What We Heard: SCRD Environmental All-Candidates Meeting 2026 – Sunshine Coast Conservation Association

Sunday, October 4, 2026, online via Zoom

SCCA and Seniors for Climate Action Now co-hosted this meeting. Jef Keighley, co-chair of Seniors for Climate Action Now, moderated. Candidates gave two-minute introductions and then answered questions in rotation. They received the first questions in advance, and residents sent in more through the chat.

Who took part

Justine Gabias, Kelly Backs and Scott Tilley took part throughout. Kate-Louise Stamford joined partway through and answered from the eighth question on. Donna McMahon joined while travelling and participated throughout the chat. Christine Alexander and Dean Miller did not attend.

Questions

What preparations will you advocate for so local government can cope with the impact of climate change on infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads and our ecosystems?
What is the most important environmental issue facing the SCRD today, and what will you do about it?
How would you tackle what candidate Scott Tilley described as the SCRD’s adversarial development culture?
With the SCRD moving to volumetric water billing, how should farmers be treated, and how can agriculture keep reliable access to water while conserving it?
The new coastal flood mapping found about 9% of the Sunshine Coast coastline highly vulnerable to erosion and 7% of properties facing flood hazards. What would you do in your term?
Subdivisions approved by the province and upstream resource extraction can send runoff and flooding onto downstream properties. What tools can the SCRD use to protect downstream neighbours?
SCCA spent six years convening the Squamish Nation and the Ministry of Transportation, with support from the Town of Gibsons, to restore Ch’ḵw’elhp/Gibson Creek. How would you support community-led partnerships like this?
What question do you wish you had been asked, and what is your answer?
With the future of Howe Sound Pulp and Paper still uncertain, how would you balance forestry jobs with protecting our watersheds and forests?
How would you bring forward changes that are environmentally right when there is strong community pushback?
How can the SCRD recognize emerging problems early and adapt, and what role should the renewed OCP play?

Answers

Christine Alexander, Area A (Egmont/Pender Harbour), acclaimed

Did not attend.

Justine Gabias, Area B (Halfmoon Bay), incumbent

Introduction: Area B director since 2022 and board vice-chair for the past two years. A member of the BC Municipal Climate Leaders Council and chair of the Vancouver Island Coastal Communities Climate Leaders group. Has worked with the Watershed Security Coalition to advocate for watershed boards and put forward a motion to declare a climate crisis.
Climate and infrastructure: Identify and protect natural assets, especially watersheds. Pursue watershed governance with First Nations. Diversify revenue to pay for climate-driven infrastructure costs. Expand active transportation as the province mandates complete communities. Keep diverting waste from the landfill, such as the new furniture recycling.
Most important issue: Water and watershed security. Prepare for droughts of up to 200 days, monitor the watershed, and diversify supply to reduce stress on Chapman Creek. Volumetric billing will incentivize conservation. Water “is the source of life.”
Adversarial development culture: Suggested resistance to growth may stem from the 2022 water emergency. The answer is to add supply, increase conservation, and monitor and report transparently, so people can see that growth matches water supply.
Farm water: A strong supporter of local farms. Volumetric billing has been a “huge burden” on farmers. Rebates for cisterns help, but not everyone has space, so she is looking at options such as different summer base rates and allocations for farmers. Wants to hear from farmers before rates are set.
Coastal flood mapping: The SCRD will need to take a good look at managed retreat: mitigate if it can, retreat if it has to. Cited the decision to move the planned Halfmoon Bay community hall away from Cooper’s Green because of sea level risk, despite the division it caused.
Subdivision runoff: Stormwater is under Ministry of Transportation control, but the SCRD has influence and must use it. Watershed boards could bring the province and forestry to the table to understand cumulative downstream impacts.
Ch’ḵw’elhp/Gibson Creek: Not familiar with the project but very interested. Invited SCCA to present it to the board as a delegation.
Question she wished she’d been asked: “How can I help?” Directors should be resources. Residents and community groups have real power and should contact their representatives, write letters and come as delegations.
Howe Sound Pulp and Paper and forestry: The mill is in Area F, but the near-closure is a chance to rethink forestry so it is more sustainable, regenerative and community-focused, with benefits kept local. Pointed to the Community Forest presentation at the board that Thursday.
Community pushback: Start with why. Show what a rule protects for future generations, not only what it forbids. Be honest and transparent.
Early warning and the OCP: The harmonized OCP is a chance to think regionally and break down silos. Review it regularly and evolve with legislation and climate change.
Closing: Thanked environmental advocates and asked that these forums happen annually, not only at election time.

Dean Miller, Area B (Halfmoon Bay)

Did not attend.

