The Local Weekly The heart and soul of our communities with news and information about the Sunshine Coast

While we are all happy to turn the calendar from 2020 to 2021, the past year has provided an opportunity for leaders of our community to step forth more than ever before. The Sunshine Coast has an abundance of these leaders, people who make incredible contributions to enrich their community. We recently had the opportunity ... Read More »

The 2021 Home Owner Grant threshold is set at $1.625 million, ensuring the same percentage of British Columbia homeowners continue to be eligible. New in 2021, the Province is taking over full administration of the grant program to ease the burden on municipalities. The Province already administers the grant for rural homeowners. Homeowners in all ... Read More »

On Nov. 26, Powell River/Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons was named Minister for Social Development and Poverty Reduction. Simons attended the ceremony virtually. In a Facebook post following the cabinet swearing-in ceremony, Simons said he is “honoured to serve the Province of BC in this new capacity.” He also used that opportunity to introduce his ... Read More »

In today’s world, fast, reliable and affordable high-speed internet is a necessity for all Canadians, including those living in rural and remote communities. Since taking office, one of my central priorities has been to expand internet infrastructure and access to all parts of our riding, including on the Sunshine Coast, where persistent gaps remain to ... Read More »

Premier Horgan issued the following statement this week to mark Louis Riel Day: “Each year on Nov. 16, we observe Louis Riel Day and acknowledge the importance of Louis Riel (1844-85) as a political leader and advocate of justice for the Métis people. “Riel was a champion of Métis rights who paid the ultimate price ... Read More »

MP Patrick Weiler closed off his Nov. 12 Zoom call with the Sechelt Chamber of Commerce by highlighting a federal grant to restore wetlands in the Old Sechelt Mine wildfire area, adjacent to West Sechelt. The British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF) will be receiving $85,000 for work near the site of the 2015 wildfire. BCCF ... Read More »

Local MP Patrick Weiler plans to head to Ottawa in the coming weeks. There, he will join the limited number of elected representatives who are part of the in-person debate at the House of Commons. During the second session of Canada’s 43rd Parliament, elected representatives attend in person or via video link – in a ... Read More »

“The District should…” Have you ever said that? Yes, it is that time of year again. We are heading into conversations about the 2021 budget, so now is a good time to review what we have, what we do and what we want. On behalf of the community in 2020, the District donated $120,000 to ... Read More »

The final votes are in, and Nicholas Simons will serve a fifth term as the NDP MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast. Elections BC finished counting the mail-in and absentee ballots for the riding on Nov. 8, leaving Simons with 50.88 percent of the popular vote and a total of 12,701 votes cast. BC Green Party ... Read More »

Almost $5 million will be coming to the Coast under the federal Safe Restart Agreement. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) is distributing $425 million from the federal program to BC local governments. The funding is designed to support facility reopening and operational costs along with local emergency response efforts related to the COVID-19 ... Read More »