LBSAR Urges Caution Story by LBSAR member Maria Masiar LBSAR rescue team members assist injured hiker into ambulance after recent rescue. Photo courtesy LBSAR. Lions Bay Search and Rescue is urging hikers to take extra precautions as unusual spring conditions are creating a challenging and often deceptive environment in the backcountry. Following a recent rescue involving a hiker who became lost and dehydrated after leaving the trail to access water, teams are seeing an early

Residents Fired Up Over Staff's New Parking Proposal Watershed file photo. Resident reaction was swift and united in response to proposed changes to parking in the Village. After the agenda for Tuesday's regular Council meeting became available last Friday, a number of residents reached out to The Watershed to express their concerns. The two principle areas of concern were proposals to: increase the number of parking spots along Mountain and Timbertop Drives, and re-allocate

Lions Bay SAR call-out season off to a busy start Members of the SAR teams deliver an injured hiker to BC Ambulance Services via helicopter on May 1. Photo courtesy Lions Bay SAR. An injured knee and a lost backpack both proved problematic for hikers this weekend. The sunny weekend proved to be a siren song, as hikers flocked to the trails to enjoy the sun and the views. A call came in to Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) on Friday May 1, reporting an injured hiker near Tun

Meet Obi-Bun Kenobe & Anakin Fluffwalker These are not the Coastal Canines you're looking for... Meet Obi Bun Kenobi and his brother Anakin Fluffwalker, who are twin one-year old Mini Plush Lops, (and Coastal Canine wannabes). Who knew that Lions Bay was home to a pair of Jedi Knights? Obi Bun and Anakin moved to the Village last spring, and since then, they have made themselves truly at home. They use the Force to generate unlimited energy, only pausing occasionally to flop

Popular event returns to Lions Bay Since it began in 2022, the Bird Friendly Lions Bay event for World Migratory Bird Day has grown into a Nature Celebration that not only marks the return of our songbirds but also showcases our amazing natural heritage and local environmental initiatives. Community groups will again share knowledge and news about local projects on Saturday May 9 at the Village Hall in a social setting that includes refreshments, a BBQ, several kids’ activiti

April's Coastal Canine knows what he wants Akira is a 10-year-old Siberian Husky who knows what he wants. Feel like a little attention? He'll tap the closest human on the hand or the leg. An alert sit on the kitchen rug means a snack should be due in short order. And stationing himself bedside first thing in the morning can mean only one thing: it's time to go out! Akira was adopted by his family during Covid when he was about four. He quickly trained his people into understa

Our power, our planet What you do matters. The daily actions of communities, educators, workers, and families helps sustain and give momentum to environmental progress, according to the organizers of Earth Day. The international celebration of this planet and its fragile environment has taken place every April 22 since 1970. This year, organizers chose the theme 'Our Power, Our Planet' to remind people that environmental progress doesn’t depend on any single administration or

Low snowpack, but it's not all bad news Tunnel Bluffs Wildfire, August 30, 2025. Image courtesy BC Wildfire. This year's low snowpack in parts of British Columbia is leaving forecasters in an ambivalent position when it comes to predicting the chance of wildfires. BC Wildfire Service ’s lead fire weather forecaster Matthew MacDonald reports that the province is already into wildfire season. As of April 16, there are four active wildfires burning in the province, with 13 fires

How will you mark International Dark Sky Week? A global celebration of the night sky began Monday with International Dark Sky Week. Held annually during the week of the new moon in April to allow for best possible viewing of the night sky, the event started in 2003 when American high-school student Jennifer Barlow launched an initiative to get people to reduce unnecessary outdoor lighting and reconnect with the night sky. Today, organizers note that dark nights "sustain criti

photo by kc dyer Watershed subscribers can expect the March digest in their email boxes this weekend. Not a subscriber yet? Follow the link below. Happy Easter! Have a beautiful photo to share ? Email us at 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.

Is it a problem? BC Nature wants your thoughts It's the bane of hikers and city pedestrians alike — dog waste in your path, or worse, in the treads of your shoe. Increasingly, both on local streets and on trails through the woods, the waste is neatly bagged up, but still left behind. BC Nature is currently investigating public concerns regarding dog waste (both bagged and 'au natural') that is being left along trails, parks, and natural areas. They are asking for public feed

March's Coastal Canine is one handsome devil This handsome devil answers to the name of Sampson. He's about 4 years old, and has a slightly uncertain (if definitely noble!) heritage. Based on his size and his basso profundo voice, his genes likely point mostly toward an Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees cross. Sampson is unable to eat chicken, but he loves all other foods, especially cheese and sweet potatoes. He adores getting his zoomies out by running through his yard and

Weather didn't dampen spirits Wet but undaunted volunteers at the Fire Hall ivy pull. Photo by Val Morton. The Village garden group's latest Ivy Pull this past St. Patrick's Day Sunday was a major success, in spite of the waterlogged weather. Organizer Val Morton says that seven volunteers, plus Public Works stalwart Andrew Smethurst braved the atmospheric river conditions, and filled the back of a large Works truck with invasive ivy in just one hour. "It was a very good morn

New study confirms long-held concerns after wildfires File photo of Air Tractor 802 Fireboss, deployed at the Whyte Lake wildfire in 2023. A recent study co-authored by University of British Columbia professor Qingshi Tu concluded that the chemicals used to fight wildfires, along with the ash and other chemicals that leach out after the fire, can continue to contaminate groundwater for months or years after the fire has been extinguished. This finding confirms long-held conc

Springtime (and butterflies!) just around the corner Story by Val Morton and Hana Boye Photo courtesy of Hana Boye and Val Morton. News about declining biodiversity can feel overwhelming; the problems and challenges too big for any one person to tackle. To change that perspective, Douglas Tallamy, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, promotes the idea of creating "Homegrown National Parks" by "renaturing" the backyard

Climate Action Committee member John Robb breaks it down Aerial photo of Lions Bay by David Butler. Editor's note: At the February 17 meeting, Council approved a recommendation from the Climate Action Committee to complete a Natural Asset Inventory, a concept discussed at the January 27 Committee of the Whole meeting. CAC member John Robb breaks down the details of all such an inventory entails here. Story by John Robb Lions Bay has provincial Local Government Climate Action

Great Backyard Bird Count Returns tomorrow Your backyard, window, or office counts: this Friday, become a scientist by joining the Great Backyard Bird Count ! This year’s annual global count takes place from February 13 – 16. By participating, you support researchers who track bird populations, document declines, observe the impacts of climate change, identify disease outbreaks and more. Research results inform conservation strategies to support struggling bird populations. A

Spring shows her beautiful face six weeks early Top from left: periwinkle, hellibores, rose. Centre from left crocus, snowdrops, daffodil. Bottom row: cherry blossoms, creeping violet. Photos by kc dyer and Norma Rodgers. This uncharacteristically balmy winter appears to have left the door open wide enough for spring to creep through a full six weeks early. All these blooms were spotted yesterday, February 9, in upper Lions Bay. Have you got some early bloomers to share? Send

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