At the April 2 infrastructure services committee, Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors decided to pen a letter to BC Ferries, asking them to better align sailing times with local BC Transit schedules.
Directors also wanted BC Ferries to consider returning to an eight sailing Sunday schedule between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay. Currently BC Ferries is running a seven sailing Sunday schedule on that route.
“My problem with this is it looks like over the summer we’re going to be on a seven sailing Sunday, and if that’s the case, I mean, we already have problems on Sundays, and come summer time it’s going to be even worse,” said Ian Winn, director for West Howe Sound.
Sechelt director Bruce Milne agreed, noting, “That’s a fact.”
Halfmoon Bay director Garry Nohr moved that the board ask BC Ferries to better align with the local transit schedule and all were in favour.
Water meters
Part of this year’s water conservation program at the SCRD will focus on raising awareness of when and why water meters will be installed on Sunshine Coast homes served by the SCRD.
The meters have already been installed in Pender Harbour and are slated to be installed on homes throughout the regional district in the next few years, sustainability and education coordinator Julie Clark told directors April 2.
Currently meters are proposed to be installed in all rural areas in 2016. The portion of Gibsons homes connected to SCRD water will also likely see meters in 2016 and Sechelt can expect to see water meters installed sometime in 2017.
The SCRD plans to install the meters to promote responsible water usage and to delay the need to expand the regional water system. The meters will also allow the SCRD to track usage, find and fix leaks and make it possible to apply for grant funding related to future water projects.
The change will require much public education this year, before any changes happen, Clark said.
“We’ll be awareness-raising around that program coming in and what homeowners and residents and businesses as well will need to know about that,” she noted.
Find out more about the water metering program at www.scrd.ca/water-metering.
Strategic plan
The SCRD board is starting work on its strategic plan, which will guide its decisions and actions during the next four years.
Directors will meet on April 22, May 12 and June 2 to work on the plan.