Kelly Backs, Area D (Roberts Creek), incumbent

Introduction: Finishing his first term. Comes from generations of First Nations allies and believes First Nations leadership on land use, based on traditional values, has much to teach. Has brought forward motions to stop logging in the watershed, and said he has supported every initiative brought forward to protect Coast land and water.
Climate and infrastructure: Supports staff’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the flood mapping, water supply diversification and emergency planning. Encouraged by Ministry of Transportation culvert upgrades. Will keep pressing BC Timber Sales to do less harm and build better infrastructure, or stop altogether if it can’t do it right. Six years as a volunteer firefighter keep emergency preparedness front of mind.
Most important issue: Water. The environmental flows required for fish on Chapman Creek should apply to other creeks, so that industrial activity like logging doesn’t damage them. Supports more groundwater sources and said a watershed board would be “extremely useful.”
Adversarial development culture: Fire flow guidelines block development where there isn’t enough water to fight fires. A plan to loop the Roberts Creek water supply within five years, and what he believed is a planned water main upgrade near Roberts Creek Elementary, could allow gentle densification. “We can’t do it at the cost of our environment.”
Farm water: The SCRD has been advocating to Vancouver Coastal Health to change rules on shared wells. Through an initiative Gabias brought forward, food farmers can now use water during restrictions (he believed Stage 3). Wants to update the agricultural plan, including water supply for farmers.
Coastal flood mapping: Building permits protect future owners as well as the environment. “You shouldn’t be able to build in a floodplain.” Called the interactive flood map a wake-up call.
Subdivision runoff: Said it is wrong for a provincial ministry to make these decisions for the community. The SCRD’s main tool is advocacy; he wasn’t sure whether local governments have a way to seek damages.
Ch’ḵw’elhp/Gibson Creek: Not totally familiar with the project. Credited the Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers, who helped with his January 2024 motion to block a cutblock in a headwaters tributary of Roberts Creek. That grew into a board vote telling BC Timber Sales to “back off our headwaters.”
Question he wished he’d been asked: How the board and staff work together. Credited progressive staff and a collaborative board where directors lead on their strengths: Donna McMahon on watersheds, Gabias on farming, himself on public safety.
Howe Sound Pulp and Paper and forestry: Noted Community Forest expansion ideas for the lower slopes of Mount Elphinstone, and a BC Timber Sales video showing the stark difference between selective logging in Roberts Creek and clearcutting. As far as he knows, most of the mill’s wood doesn’t come from here. Noted the 30×30 initiative is gaining steam and said a resolution to ban raw log exports could be an economic boom.
Community pushback: Stay calm, use solid information, and repeat the idea three times. Small actions multiply. “We’re just taking care of the land for our children.”
Early warning and the OCP: Relationships make local government nimble; he can call MP Patrick Weiler and MLA Randene Neill directly. Hopes the harmonized OCP spreads the best parts of each area’s plan, including watershed and riparian protections, across the region.
Closing: Thanked Scott Tilley for pushing him to review his record and plan for the next four years.

Scott Tilley, Area D (Roberts Creek)

Introduction: Background in science, technology and solving complex problems. Served on the Practice Review Board of the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC, overseeing practitioners, including on-site wastewater. Roberts Creek land use has taught him that drainage, streams, groundwater, forests and development are connected, and that small decisions add up. “Stop reacting and start governing.”
Climate and infrastructure: Long-term management of the Coast’s watersheds as groundwater use grows. Our aquifers are poorly understood. Build the science, then use Water Sustainability Act tools to stabilize supply and tie it to development planning.
Most important issue: Water supply stability, and how land use decisions affect it. Enforce existing environmental protections actively and fairly, and complete environmental reviews.
Adversarial development culture: The SCRD lacks clear development goals. It should show developers where it wants growth and move proposals that fit up the queue, down to helping homeowners who commit to building rentable suites.
Farm water: Uses a well himself. Encourage metered farms to draw less from the system and support rainwater storage. Listen to farmers first and build a fair, sustainable billing system that gives them certainty.
Coastal flood mapping: Identify affected landowners (public, private, and First Nations), share the findings, plan for life safety, and help owners cover mitigation costs.
Subdivision runoff: The SCRD still issues development permits and should read professional reports carefully. Cited a local case where flood mitigation features a geoscientist recommended were removed during development.
Ch’ḵw’elhp/Gibson Creek: Not 100% aware of the project, but credited SCCA. Development is causing small riparian features in Roberts Creek to be lost, “a slow death by a thousand cuts.” Staff need to scrutinize development permits.
Question he wished he’d been asked: Green Bylaws. The board’s job is to set the vision and high-level policy, staff do the work, and the board decides on it.
Howe Sound Pulp and Paper and forestry: Build on Backs’s work by seeking water sustainability objectives and plans through the provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, so BC Timber Sales and other provincial operations in watersheds must collaborate.
Community pushback: Listen first, understand objections, fold people’s ideas into the plan and build buy-in.
Early warning and the OCP: Build closed-loop systems that retain knowledge as people change. Make the OCP a living process. Use Water Sustainability Act objectives for issues that span governments.
Closing: Thanked the incumbent directors for their service, including the one he is running against

Donna McMahon, Area E (Elphinstone), incumbent, acclaimed

Joined while travelling and did not speak. In the chat, she said she wants to partner with SCCA on restoring Chaster Creek next.

Kate-Louise Stamford, Area F (West Howe Sound), incumbent, acclaimed

Question she wished she’d been asked: How the SCRD recognizes the marine environment. The regional district is land-based, but this is a coastal region. Pointed to the Biosphere initiative in Howe Sound and warned that green crabs have arrived. Wants to work with nonprofits as well as other governments.
Howe Sound Pulp and Paper and forestry: Forestry, with or without the mill, is a $100 million economic driver on the Coast. A lot of what the mill needs comes from beyond the Sunshine Coast, so the province shouldn’t focus fibre demand here alone. Unsure whether more local logging would help the mill.
Community pushback: Is in this situation now with a different local government, over a possible foreshore development permit area. Win agreement on the objectives first, then show what the regulation will look like. “It’s more of an education and a communication than it is making something happen.”
Early warning and the OCP: The board and senior staff have built far better systems since the 2022 emergency. Harmonized, more flexible zoning will let the SCRD respond to new ideas. Warned that provincial and federal downloading could hit hard over the next four years.
Closing: Grateful to continue representing West Howe Sound’s distinct communities.