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Local input sought to strengthen emergency leadership Canada Task Force One, a municipally-supported Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team, on site at the December 14, 2024 debris torrent in Lions Bay. Photo by kc dyer. Lions Bay Council is weighing in on a new national initiative to improve federal leadership in emergency management. In a December letter to Council, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea To Sky MP Patrick Weiler announced that the federal government has opened a pub

Atmospheric river brings wet start to 2026 Clockwise from top left: water drains below tennis court, free-running creek on Mountain Drive, water pours below blackberry bushes, and a look up Harvey Creek from beneath the highway. Photos by kc dyer. Living on the windward side of a mountain in a temperate rainforest means foggy, dampish winters are almost a given. However, the series of atmospheric rivers coupled with the mild Pacific air mass that is blowing through has meant

Focus on Community Preparedness by Mary Brown, Emergency Program Coordinator Water inventory from last year's Great Water Giveaway. Photo by kc dyer. In emergencies, each person needs at least four litres of water per day, and Lions Bay is kicking off the new year with a gesture that’s as practical as it is symbolic.  This Saturday, January 17, the Village’s Emergency Support Services (ESS) team will host the second annual Great Lions Bay Water Giveaway — an event that has qu

Excessive speed, tire checks under scrutiny Photo courtesy BC Highway Patrol. December and January have seen a big increase in visible traffic enforcement on the Sea to Sky Highway. On Christmas Day, no fewer than 14 cars were towed and impounded for excessive speeding on the Sea to Sky. "Every speeder who had their vehicle impounded on Christmas Day was at least 40 km/h over the limit, and two were caught doing 145 and 147 km/h in an 80 zone," said Corporal Michael McLaughli

Jones is One Very Good Boy Meet Jones, who is four years old and (probably) a Shepherd Husky cross. This handsome fella has come a long way from his birthplace under a shed in icy-cold Manitoba in January 2022. Back then, his name was Manhattan. Since they were born around New Year's Day, he and his litter-mates were all (temporarily) named for cocktails. He and his mama, along with eight siblings (then known as Bellini, Julep, Martini and so on) arrived to live with their fo

Valeriote addresses wide range of topics during Village visit Residents gather for a conversation with MLA Jeremy Valeriote, January 8, 2026. Photo by kc dyer. Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Jeremy Valeriote dropped by the Village Hall on Thursday evening to chat with local residents. The turnout was moderate with about 20 residents present, but engagement high as the cross-section of residents, councillors and even future voters turned out to hear what the MLA had

MLA to drop by Village Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. Valeriote in Victoria, 2025. Photo courtesy Instagram. A reminder that Member of the Legislative Assembly for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky Jeremy Valeriote will visit the Village Hall in Lions Bay this evening from 5 to 7 p.m. No registration is required for this event, which is being billed as an informal chat with his constituents. Bring your questions and comments for your MLA. Coffee and tea will be served. MLA Jeremy Valeriote vi

First meeting of 2026 looks to the trees Lions Bay Council's first meeting of 2026 got off to a bumpy start when three of four Councillors declined to participate in the usual 6 p.m. closure of the meeting to the public. In the heavy silence that followed the failure of the motion to move into a closed session, Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell made reference to  emails Councillors had received "regarding Battani", and suggested that if Councillors wished "some dee

A look back over a year of coverage Photo by Marcus Reuter. The devastating debris torrent that swept through Lions Bay on December 14, 2024 took the lives of long-time residents Barbara and David Enns, and continues to reverberate more than a year later. The Watershed has covered this story from the very beginning, and has kept readers informed of developments throughout the year. With at least two lawsuits pending and an RCMP investigation underway, there is certain to be

Looking ahead to an action-packed year This is going to be a big year for British Columbia. Top travel guide Lonely Planet named the province to their list of the the 25 Best Destinations to Visit in 2026, and the world will descend upon us when seven of the 104 scheduled FIFA World Cup matches will take place here in June. That same month, the Squamish Off-Road Triathlon  (swim, mountain bike, trail run) is set for Saturday June 6 at Alice Lake. The Squamish 50 series of t

Environment Canada issues coastal flood warning for Sunday Environment Canada has issued a Flood Advisory for low-lying areas around the South Coast, including Lions Bay, throughout the upcoming weekend. The strongest chance of flooding is expected Sunday. The combination of very high tides and the current low-pressure system could lead to moderate coastal flooding, according to the government agency. Current tide patterns are at a seasonal high, and the concern is that the

Celebrating 2025 December blooms. Photos by Norma Rodgers. For many readers, it feels like the news is never good these days — stories of injustice and conflict always seem to float their way up into the headlines. Still, here at The Watershed , we also love to shine a light on all that is good in our little corner of the world. We regularly welcome newcomers, celebrate successes and wave a fond farewell to those who move on. 2025 has brought good news stories in the arts, bu

Wishing you all the best of 2026 First snow, Tunnel Bluffs trail, November 24. Photo by Chris Dunn. Have New Year's wishes to share? Leave your thoughts below, or email editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca Like what you're reading? For as little as $5/month, you can support local independent journalism by subscribing to The Watershed  HERE .

Watershed stories that caught your eye Readers can always count on The Watershed to stay informed, and 2025 has been chock-full of news stories from both home and away. This year our readers were most interested in staying informed in the wake of disasters, including last year's tragic landslide, a neighbourhood home that burned on Thanksgiving Day and a devastating bus accident in Horseshoe Bay. Village readers clearly enjoyed keeping an eye on their Council, following local

Village bird-watchers wanted Clockwise from top left: Anna's Hummingbird, Steller's Jay, Spotted Towhee, Black-capped Chickadee. All photos by Danielle Wills. "Every Bird Counts: Your Observations Matter" This is the just-announced conservation theme for World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2026 and it’s a great reason to take part in the Lower Howe Sound Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, January 4. In their official announcement , the global WMBD partners said, “Community science c

Readers share Yuletide memories While the holiday lights are still shining and before the year winds down, it's the perfect time to listen to those ghosts of Christmas past.   Here at The Watershed, we love a good story as much as the next person, so we've asked our readers to share memories of past holidays.   Here are a few of our favourites: From Rose Dudley: Desiring a white Christmas, our family decided to spend it at Whistler, and Sam, the one-eyed cat, came along. Bein

Wishing you the best of the season Lions Bay lights, 2025. Photo by kc dyer. We at The Watershed would like to wish you and yours the best of the holiday season. We'll be back next week to see 2025 out in style. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Wind warnings, holiday traffic spell space crunch photo credit: BC Ferries BC Ferry service has resumed on all routes between Vancouver Island and the Mainland after a day of cancellations due to strong winds. Four sailings from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay in Nanaimo were cancelled beginning with the scheduled 11:05 a.m. sailing yesterday, with service not resuming until 8:30 p.m. Environment Canada reported southeasterly winds clocking in at 70 kilometres per hour, with g

'Socktober' just the beginning Squamish Helping Hands Society (SHHS) is hoping you take a moment this holiday season to clean out your closets. They are looking for new and gently-used clothing in adult sizes to help some local folks stay warm this winter. SHHS Volunteer Coordinator  Kesley Burke-Gray reports that nearly 2100 pairs of socks were donated this fall, more than doubling the 1,000-pair goal during the recent 'Socktober' event. Burke-Grey says that her team were so