services with six vessels: landing craft to barge to tug dive-tender Tugboats are the graceless but vitally important boats on our western coastal waters “They’re the handmaids of the sea,” Don tells me They are known for their moderate draft (deepest reach of the boat from the waterline) and broader beam (widest part of the boat) Mostly we see them slowly towing log booms in the Salish Sea The real work of a tug involves so much more: assisting ocean-going ships to berth in Vancouver Harbour as support vessels for naval divers on training exercises or for movie crews filming on the water and engaging in pollution control and cleaning up oil spills including maintaining floating pollution containment booms Don notes that some of his tugs perform other jobs were fitted out for firefighting and the Redonda is a work boat for salvage and deep diving support In 1999 an enormous sleek yacht made a wrong move at Malibu Rapids The yacht named the Golden Cell had gone aground at high tide apparently because of a dispute in the wheelhouse between owner and skipper over whether to go through the rapids in the dark the yacht settled onto the rudders which gave way and snapped under the tremendous weight The boat then settled on the expensive props and bent those too Scuba diver Mike Pearson wrote his recollections in a 2011 blog He was called in that night by Don and by the time Mike arrived on the scene Don was already there ready to salvage “He must have really poured the coals to the old tugboat to make it there that fast,” Mike said “I’m thinking he was at least ten times as excited as I was He just claimed the salvage rights to what had turned out to be a mega yacht operated by a Mexican billionaire.” The task of pulling the yacht from the rocks fell to Don and would become legendary in the annals of salvage The tide had receded so far that it was possible to walk around the yacht showing obvious damage The only thing to do was wait for the high tide in the coming night and try to pull the mega-yacht free of its perch into deeper safer waters using the biggest tug they owned at the time The work had to be documented thoroughly by Don and taken to London Don’s prompt efforts were acknowledged by the insurers as “pollution salvage.” Had the yacht slipped into Jervis Inlet’s deep water (800 feet depth near the yacht’s grounding) it would have been a messy Sechelt Inlet teemed with work boats back and forth to various farm sites floating logging camps and booming grounds These days Don sees less industry from his office window except for work crews on their way to a hydro facility up Salmon Inlet a few yachts and always boats needing repair But it’s enough to keep him busy and still working after his lifetime on the seas Correction: This story has been updated to use the correct last name for Mike Pearson the water was fully restored along Teredo Street water service has been restored to the majority of the area Anyone still affected by the shut off has been contacted directly by SCRD staff There’s an emergency water main shut off along Sechelt’s Teredo Street (which doubles as Highway 101) impacting residences and businesses between Inlet and Trail Avenue this morning The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) took to Facebook to alert the public that both sides of Teredo Street are affected by the disruption Coast Reporter saw work crews on scene and traffic warning signage in place The regional district advised those concerned to check back on its social media channels for updates and apologized for the inconvenience the disruption may cause