First OCP event in the books: will you take part? Editor's note: Watershed reader Alison Gerlach states that Modus informed her that a paper version of the survey will be available at the office, for those who would prefer it to the digital version, which can now be found HERE. Lions Bay residents attend OCP event at Village Hall on August 22. Photo by kc dyer. Residents recently gathered to share their thoughts about a new, fully-funded reassessment of the Official Communit

Community Recycling Depot wants to save you time and money The Lions Bay Community Recycling Depot (CRD) has been open just over a year, and in the first twelve months has kept over 1,700 kilograms (1.7 metric tonnes) of recyclable products out of the landfill. It's also saved residents the cost of gas driving recyclable items that don't go into the blue bin all the way into North Vancouver. And it is a valuable source of income for the Village, too. "The Village makes mone

Lightning ignites wildfires; hikers trapped on mountain Lightning dances above Horseshoe Bay during Saturday's electrical storm. Photo by David Zhang. The electrical storm that tore through the South Coast on Saturday night created chaos on a number of fronts. Thousands of lightning strikes peppered Vancouver Island and the South Coast, creating havoc at Vancouver International Airport and causing sweeping power outages. Vancouver Island, which this season has experienced jus

Some Oceanview Road and Kelvin Grove homes on notice Smoke plume from Lone Tree Creek fire as seen from Mountain Drive vantage point Sunday at 7 p.m. (left) and then Monday morning at 7 a.m. (right) Update 11:45 a.m.: Notification via both Alertable and BC Wildfire that the Lone Tree Creek fire is now being held. BC Wildfire update. (Click image to go to site). Alertable notification: The evacuation alert has also been rescinded. Sign up for the free Alertable app through any

BC Wildfire, LBSAR on scene, asking residents to avoid area Blue smoke from a wildfire above Lions Bay can be seen against the low clouds, August 23. Photo by kc dyer. BC Wildfire and Lions Bay Search and Rescue have been deployed to a wildfire near the Village. Likely the result of a lightning strike from last night's storm, LBSAR's Training and Search Manager Maria Masiar says the fire is burning at approximately 400-450 metres above sea level, at a location between Lone Tr

Community support after a devastating earthquake SOS Colombia donation portal, courtesy Colombian Canadian Association of BC. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck the western part of Colombia earlier this month, killing at least 321 people, injuring more than 4,600, and leaving many others missing. The earthquake was felt across much of western and central Colombia and caused extensive damage across the nation. Lions Bay resident Maria Adelaida Escobar Trujillo hails

Official Community Plan update awaits your say The last comprehensive update to Lions Bay's Official Community Plan (OCP) was 17 years ago in 2009. According to Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell, the OCP has had several "relatively minor" amendments since then, but much of the existing plan for the Village features priorities that are nearly two decades old. "Much of the current OCP reflects the legislative, planning, environmental, demographic, and community contex

August's Coastal Canine was born to adventure Seven, successfully practising being adorable. Seven had a bit of a journey before she landed with her family here in Lions Bay. She was found with her siblings in a swamp in Mexico at about six months old, all struggling to survive without their mother. She won the hearts of her adoptive family immediately, and has landed on her feet here in British Columbia. Seven has taken to the Lions Bay lifestyle with ease. She regularly goe

Young bear spotted by hikers in Deeks Lake area Shot of light brown grizzly bear taken from video shot by hiker Aleksander Savin near Deeks Lake in mid-August. (Editor's Note: Since this story was posted, it has come to light that the bear may have been misidentified, and may instead be a cinnamon-coloured black bear.) A number of hikers have reported spotting a light brown grizzly bear near Deeks Lake, about three kilometres north east of Tunnel Bluffs, in the past week. Ac

Air quality shows some improvement, fire situation remains critical Smoky skies over Átl'ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound. Photo: kc dyer. Smoky skies continue in the Lower Mainland and the Sea to Sky, with vivid sunsets balanced with poor air quality. British Columbia remains in a state of emergency because of the fires still raging across the province. However, according to FireSmoke.ca, given forecasted wind patterns, there is a possibility that some of the smoke could blow out of the

