Sunshine Coast Conservation Association

Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival
2024-06-02 - 2024-06-08 | Friendship Park, Trail Bay, Sechelt, 5665 Teredo Street, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A0, Canada
Join us for our 5th annual Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival!
This year’s festival is produced in collaboration with RhizomeUP!Media and Rogue Fest.
We have a full week of activities FREE to the public including:
🐟 LIVE film events
🐟 Our famous online NEMO talks running through-out the week
🐟 Citizen science events such as Forage Fish sampling
🐟 Shoreline clean-ups
🐟 And our main event on WORLD OCEANS DAY where we will have booths, music, activities, prizes, and a BBQ followed by a screening of the documentary Deep Rising
More details coming soon!
This program is supported by the District of Sechelt, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Sunshine Coast Credit Union, BC Festivals Fairs and Events, The Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition and many local groups and businesses!

Watch Patrick and the Whale
2024-06-02 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Vancouver) | Sechelt Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A3, Canada
Using stunning underwater footage, Patrick explores the fascinating nature of the sperm whale, attempting to shine a light on its intelligence and complexity, as well as highlighting its current and past relationship with humankind.

An inspiring and engaging tale of Patrick Dykstra and a sperm whale “Dolores.”

For years, Patrick Dykstra has dedicated his life to traveling the globe, following and diving with whales. Over the years, Patrick has learned how whales see and hear, how they perceive other creatures in the water and how they behave at close quarters. He has a finely tuned sense and knows how to act when within touching distance of a whale – what to do, what not to do and when. This allows him to consistently get closer than anyone else alive – a truly unique skill.

Patrick recently experienced a life-changing event. In Dominica, he had a close encounter with a female sperm whale. She seemed to be curious about him, coming within touching distance, pulsing him with her sonar. She studied him as he studied her. Patrick felt an overwhelming sense that she was genuinely trying to communicate.

We follow Patrick as he travels to Dominica again to find this special whale he named “Dolores” so she can help him show us the hidden world of her species. Using stunning underwater footage, Patrick explores the fascinating nature of the sperm whale, attempting to shine a light on its intelligence and complexity, as well as highlighting its current and past relationship with humankind. The film follows his personal journey and explores the psychology of a man who has sacrificed everything in his single-minded quest to connect with and understand one of the the biggest creatures in the ocean.

Details
📍 Sunshine Coast Arts Centre
🗓 Sunday June 2, 2024
⏰️ 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)
📽 Admission by donation

Marine Impacts of Private Moorage in kalpilin (Pender Harbour)
2024-06-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
What are the impacts of private moorage in kalpilin (Pender Harbour)?
Join our NEMO talk on June 3rd to hear from Sacha O’Regan, lead scientist on the M.C. Wright Report. Sacha is a professional biologist who has worked in the realm of freshwater and marine aquatic ecology in BC since 2010.
Docks and other overwater structures are common features along urbanized shorelines. Though these structures can provide commercial and recreational opportunities, they may also have adverse impacts on the marine environment and other coastal land uses. In March 2018, the environmental consulting firm M.C. Wright and Associates Ltd. concluded a two-phase study of dock impacts on the marine environment in Pender Harbour.
Photo Credit: Sacha O’Regan
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Green Crab Monitoring along the Pacific Coast
2024-06-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
What’s happening along the Pacific Coast with monitoring of the invasive European Green Crab?
Join our NEMO talk on June 4th to hear from Tyranna Souque, a data manager/early detection lead with the Coastal Restoration Society, an environmental non-profit based out of Vancouver Island, BC. Tyranna works alongside Indigenous governments and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on two projects on the coast of Vancouver Island and the mainland that aim to control and mitigate the spread of invasive European green crab within British Columbia and collect integral information that will guide future management efforts.
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Image credit: Ben Grayzel
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Citizen Science in Action!
2024-06-05 10:30 - 12:00 | Friendship Park, Trail Bay, Sechelt, 5665 Teredo Street, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A0, Canada
Come down on Wednesday June 5 and participate in our Citizen Science in Action event!
Dianne Sanford from Friends of Forage Fish will be hosting a hands-on sampling session at Friendship park in Sechelt. Come down to learn about what we do when we sample the beach for surf smelt and pacific sand lance eggs.
Dianne has been coordinating forage fish sampling on the lower Sunshine Coast for several decades. She works with volunteer citizen scientists to determine sand lance and surf smelt spawning presence at local beaches, information which was previously undocumented. This information is then submitted to a central database for public information.
We will also discuss the importance of these fishes to all of us, and their connection to eelgrass and orcas.
Wear your gumboots. Citizen science in action!
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Photo Credit: Dianne Sanford

