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

Conservation Officer, RCMP attended scene on Oceanview Road File image, courtesy Lions Bay Bear Smart. An adult, light brown-coloured bear with an ear tag was shot dead on Sunday after entering a residence on Oceanview Road. A BC Conservation Officer attended the scene, as did a member of the Squamish RCMP. After the bear's death was acknowledged on the Lions Bay Bear Smart Facebook page, The Watershed contacted Councillor Neville Abbott, who acts as council liaison for the L

Why is Lions Bay the only restricted beach in Metro Vancouver? Lions Bay Beach remains closed to swimming through the August long weekend. Photo by kc dyer. Lions Bay Beach continues to be flagged by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) since testing completed on July 16 showed the location to be unsafe for swimming due to the presence of E.coli bacteria. Beaches at Kelvin Grove and Brunswick remain open, as are all other public swimming beaches in the Lower Mainland. Testing of th

LBSAR July rescues more than double this year LBSAR crew aboard the Talon rescue helicopter, July 2026. Photo courtesy LBSAR. For members of Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR), this has been a busy summer already, and it's not even half over. According to LBSAR member Maria Masiar, June's callouts were on pace for the same dates over the last couple of years, with two rescues this June, compared with three in 2025 and only one in 2024. However, rescues this month are off the

Online auction funds promote Indigenous rights, sovereignty RAVEN Trust needs your support, and they want you to have fun doing it. The organization's second annual online fundraiser closes on July 31 at 6 p.m., so there's still time to place your bids and support this fundraiser for Indigenous justice at the same time. "RAVEN was founded in 2009 with a goal to change the legal system from the inside out," said the organization's Development Manager Tara Preissl. "After 17 ye

Nature Lions Bay teams up with BC Nature Photo by Danielle Wills. by Penny Nelson Nature Lions Bay is thrilled to announce the society is now a member club of BC Nature. BC Nature, a registered charity, acts as a federation of organizations throughout BC, giving them a collective voice on conservation and environmental issues to foster awareness, appreciation and understanding of nature and to advocate for the sustainable use of natural spaces so that they are maintained fo

Bake sale aids Venezuelan earthquake response Ashlee Argento and Marianne Kohler oversee the bake sale table on July 11. Photo by kc dyer. Local resident Ashlee Argento recently gathered together a tasty mountain of cookies, cupcakes, sour dough bread and other baking goodies donated by her neighbours, and set to work selling the lot. Her goal was to raise money to support Direct Relief, a non-governmental organization, in their efforts to mobilize medical aid following two d

Howe Sound Collective celebrates creating and exploring art Howe Sound Collective inaugural art show at Lions Bay Beach Park, Photo by kc dyer. The inaugural Howe Sound Collective art show was an inspiring, supportive evening and an absolute success according to artist and mentor Barb San Severino. "It was so amazing to celebrate our individual and collective art journeys together," she said. Last weekend, nine artists displayed their work of the past year against the stunnin

Packed agenda for final meeting before summer break Council members gathered for the final scheduled meeting of the summer on Tuesday night were faced with a surprisingly hefty 212-page agenda. At the end of one of the first truly hot days of July, Councillors Neville Abbott, Jaime Cunliffe and Michael Broughton were present at the table with Mayor Ken Berry and Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell. Councillor Ron McLaughlin joined the meeting online. Financial Officer

RCMP investigating "related" home and vehicle blazes RCMP deem Lions Bay house and vehicle fires related and suspicious, looking for witnesses. Sea to Sky RCMP are linking the fires at a home in Lions Bay and a car on the Sea to Sky Highway in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning. In a statement earlier today, police said the RCMP (Squamish Detachment) were called just after 4 a.m. on July 19 to attend a fully-engulfed house fire on Kelvin Grove Way. Shortly afterwards, the p