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The Future of Howe Sound is Clever, Clean and Sustainable

It’s ours….the awesome, majestic fjord called Howe Sound….surrounded by distinctive and eclectic small communities, interspersed with islands large and small and set against the backdrop of stunning, snowcapped mountains….truly a masterpiece now and potentially, with selective development and programming initiatives over the long term, a world class tourism and adventure recreation destination in itself and important economic generator, right in our front yards.  That’s my vision for Howe Sound.

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A Democracy Protects the Fundamentals of Life

Dear Editor;

I was born into a civil society where democracy and good governance were things Canadians collectively strived for. The natural world was treasured rather than seen as a source of resource extraction to make a handful of people wealthy. These values seem to have disappeared with a mindset of “rip & ship.”

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SCCA News: AGM, New Staff, Raffle

WELCOME TO OUR TEAM, RICHELLE!

We're pleased to welcome Richelle Eger, our new Conservation Outreach Coordinator summer intern.SCCA Richelle

Thanks to a grant from Service Canada, we are fortunate to have Richelle working full-time with us this summer, and you'll see her out at farmers markets, festivals and our many educational events throughout the season, sharing information on local biodiversity and encouraging our community to support conservation efforts.

Having completed third year at UBC (Combined Major in Biology, Environment, and Chemistry), Richelle is excited to work with the SCCA this summer as our student outreach coordinator. She plans to enter the field of veterinary medicine, and has been accepted into the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan!  Growing up on a horse farm on the Sunshine Coast, Richelle has always had a passion for the outdoors as well as conservation biology. In working with the SCCA, she hopes to gain a better understanding of current biodiversity issues facing our own backyard.  We're excited to put her excellent skills in graphic design to use as we enhance our outreach and educational materials this summer.  (Did you notice how beautiful our newsletter is looking these days?  Thanks Richelle!)

SHISHALH CULTURAL AWARENESS

scca cultural awarenessLeft to right:  Naomi Fleschhut, Jason Herz, Elin MacKinnon, Candace Campo and Nancy Denham.

Candace Campo of Aboriginal and Eco Tours, facilitated a cultural awareness session with a diverse group of people at the Shishalh Longhouse on May 31st. Sponsored by the SCCA and the Restorative Justice Program, Candace talked about the history of her people, the importance of elders and the First Nations approach to resource management among other things. An excellent story-teller, she told about the significance of many symbols on the totem poles in the Longhouse and answered the many questions people had.  She invites us to celebrate National Aboriginal Day by joining her for a paddle and BBQ on June 22nd, 10 am to 1:30 pm at Porpoise Bay. For more info contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1.800.605.4643.
GRATEFUL FOR LOCAL FUNDING

We are pleased to announce that we've recently been awarded grant funds to support our programs!

The Sunshine Coast Regional District Grant-in-Aid program will donate $2000 towards 'Our Coastal Home:  Regional Biodiversity Education Program', enabling us to develop and enhance our education and outreach booth, and support our upcoming workshops and presentations on local biodiversity.

The Sunshine Coast Community Foundation will award us $2000 for our new initiative that we're launching this fall:  'Deepening Community Connections:  Environmental Conference and Fair'.  We were pleased to attend their granting ceremony on June 16th at the Seaside Centre to thank them for their generous support for this innovative project.  And we're very excited to begin working with our creative partners, Capilano University and the Sunshine Coast in Transition team to design an interactive, engaging and productive conference late this fall.  Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more info or to get involved.
AND SPEAKING OF FUNDING ...

RAFFLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

We're in full swing with our raffle ticket fundraising, with our summer student and volunteers staffing our outreach booth at many farmers markets and local events throughout the next couple of months.
First prize is an Evox Electric Bike (valued at $2500), which Spin Cycles gave us a great deal on!  Second prize is high-quality outdoor wear from Patrick Mark, and Third prize is an overnight getaway from West Coast Wilderness Lodge.
Please support the SCCA by buying a $10 ticket, or get 3 tickets for $20 at one of these upcoming events & locations:

  •     Spin Cycles Bike Shop is graciously selling our raffle tickets this year.  Just drop in and ask a staff member!
  •     Roberts Creek Farm Gate Market - Wed June 18, 3 - 6 pm at the RC Hall
  •     Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival - Sat June 21, 12 - 5 pm in the Street Festival
  •     Gibsons Landing Sunday Market - Sun June 22, 10 am - 3 pm in Holland Park (down the hill from the Library)
  •     SCCA AGM - Thurs June 26, 7 - 9 pm at the Sechelt Arts Centre
  •     Friday Farmers Market - Fri June 27, 12 - 5 pm at the Gibsons Public Market
  •     Sechelt Farmers Market - Sat June 28, 9 am - 2:30 pm near the Sechelt Library
  •     Canada Day in Hackett Park - Tues July 1, 11:30 am - 5 pm
  •     and many more events throughout the summer ... stay tuned!

We're always looking for outreach booth volunteers.  If you're interested, please contact Richelle at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

SCCA AGM June 26

Please join us on June 26, 7 pm at the Arts Centre in Sechelt.
* updates on our projects and reports from our Board
* introduction to our new staff:
* update from the Salish Sea Coal Committee
* membership team on hand to renew your membership
We're pleased to have local filmmaker, Sarama as our guest speaker, showing a sneak preview of his upcoming documentary This Living Salish Sea and answering questions on the project to highlight the beauty and need for protection of our coastal waters.

Coast Pride Weekend Events Include Friday Film Tru Love and Saturday Dance

Tru Love, a bittersweet love story about three women whose hearts crack open, will be the featured film presented by Queer Projections at this year's Sunshine Coast Pride Weekend. The award-winning Canadian film will be shown on Friday, June 27 at 7:30 pm at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse.

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Documentary Film Salish Sea Enters Final Week of Fund-raising

With enthusiastic local support, exposure at film fests and an Indiegogo fund-raising campaign underway, the documentary film This Living Salish Sea is gaining support and momentum. Sunshine Coast filmmaker Sarama is working full-time to complete his film which will bring the beauty of and the potential threats to the Salish Sea to the screen for all to see. This is not a commercial film, but a documentary film from the heart to help save the Salish Sea.

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Gibsons Boil Water Advisory Lifted

The Boil Water Notice has now been lifted by Vancouver Coastal Health. The entire Town is being supplied water from the SCRD, until the Town’s own water source can once again be used. Due to the increased demand on the SCRD’s water system, Stage 3 Water Use Restrictions are now in effect, for the entire Town of Gibsons.Stage 3 Restrictions include no lawn sprinkling; hand-held water sprinkling only of trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables; and no washing of vehicles, hosing windows or exterior building surfaces, or filling of swimming pools, ornamental ponds or fountains. For full details on the various levels of water use restrictions, please go to www.gibsons.ca/water_restrictions.

Boil Water Advisory for Gibsons

A boil water advisory issued for the town of Gibsons remains in effect. Residents in Areas 1 and 2 are advised to boil their water for l minute before consuming. Regular testing found e-coli in some parts of the distribution system. Visit www.gibsons.ca for more information and a map of the affected areas.

Farmed Salmon Lawsuit in Federal Court June 11-13

Ecojustice lawyers on behalf of biologist Alexandra Morton are bringing their case to Federal Court this week, June 11-13. The case was filed in May and is asking to stop licences granted by the Department of Fisheries and declares that DFO is solely responsible for making decisions about the transfer of fish to farms.

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