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

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

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

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

'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

Local light displays add a little twinkle to grey skies The stormy season has well and truly set in on the Wet West Coast, but grey skies don't have to dampen your holiday spirit. Festive displays of light abound on the North Shore and up the Sea to Sky. Bundle up and enjoy! For the first time (officially) this year, Britannia Beach is lighting up the night. Both Britannia Village and the Britannia Mining Museum have festive displays for all to enjoy, plus lots of opportuni

Friends lay memorial wreath Remembering Barbara and David Enns. Photo by John Dudley. On the first anniversary of the Battani Creek landslide, a group of 13 friends and family members recently gathered together at Brunswick Beach to honour the memory of Barbara and David Enns. The tragic loss of these active Lions Bay community members on December 14, 2024 is still keenly felt by family, friends and neighbours. Earlier this year, Councillor Ron McLaughlin told Council he is i

Donations to Under One Roof welcomed Lions Bay group has a jingle of a time knitting up Christmas spirit. Lions Bay knitters have added a little sparkle to Christmas for local women in need, with a donation of hand-quilted bags, jam-packed with treats and necessities for the season. The Knitting Group, between eight and ten knitters strong, has met Wednesday mornings at Lions Bay Store for over a year. "Since the Knit and Stitch shop in Dundarave closed, I asked Lynne Jacobs

John Dudley breaks trails and brings sleepless nights Rudy Luethy's memorial bench, designed and built by Andrew Wray. Photo by Andrew Wray. This is the third and final installment (for now!) of long-time resident John Dudley's history of building trails in and around Lions Bay over the past three decades. If you have an interest in lending a hand with this eternally on-going project, he dearly hopes you will reach out. He shares his experiences in Part One HERE,   in  which

Ready to work as a reindeer stand-in December's Coastal Canine was born in a land where fuzzy sheep are just begging to be herded, and Pippa wants you to know that she is always ready to lend a paw. However, since her new home has fewer sheep, she happily herds what and whomever is at hand. This includes members of her family and anyone who dares to come to the door. At this time of year, she's more than ready to pull any sleighs that need guiding, but so far has not heard ba

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