Thormanby Island Beach Clean-up
2024-06-05 11:00 - 17:30 | Brooks Cove, Halfmoon Bay, BC, Canada
Come join our Beach Clean-up on Thormanby Island with Halfmoon Sea Kayaks!
This will be an easy day of paddling to the South Thormanby Beaches to check on their conditions after a winter of accumulated storm debris.
➡️ Gloves and collection supplies provided for all volunteers.
➡️ We will launch from Brooks Cove in Halfmoon Bay at 11am.
If you don’t have your own boat but would love to participate, Halfmoon Sea Kayaks can set you up with a tandem kayak (bring a friend) and all associated equipment free of cost!
Please RSVP for this event by emailing halfmoonseakayaks@gmail.com

Coastlines, community, and climate activism: lessons from the ocean
2024-06-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Fiona Beaty’s talk will provide a whirlwind tour of some of the Sunshine Coast’s charismatic coastal species, from snails to eelgrass, and inspire audience members to connect with the sea as a form of climate and conservation activism.
Fiona is a settler marine ecologist, climate and conservation activist, and community leader. She is passionate about protecting people and nature from climate change using approaches grounded in collaboration, science, and creativity. She holds a doctorate in Zoology from the University of British Columbia, works as the Science Coordinator for the Indigenous-led MPA Network initiative in the Great Bear Sea, and advises myriad non-profit marine conservation initiatives in Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound and the Salish Sea. Fiona lives in Gibsons/Ch’kw’elhp and when not supporting coastal marine stewardship, can be found adventuring outdoors.
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

'Future Jobs on the Coast' - Sunshine Coast Labour Council
2024-06-05 17:30 - 20:00 | Elphinstone Secondary
The Sunshine Coast Labour Council is hosting a roundtable discussion on ‘Future Jobs on the Coast’. This follows the news that the BCFED will be postponing the tour – ‘Climate Justice and Job’ Townhall until next spring
The SCLC is interested in getting the conversation started! There will be light dinner (Sushi and Ice Cream) for those who attend (Please RSVP to sclabourcouncil@gmail.com)

AGENDA:
June 5th, 2024
Future Jobs on the Sunshine Coast hosted by Sunshine Coast Labour Council
@ Elphinstone Secondary Library
5:30-6:30pm – Light dinner & Social
6:30pm- 8pm – Speakers / Small Group Discussions / Sharing

Clam Garden Restorations
2024-06-06 12:00 - 13:00 | BC
Learn about Indigenous Sea Gardens in the Salish Sea!
Join our NEMO talk on June 6th to hear from Carl Olsen, an Indigenous knowledge holder from the W̱SÁNEĆ (wh-say-nech) nation on Vancouver Island, BC. Carl’s talk will outline the historical significance of clam gardens as a food source and how they are cultivated. He will also discuss past and present clam garden restoration projects, and where these projects are occurring.

Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Seafloor garbage in the Salish Sea: Taking out the Trash
2024-06-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Join our final NEMO talk in the series where Susan Anthony will talk about the unseen underwater trash that fills up nearshore environments.
Human-made debris enters the water and disappears below the surface. There it stays, smothering the sediment and its organisms, leeching pollutants, and breaking into smaller and smaller pieces, but never going away. SeaChange and its partners have spent the last decade restoring and conserving nearshore habitats, which includes underwater debris removal.
“I am a passionate and curious scientist, natural historian, and conservationist. I have a BSc from the University of Victoria in Biology with a minor in Ocean Sciences”, Susan Anthony.
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Photo Credit: Susan Anthony

World Oceans Day Celebration
2024-06-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Friendship Park, Trail Bay, Sechelt, 5665 Teredo Street, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A0, Canada
This year we are bringing back our in-person World Oceans Day Celebration!
We’ll have live music from DJ Sam Pulpo, lots of fun activities, a free BBQ and a raffle with the chance to win some incredible prizes.
On Saturday June 8, from 12-4pm, we will host booths from organisations including the SCCA, shíshálh youth Cedar Weaving, DFO, Oceanwise, Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers, Sunshine Coast Tourism and more.
We are very grateful to our prize donors, Vancouver Aquarium, Halfmoon Sea Kayaks, Pastime Games, Bitter End Marine Traders, Sechelt Fish Market, Coast Gravity Park, and Ocean Club Cafe!
Following our celebration we will be hosting a live screening of the documentary Deep Rising at the Sechelt Arts Centre from 7-10pm.
Head to our website to watch some online films and check out our other events:
https://sunshinecoastoceanfestival.ca/

