Local News

International Year of Astronomy 2009 kicks off tomorrow (Saturday) at the Sechelt Public Library when The Royal Astronomical Society - Sunshine Coast Centre (RASC) hosts a special astronomy festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Now that the rains have returned, snow is melting and people are getting back to their daily routines, an assessment on how to better handle future winter storms has begun.

The Hillside Develop-ment Group (HIDEGRO) has ambitious plans for 2009 to try to strengthen the Hillside Industrial Park in Port Mellon.

If you closed your eyes and listened to Rose Schwarz talk about the life she'd like to be living, you'd hear the exuberance and idealism of most any 20 year old.

While Coast resident Gordon Walker was learning guitar from music teacher Ken McBride, his attention was caught by another of McBride's projects.

Nature photography will be the topic of discussion at the first meeting of 2009 for the Sunshine Coast Natural History Society (SCNHS). Local photographer Rand Rudland will be the guest speaker at the meeting set for Friday, Jan. 2, at 7:30 p.m.

Start off 2009 with a plunge at the 15th annual Polar Boar Plunge. The event takes place at the Gibsons Pigs Rugby clubhouse at Armours Beach. Registration is anytime up to 11:10 a.m. in the clubhouse.

The sudden and out of the ordinary snow accumulation experienced on the Coast made for an interesting year at the Elves Club depot.

Ian Jacques/Editor A group of citizens has filed a petition in Vancouver Supreme Court against the Town of Gibsons, seeking to overturn the council portion of the Nov. 15 municipal election.

Coasters are looking alternately shell-shocked and gleeful as the Sunshine Coast was hit with winter weather that has not been seen in years according to Environment Canada.