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

Emergency Water Treatment proposal to go to Province A late-breaking resolution out of this year's Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meetings has received a surprise approval, Village Council has been informed. According to the summary on their website, this year, the UBCM considered 275 potential resolutions. Due to time constraints, neither of Lions Bay's proposed resolutions were considered by the Executive during the event. However, Council received two pieces of correspo

Final Council meeting of 2025 brief and bird friendly The final regular Council meeting of the year opened with three Council members present in person, Councillor Jaime Cunliffe sending her regrets, and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ross Blackwell attending online. The evening's gallery totalled five, both in person and on line. Mayor Ken Berry opened the public part of the meeting by noting he had nothing to report out from the closed portion. The evening's agenda is H

Climate Action Committee marks significant progress On this gorgeous December evening, all members of Council members were present in person, except Councillor Jaime Cunliffe who attended online. The gallery held 11 residents, attending both in person and on line. Mayor Ken Berry began the meeting by saying he had nothing to report from the closed portion of the meeting, but that Council had a plan to resume the closed session after completion of the regular meeting. After a

New protections set for local marine refuges Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is setting new boundaries for local marine refuges, and residents and protectors of Átl'ḵa7tsem / Howe Sou nd get to have a say. The Marine Conservations Target Initiatives Update (MCTIU), which can be read HERE, was developed and released this fall by DFO in order to receive First Nations and other stakeholder input on the Glass Sponge Reef-Rockfish Conservation Area (GSR-RCA) project, along wi

Council decries online abuse: Police notified The second regular meeting of Council got off to an unusual start when Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell delivered a statement on behalf of Council. The statement decried online harassment and threats made to three councillors, noted the damage done by such actions and said a report has been made to police. No further comment on the subject was made, and regular meeting routines resumed. Council members were all present

Discussions wrap up on schedule for first time this term November has been a busy month for members of Village Council, with public hearings and special meetings on top of regular committee and council meetings. The ongoing budget discussions mean that councillors have met for the fourth and fifth times in November to address balancing the many needed expenditures with the limited funds available. Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff led the fourth review of the budget planning pro

Public hearing focus falls on short-term rental amendment Residents came out in force to have their say at the public hearings into the amendments of two elements of the Village's Zoning and Development bylaw . Nearly three dozen residents were present for the hearings both online and in person, with many clearly just out to learn more of the proposed changes. In his disclaimer before each hearing, Mayor Ken Berry noted that questions would not be entertained, as the purpos

Committee issues arise, Mayoral initiative defeated The stormy weather of November was reflected inside at the first regular Council meeting of the month, as Council members exchanged heated words on a number of topics throughout the evening. All Council members were present, with Councillor Jaime Cunliffe attending online. The evening's agenda   passed, and included a number of additional items suggested by both Mayor and councillors. The gallery topped out at 10 members, w

CAO confirms that public hearing will be accessible online This evening's public hearing into bylaw amendments affecting short-term rentals and oceanfront property setbacks will be accessible online, CAO Ross Blackwell confirmed today. As reported last week, Lions Bay Council is seeking public input into two separate amendments to the Village's Zoning and Development bylaw (520, 2017). The property setback amendment is a semantic clarification applicable to terminology used

Monday last chance to weigh in on zoning and rental amendments Have thoughts about short-term rentals in your neighbourhood? What about the wording of zoning bylaws with regard to property setbacks along the waterfront? Now's the time to share them. The Village is holding public hearings addressing amendments to ensure short-term rentals comply with new provincial standards, as well as wording changes to the waterfront homes zoning bylaws. The hearings begin at 6 p.m. on Mond

Agenda squabbles overshadowed by film windfall All Council members were present in person for their final regular meeting of October, with the exception of Mayor Ken Berry who chaired the meeting while attending online. A total of 16 residents attended online and in person over the course of the evening. Approval of the evening's agenda began with an ironic twist, when Councillor Michael Broughton's report complaining that fellow councillors Neville Abbott, Jaime Cunliffe a

Council reviews 2026 budget particulars The community COW is getting a good workout this month. On Thursday, Council members attended the third Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting in October, and the second devoted solely to budget discussion. The evening's agenda focused almost entirely on a review of utilities costs and a look at potential capital and operating supplemental expenses. Utility Cost Projections In this current draft budget, general water rates (beginning on

Budget battle season begins Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff has a big dream. He wants to steer Council members through the 2026 budget...

Gargantuan agenda sets tone for scattered, chaotic meeting For the second time in two months, Council members this week were faced with a...

2024 Audit review, release of SOFI report, upcoming bylaw changes Thursday evening's Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting covered a lot...

Residents voice multiple concerns Council may have faced a shorter agenda at 94 pages for Tuesday's meeting compared to 300-plus pages...

Just what is a tax sale, anyway? (And can I lose my house?) Over the past several weeks, the Village of Lions Bay has posted a number of...

Some streets may now be plowed only 'as resources permit' The snowy intersection at Mountain Drive and Bayview Road, March 4, 2024. With...

Councillors face jaw-dropping 310-page agenda Council members returning to their first post-summer break meeting faced an engorged...