Keeping Connected Around the Sound
- kc dyer
- May 1
- 3 min read
Howe Sound Community Forum rolls into Lions Bay
It's always important to keep the lines of communication open between neighbours.
That's the objective of Howe Sound Community Forum (HSCF) organizer Ruth Simons. "The goal is always the same with these forums: networking, relationship and trust building, and information sharing."
Simons, who is the Executive Director of the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society (HSBRIS), is the behind-the-scenes dynamo who facilitated the meeting of community and First Nations leaders from around Átl'ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound in Lions Bay on April 17.
The event was formally co-hosted by the Village of Lions Bay and Metro Area A, and welcomed 64 elected officials, staff and observers from across the region.
Representatives were present from the Squamish Nation, Bowen Island, the District of Squamish, West Vancouver, the Islands Trust, Whistler, Gibsons, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Metro Area A and Lions Bay, including four mayors, local Member of Parliament Patrick Weiler and Member of the BC Legislative Assembly Jeremy Valeriote.
In the absence of Mayor Ken Berry, Lions Bay Councillor Michael Broughton welcomed attendees to the event and opened proceedings with an overview of life in the Village.
Representatives from attending municipalities and regional districts, including Squamish Nation Council member Jonny Williams, offered updates on new initiatives and issues in their communities since the last HSCF meeting.
Other topics addressed included the Squamish Nation's historic Land Use Planning Agreement, transportation and housing updates for the Sea to Sky region from the provincial and federal ministers, emergency management in the region, information from the Ocean Watch Action Committee, rockfish and glass sponge reef conservation efforts and news from the Howe Sound Biosphere Initiative Society.
A brief summary of the day's events can be found on the Átl'ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere site HERE.
Simons says she was pleased with the attendance, but noted that the participating elected officials were less engaged with the subject matter than at past forums.
"This is typical when elections are not far away," she said after the event. "We usually have fulsome discussions and questions at roundtable sessions, but they weren't into it this time."
While there was also no in-depth review of the developments at the Woodfibre Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) site, Simons noted that Valeriote brought up his visit to the site, as well as his concerns about the expansion and how Fortis is exceeding the limits with its effluent discharge.
District of Squamish Council members also mentioned they had passed a resolution to not support the Fortis amendment to increase discharge.
After the event, Simons pointed to a couple of significant outcomes, including lauding the demonstration of trust between the Squamish Nation and the Province leading up to the land use planning agreement. "Also, the offer of Metro's Emergency Coordination to enter into mutual aid agreements with the other two regional districts."
A number of the observers remarked on the poor quality of the sound system in the Village Hall, with one noting that the group was down to a single functioning mic by the end of the event.
Lions Bay's Emergency Program Coordinator Mary Brown attended for the first time as an observer. She said she found the day very interesting and "was impressed by how many hours these people have dedicated to the well-being of Howe Sound."
As this is an election year, a date has not yet been set for a 2027 Forum, though Simons says planning is already underway. She pointed to the long history of the HSCF and singled out former Mayor Brenda Broughton as an early supporter for the Forum in the early 2000s.
"Brenda was a champion for 'Save Howe Sound'," said Simons, "and this forum is a legacy of the work she put into that."
Simons has devoted many years of work to the HSCF herself, acting as convenor since 2014. This leadership looks to continue, as Simons points to HSBRIS's Memoranda of Understanding with each of the member communities to continue as the convenor of these forums well into the future.
The Watershed welcomes your thoughts.
Leave your comments below,
or 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.
Comments