Porteau Cove fire adds to Howe Sound's smoky skies BC Wildfire Services map of the Coastal Fire Centre, August 15, 2026. There are currently 123 fires burning across BC, with 27 of them within the Coastal Fire Region, and more than half of those are rated as out of control. Environment Canada has issued a Yellow Advisory for smoke across much of southern BC, including Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky. The fire that broke out yesterday near Porteau Cove is likely contributing to

Investigations continue into Village homicide and arson cases Homicide victim Stewart McLean. Photo: Squamish RCMP. After being registered by friends and colleagues as a missing person, Brunswick Beach resident Stewart McLean was found brutally murdered this past May in the woods near his home. Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) spokesperson Corporal Esther Tupper released a statement at the time stating that evidence uncovered during the search for McLean led inve

Valeriote addresses fossil fuel choices in light of BC wildfires 'Wildfire of Note' Ainslie Creek blaze, one of the more than 100 wildfires currently burning in the province. Photo: BC Wildfire Service. Local MLA Jeremy Valeriote is asking both the province and the federal government to wake up when it comes to support for fossil fuel projects. Currently the BC Wildfire Service is fighting 109 wildfires in the province, with 50 of those fires rated as out of control. Firefigh

A chat with Bylaw Enforcement Officer Bryce Fournier Bylaw Enforcement Officer Bryce Fournier. Photo by kc dyer. Lions Bay has a crack team of bylaw enforcers, with Bylaw Enforcement Officer Bryce Fournier overseeing the squad. Working with him this season are Park and Parking Patrollers Tim and Gabby. Fournier was born and raised in Kelowna, B.C., before moving with his family to Kamloops, where he earned a Diploma in Police and Justice Studies, specializing in Bylaw Enforc

Donations of cash, food and even pastureland needed Helicopter tanker dumps water on the Bald Range wildfire, August 10. Photo courtesy BC Wildfire. British Columbia remains under a state of emergency with 101 fires burning across the province, according to BC Wildfire Service, and 46 of them out of control. The explosive growth of the Bald Range fire near Summerland in the Kamloops Fire Centre and the Pear Lake fire in the Cariboo continue to be classed as Wildfires of Note.

Numbers are up, and hikers need to be prepared Screen shot from Petr Lebedev's Sea to Sky Wasp Watch site. Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) member Maria Masiar wants hikers to be on the alert for wasp nests on the trails, and to be prepared if the worst should happen. "Search and Rescue teams have been getting reports of stings since May this year," Masiar said. "It was a warm winter, which meant more queens survived, which has meant more and larger colonies along hiking t

VCH lifts water restrictions Lions Bay Beach reopens to swimming, August 6, 2026. Photo by kc dyer. After almost a month of closure, Lions Bay Beach is once again considered suitable for swimming by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). VCH monitors water quality through weekly testing at beaches around the Lower Mainland to ensure it does not present a risk of illness or infection to swimmers. On their website, VCH notes that beach water quality can be affected by many environment

Potential for fire activity is expected to increase Click the image above for the most up-to-date BC Wildfire Service Activity Map. Update, 7 p.m.: BCWildfire has downgraded the Belcarra fire to 'being held' earlier this afternoon. There are now eight fires rated as 'out of control' in the Coastal Fire District. Original story: With some of the hottest days of summer still ahead, the wildfire situation remains grave throughout much of the province. According to BC Wildfire 11

Keep ground-level doors and windows closed when possible Black bear: file photo. The bear that was killed in Lions Bay on the weekend had a history of conflict with humans, according to BC Conservation Service (BCCOS). The adult animal, light brown in colour, was shot by a Conservation Officer after gaining entry through an open window to a home on Oceanview Road on Sunday. Sea to Sky Zone BCCOS Sergeant Chris Doyle said the tag found in the bear's ear indicated that the bear

Top essentials plus the best choice in apps LBSAR prepares Talon helicopter for night flight. Photo courtesy LBSAR. Well-prepared hikers may already know to head out carrying the ten essentials. But Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) member Maria Masiar notes that three particular items often mean the difference between a successful hike out and an emergency — a cell phone, a headlamp and a spare battery pack. It's the height of hiking season at the moment, and local parking