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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Small communities need to stay engaged, experts say Small communities need to work together to manage resources in case of emergencies, according to Emergency Management consultants Dave Mitchell and Associates. Councillors attending last Tuesday's Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting heard an overview of the state of emergency management services in small communities from the consultants, who have been engaging small communities across the province over the past year. Metro

Home believed to be vacant; LBFR on scene West Vancouver Fire Rescue sprays water from ladder truck above blazing home. Photo by Wally Senyk. 11 a.m. Update: Emergency Program Coordinator Mary Brown reports that fire crews have successfully doused the fire. "Everyone involved has been accounted for and taken care of." Residents of the home were reported to be away, and Brown confimed there were no people or animals in the house during the fire. She said that Emergency Social

Safety, bylaws and 'eye-poppingly' high costs on July agenda The only Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting scheduled for July in Lions Bay arrived with a packed agenda addressing issues from public safety in emergencies to the high costs of future infrastructure replacements. COW meetings are discussion-focused gatherings intended to allow Councillors to take a deeper look at complex issues without making any formal decisions. All councillors were present at the table, apart

One of two local beaches closed to swimming due to bacteria Swimming is not recommended at Lions Bay Beach Park this week according to Vancouver Coastal Health. (VCH). Beach alerts courtesy Vancouver Coastal Health. Throughout the summer season, VCH tests at popular swimming beaches around the Metro Vancouver area. Samples are tested for the bacteria that shows up when there are faeces in the water from humans or wildlife. Swimming or playing in water infested with E. coli b

Zoning and Development Bylaw Paused In the second of two events on Tuesday last week, Council members gathered for the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. All members were present at the table except Councillor Jaime Cunliffe, who attended online. The agenda can be found HERE. Twenty residents attended in person and online. Mayor Ken Berry opened proceedings by thanking donors Victoria Rogers and Kim Mailey and the LB Arts Committee for their hard work on the new art installation at

Lions Bay residents hold bake sale for Venezuelan relief Part of the Timbertop-Mountain baking collective (l to r): Ashlee Argento, Marianne Kohler, Ingrid Wray and Tyler James, along with Argento Apprentice bakers One & Two and former Coastal Canine Stevie. Photo: Ashlee Argento. After watching footage of the earthquake in Venezuela, Timbertop resident Ashlee Argento (Davidson) was first heartbroken, and then moved to take action. "Seeing communities come together in such d

Local residents review Evacuation Plan Front page of the new Community Evacuation Plan, prepared by AB Consulting. Dozens of Lions Bay residents recently gathered to learn about the new Community Evacuation Plan. Emergency Program Coordinator (EPC) Mary Brown began the meeting by clarifying her role, noting that the EPC is charge of coordinating emergency response in the Village. In her former role as head of Emergency Social Services, (ESS) she would help find short-term su

July's Coastal Canine is a snuggler This beautiful brindle from Barhead is called Samson. He is the second Coastal Canine Samson featured this year, so you know he's got to be handsome. Samson is three years old, runt of the litter of 13 puppies from a cane corso/ rottie mum, and a poodle/ golden retriever dad. He was born on a farm, but decides he prefers Village life. His family calls him a goofball of a protector, with a deep woof and a wiggly greeting for all. He loves pe

A wedding, new arrivals, Grade Three grads and more by Ron McLaughlin Hello Lions Bay. It hasn’t been “Junuary” this year so the recent rainfall is welcome. Matt and Charity with Honey and Benito. On the afternoon of June 7th at Kelvin Grove Beach an intimate wedding took place that joined Matt and Charity. Both have been recruited from Lions Bay Fire Rescue (LBFR) and work at different departments within greater Vancouver. They live in Lions Bay and continue to volunteer

Lions Bay Arts spearheads new Beach Park feature Photos by Jonathan Wreglesworth. Canada Day at the new Beach Park was a big hit, and the star of the show was the new artwork wrapped around the facilities building. Designed by artist Ciarra Saylor, a District of Squamish resident, the art installation features animals that are present in every day Village life, including sea lions, river otters, whales, and giant octopus. The project has been spearheaded by Lions Bay Arts, an