Film Screening: Deep Rising
2024-06-08 19:00 - 22:00 | Sechelt Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A3, Canada
Join us on Saturday June 8th after our World Oceans Day celebration BBQ for a film screening of the documentary “Deep Rising” at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre.
Narrated and executive produced by Jason Momoa, Deep Rising takes viewers on an epic journey from the deepest depths of our ocean – the most uncharted and inaccessible place on our planet – to the future of green energy, and shows us how the two are inextricably linked.
Interwoven with awe-inspiring footage of the deep’s most dazzling creatures, Deep Rising illuminates the vital relationship between our ocean’s fragile and mysterious ecosystems, and sustaining all life on Earth.
Head to our website to read more and watch the trailer!
https://sunshinecoastoceanfestival.ca/deep-rising/
📍 Sunshine Coast Arts Centre
🗓 Saturday June 8, 2024
⏰️ 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)
Please consider making a donation to our “Love our Oceans” campaign at the door
Photo Credit: Deep Rising official photo

Friends of the Ocean - qathet community bbq
2024-06-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Okeover Park, Powell River
Join the Friends of the Ocean – qathet community event at low-tide on June 8th! This event will be held in the Powell River area, at Okeover Park.
For more information please email oceans@thescca.ca

Annual General Meeting 2024
2024-06-20 18:30 - 21:30 | Sechelt Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A3, Canada
You’re invited to join the SCCA at our Annual General Meeting 2024!
This is an in-person event, there will be snacks, and socializing!
We hope to see you there!

syiyaya Days Parade
2024-07-01 10:30 - 15:00 | Hackett Park, 5765 Dolphin St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0, Canada
In 2022, the shíshálh Nation and the syíyaya Reconciliation Movement partnered with the District of Sechelt, to build on their ongoing Reconciliation work by hosting an 11-day celebration, known as syiyaya Days.
The celebration ends on Canada Day (July 1st) with a parade, celebrating Canada while also recognizing our colonial history and celebrating the cultures of the First Peoples of this land.
The SCCA will be walking in the parade on July 1st and hosting a booth at the event. We would love our members to join us!
Please email us at volunteer@thescca.ca if you would like to walk in the parade with us.

Public Information Meeting regarding Riparian Area Bylaw Amendments
2024-07-04 18:30 - 20:00 | SCRD Administrative Office, 1975 Field Road, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A1, Canada
Support Riparian Area & Shoreline Protections in the SCRD
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has more kilometres of shoreline and more steep flashy creeks than many local government regions in BC.
Managing and mitigating impacts caused by land clearing, development and climate change in the SCRD, is a huge and expensive job.
Growing impacts of drought, flooding, land slides, washouts, rising sea level and erosion on private and public, natural and engineered infrastructure are mounting. Downstream communities, habitats, species, local governments and taxpayers carry the heavy burden of dealing with these impacts.
The cheapest, most effective and fairest way to mitigate impacts and costs is to take every possible step to protect and restore natural assets. Especially for lands that surround, store and protect water!
That is why, the SCRD has initiated the process to amend its Zoning Bylaws to strengthen protection of riparian areas.
On July 4th the SCRD will host a Public Information Meeting about why these bylaw updates are crucially needed. On July 16th, there will be a Public Hearing on the Bylaw update. Between now and the end of the Public Hearing, the SCRD needs our feedback to support these important updates.
We encourage all of our members and supporters to engage in this public hearing process and support the bylaw amendments.
Bylaw Updates
This Riparian Areas bylaw update includes three key changes:
Setbacks: Property setback requirements will be amended to meet Provincial Best Practices.
Buffer Zones: Buffer zones will be added to the riparian areas to prevent building too close to sensitive areas. (Gardens would still be allowed within the buffer zone.)
Lot Area: New lots created through subdivision will be required to meet minimum lot size requirements that exclude riparian and buffer areas. This will ensure all new lots are developable, protect private property and public assets from flooding and erosion, and help maintain healthy watercourses.

Public Hearing to consider the Zoning Amendment Bylaw for Riparian Areas
2024-07-16 19:00 - 20:30 | SCRD Administrative Office, 1975 Field Road, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A1, Canada

An Evening With Land Defenders in Squamish
2024-09-13 18:30 - 19:30 | Eagle Eye Theatre, 38430 Buckley Avenue, Squamish, BC, V8B 0E4, Canada
This event is an opportunity for community members to learn about the potential social and environmental impacts of the FortisBC Eagle Mountain pipeline and Woodfibre LNG projects in our region.
Speakers for the event:
* Janelle Lapointe, Stellat’en First Nation and David Suzuki Foundation
* Chief Na’Moks, Wetʼsuwetʼen
* Gwii Lok’im Gibuu/Jesse Stoeppler, Gitxsan
* Tioutenaat/Roberta Jackie Williams, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
The speakers are Indigenous land defenders fighting against LNG projects and pipelines. Come hear their stories about impacts of LNG industry on communities.
A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation.

