OCTOBER
• SCRD announced Stage 4 water restrictions on Oct. 3, enforcing a ban on all outdoor water use in the Chapman water supply area. The only exception for water use was for commercial food growers with farm status and only if their properties are metered.
• Local ice users were frustrated with the SCRD’s decision to delay installing ice in Sechelt arena and were hoping a solution could be found that would ensure ice is installed each fall, no matter what the drought conditions are.
• BC Housing and the agencies working to establish a homeless shelter on Ebbtide Street in Sechelt heard about the fears of neighbouring residents and the pressing need for a shelter and better permanent housing options at a public meeting Oct. 3. BC Housing planned to apply for a three-year lease on the District of Sechelt owned lot and a temporary use permit. The current agreement for shelter space at St. Hilda’s Church would expire Nov. 1.
• Gibsons Mayor Wayne Rowe said councillors who were at a meeting with new Health Minister Adrian Dix at the Union of BC Municipalities convention came away with the impression the NDP government would not support a deal between the Town and Trellis Seniors Services for a long-term care facility. Trellis was planning to purchase a Town-owned lot beside Christenson Village on Shaw Road for the facility it’s under contract with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to build and operate at a price of $2.24 million.
• The Pender Ocean Discovery Station (PODS) came one step closer to reality after the group successfully purchased the Irvines Landing property. “We had hundreds and hundreds of donations – it was the most amazing outpouring of community I’ve ever seen. It was fantastic,” said Michael Jackson, commenting on the final fundraising push to reach the goal of $2.4 million.
• Harry Almond died in his 94th year, on Aug. 30. There was a Celebration of Life ceremony at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Gardens on Oct. 15. Almond was a founding member of the Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue and an active team member for many years, as a search manager and trainer. He was active on the Sunshine Coast Arts Council, chairman of the SCRD, painter, gardener, hiker and avid mountain climber.
• BC Ferries started restricting access to the lower vehicle decks on most of the ships in the fleet in an effort to meet Transport Canada regulations. On the Langdale-Horseshoe Bay route, that means people who end up on the lowest deck will have to leave their vehicles when the ferry is underway. The ferry company promised to try to accommodate those who need to remain in their vehicles.
• Construction started on a massive dock and breakwater in Middlepoint, south of Pender Harbour.
The application to construct a private moorage for the property owned by Dennis (Chip) Wilson, founder of Lululemon, sparked controversy when it was submitted in 2015 and garnered a lot of media attention. The Sunshine Coast Regional District and many neighbours who use the area, called Middlepoint Bight, unanimously opposed the controversial, 3,000-foot breakwater and 2,500-square-foot dock. The final decision rested with the province, which approved the project on May 30. Neighbours didn’t realize the province had approved the project, until the work began.
• The Gibsons Alliance of Business and Community (GABC) was gearing up for more legal action against the Town of Gibsons over the George Hotel and Residences Project. GABC marked the Thanksgiving weekend with a “rally to protect Gibsons aquifer” at Dougall Park Oct. 7. The day-long event featured music, food and efforts by GABC to get its message out and raise money to help with legal costs. Speakers included former Gibsons mayor Barry Janyk, former councillor LeeAnn Johnson and GABC president Suzanne Senger.
• The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) announced Oct. 11 that it was filing a Supreme Court petition seeking an order for a Vancouver police officer to cooperate fully with the investigation into the death of Myles Gray of Sechelt. Gray died following an altercation with police on Aug. 13, 2015. He was reportedly unarmed and had no illegal drugs or alcohol in his system. The IIO has been investigating ever since, and no civilian witnesses have come forward, leaving the police officers at the scene as the only ones who can shed light on what happened. The parents of Myles Gray remained frustrated and angry that the investigation has dragged out for 27 months with no resolution in sight.
• Stage 4 restrictions for water users on the Chapman regional system (a full outdoor water ban) were set to stay in place despite some rainfall. The Chapman Lake watershed received 17 millimetres of rain, but that amount was not enough to replenish the water supply. The temporary siphon system at Chapman Lake was operating to supplement the water supply.
• Two young entrepreneurs who grew up on the Sunshine Coast slayed the Dragons during their recent appearance on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. Meghan Conyers and Quincey Samycia own Strongbody Apparel and were given three offers on Dragons’ Den when they appeared on the show that aired Oct. 12. They accepted an offer from Joe Mimran, the founder of Club Monaco and the man behind the successful Joe Fresh.
• Stage 4 water restrictions were lifted Oct. 19. The SCRD returned to Stage 2 restrictions for all households and businesses on SCRD water, south of Pender Harbour. Rains had replenished Chapman and Edwards lake levels, but they were still being monitored on a daily basis, the SCRD said.
• Ice installation at the Sunshine Coast Arena in Sechelt proceeded on Oct. 19 when the Stage 2 water restrictions came into effect, and the arena opened on Oct. 28. Ice users had been sharing ice time at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre during the water use ban.
• The Gibsons Alliance of Business and Community filed a new court action against the Town of Gibsons. The B.C. Supreme Court petition, filed Oct. 13, asked for an injunction against the Town issuing any development permits to the company behind the George Hotel and Residences project and a similar injunction against the developer to block them from acting on three permits issued in early August. The suit also claims those permits should be quashed because the Town didn’t follow the procedures set out in the Local Government Act.
• The Sunshine Coast Regional District board of directors sealed a time capsule to mark the SCRD’s 50th anniversary. The time capsule contains cultural and historical items from the Sunshine Coast and was buried at the SCRD Field Road office.
• The Sunshine Coast Regional District considered allocating approximately $325,000 in the 2018 budget for test drilling at four well sites that were identified as potential sites to supplement the current water supply from Chapman Creek. On Oct. 19, the infrastructure services committee heard an overview of the investigation into groundwater and voted to include the proposed work in the 2018 budget process.
• Nearing the final leg of its 150-day journey around the country’s three coastlines, the Canada 3C expedition icebreaker made a stop at Gambier Island on Oct. 22. Ian Winn, Sunshine Coast Regional District Area F director, was one of a handful of people from Howe Sound who was invited to board the 67-metre Polar Prince during its Gambier visit. The group included representatives from First Nations, environmental groups, politicians, citizen scientists and recreational users. “We shared stories on the amazing recovery of Howe Sound and the efforts by so many to make it happen,” Winn said.