Cancel the Permits Rally
2024-09-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Junction Park, 37950 Cleveland Ave, Squamish, BC, V8B 0S8, Canada
Join My Sea to Sky on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 2pm in Squamish to send a flaming message to the BC government calling to cancel the permits for Woodfibre LNG and FortisBC’s fracked gas pipeline.

With the blazing theme of fire and flame, we’re rallying together to ignite change and safeguard our communities for future generations.

Wear fiery colours of red, orange, yellow, grey, or black to participate in a fun photo action. RSVP now for a free fire emoji sign!

Image Credit: My Sea to Sky

Stories of the Estuary
2024-09-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Mission Point Park, Davis Bay, 4595 Sunshine Coast Hwy, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A1, Canada
The Sechelt Arts Festival invites you to a celebration of the Salish Sea – its other-than-human inhabitants, its waterways and estuaries, its stories of travel and exchange, and its vitalness to Sechelt and its communities. Sechelt, as the land between two waters, has been shaped by the Salish Sea
Dress as your favourite sea creature! We will gather at 6pm on the Davis Bay pier for a procession guided by musicians, drummers, dancers and puppets – all celebrating the creatures of the sea. Weaving shíshálh drumming, song and storytelling, with the power of taiko and the beauty of the shakuhachi flute, the procession unfolds a story of the raven, the estuary, and the equinox.
Performers for Equinox Raven include: Andy Johnson, cultural ambassador shishalh nation; Cora Lee Joe-Louise, dancer; Maggie Guzzi, raven; Connor Dixon, dancer; Gerardo Avila, equinox character mask; Noriko Kobayashi, taiko and shamisen (Japanese banjo); Kage, taiko; Bushido: Alcvin Ryūzen Ramos, shakuhachi, shinobue player, and Nori Akagi, taiko; Flags: Hazel Bell-Koski
Following the procession, we will gather at Mission Point House for music, storytelling and hands on activities. We gather to celebrate the shifting cycles of light, the return of the salmon to Chapman Creek, and the rich connections that the Salish Sea has brought to our communities.

World Rivers Day
2024-09-22 11:00 - 13:00 | Roberts Creek Pier, 999 Roberts Creek Rd, Roberts Creek, BC, V0N 2W4, Canada
Celebrate World Rivers Day with the Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers!
There will be lots of fun activities such as planting native plants, children’s crafts, info tables, beach cleaning, and more.
Also, the pink salmon run has started, we hope that we will also be able to view salmon spawning!

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
2024-09-30 | BC
Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was designated in tribute to Indigenous children stolen from their homes and taken to residential schools by the Government of Canada. To honour the innocent children who never returned home, the Survivors who suffered enduring trauma, their families and communities.

In Canada, 140 federally run residential schools operated between 1867 and 1996. Survivors and allies have advocated for decades for recognition and reparations, and demanded accountability for the intergenerational impacts of harm caused to Canada’s indigenous peoples by our government, the RCMP and religious institutions.

September 30th has been observed since 2013 as Orange Shirt Day, a grassroots movement recognizing the colonial legacy of residential schools, committed to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Orange Shirt Day recalls the experience of residential school Survivor Phyllis Webstad, who at six was stripped of her shiny new orange shirt on her first day attending the St. Joseph Mission Residential School near Williams Lake, BC. The date of September 30th was chosen because it was the time of year when Indigenous children were removed from their families and forced to attend residential schools.

The syiyaya Reconciliation Movement is a local initiative led by shishalh nation, that welcomes all people living on the shishalh swiya (homelands) to come together to work together as one, to heal intergenerational harm done to First People by Canada’s history of cultural genocide and abuse in residential schools. The word ‘syiyaya’ literally means “family and friends” in shashishalhem, the language of the shishalh people.

Learn more about Truth and Reconciliation through the resources linked below:

syiyaya Reconciliation Movement
Reconciliation Canada
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Learn about the history of colonization from an Indigenous lens

Seniors for Climate Action
2024-10-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Davis Bay Pier, https://maps.app.goo.gl/EomnbTTct27cDwAE6, Davis Bay, Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
Seniors For Climate Inaugural Event
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
12:00 noon – 1:00 pm
Davis Bay Pier, Sechelt
Seniors For Climate is a new national organization of Canadian seniors who are alarmed at the tepid pace that our respective governments, at all levels, are addressing the climate crisis. Seniors for Climate has chosen October 1st, Canada’s National Seniors’ Day and the International Day of Older Persons to launch its inaugural presence on the national stage.
Here on the Sunshine Coast three organizations, the Alliance 4 Democracy, the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association and the Sunshine Coast Sue Big Oil campaign are joining forces with Seniors For Climate to stage our local inaugural event on Tuesday, October 1st at the Davis Bay Pier in Sechelt from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm.
The event will feature speakers from each of the sponsoring organizations and music. All three provincial candidates have been invited to address the event: Chris Hergesheimer – BC Greens, Chris Moore – BC Conservatives and Randene Neill – BC NDP.
The goal of Seniors for Climate is to mobilize Canada’s seniors, who are now 25% of our population and the most significant voting block across the country, to use our collective power to insist that all of our governments substantially step up the pace to both address the root cause of climate change – the burning of fossil fuels – and mitigate the increasingly devastating and costly impacts of climate change – extreme weather events, melting ice fields and rising sea levels and adverse health outcomes.
Contact
Jef Keighley – Alliance 4 Democracy
778 999-1950
jefkeighley64@gmail.com.

SCCA Candidates Forum
2024-10-06 14:30 - 17:00 | Roberts Creek Community Hall, 1309 Roberts Creek Rd, Roberts Creek, BC, V0N 2W2, Canada
On October 19, 2024, British Columbians will head to the polls to vote in BC’s 43rd Provincial Election. We will elect 93 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to represent us in Victoria. Provincial Elections are pivotal in shaping the future of our communities and deciding the fate of the natural environment because the BC government has authority (jurisdiction) over most land use decisions in the province.
Candidates Forum on Environment and Climate Change
3:00 PM -5:00 PM (doors open at 2:30 pm)
Roberts Creek Community Hall,
1309 Roberts Creek Rd, Roberts Creek, BC
There are many candidate meetings taking place on the upper and lower Sunshine Coast on the lead up to the election. This is the only meeting focused specifically on the environment.
Please, join this event to ask questions and learn more about where candidates and their political parties stand on critical environmental issues facing our community, future generations, and all life on earth.
Event Format
Questions will be received in writing in advance and in person at the forum, and posed to the candidates by a moderator. The public is invited to submit questions in one of two ways:
In advance: By email to communications@thescca.ca
At the forum: A table will be set up with pens and paper so you may write down and submit your question.

Advanced Voting for BC Provincial Election
2024-10-10 - 2024-10-13, 2024-10-15 - 2024-10-16 | BC
On October 19, 2024, British Columbians will head to the polls to vote in BC’s 43rd Provincial Election. We will elect 93 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to represent us in Victoria.
Provincial Elections are pivotal in shaping the future of our communities and deciding the fate of the natural environment because the BC government has authority (jurisdiction) over most land use decisions in the province.
Advanced Voting runs from October 10-16, 2024 (Closed Thanksgiving Day – October 14, 2024) – you can find the full list of advanced voting locations here.
Get Ready to Vote by reading our latest news item on where, when, and how to vote.

Powell River-Sunshine Coast Locations
Powell River Rec Complex
5001 Joyce Ave Powell River, BC
Thu-Sun Oct 10-13, Tue-Wed Oct 15-16
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 109
747 Gibsons Way Gibsons, BC
Thu-Fri Oct 10-11
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 112
12829 Lillies Lake Rd Madeira Park, BC
Tue-Wed Oct 15-16
Seaside Centre
5790 Teredo St Sechelt, BC
Sat-Sun Oct 12-13, Tue-Wed Oct 15-16

Written Q&A
In September we sent four written questions on key conservation topics to MLA candidates, and asked them to submit written responses. We encourage everyone to read the Q&A and learn where the candidates stand on these topics.

Volunteer for Virtual Phonebanking
2024-10-15 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-10-16 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-10-17 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-10-18 12:00 - 14:00 | BC
Join the network of local leaders encouraging people to vote! Sign up to volunteer for a virtual, non-partisan phonebank—no experience or phone line needed.
➡️ Tuesday, October 15, 6-8pm
➡️ Wednesday, October 16, 6-8pm
➡️ Thursday, October 17, 6-8pm
➡️ Friday, October 18, 12-2pm
➡️ Saturday, October 19, 12-2pm
Help empower communities across the province to get to the polls this October!
Register at this link: https://voteenvironmentbc2024.com/volunteer/
Save this event to your calendar so you don’t forget!
