The Local Weekly The heart and soul of our communities with news and information about the Sunshine Coast
Sandy Beach on the southwest shoreline of Lhek’tines’/Keats Island has made history for the Islands Trust Conservancy (ITC) as the 30th nature reserve created in 30 years. Sandy Beach was a part of Keats Camp, a Baptist summer youth camp operated by the Convention of Baptist Churches of BC, founded in 1926. The land was transferred from the Convention to ITC in December 2020 as part of a rezoning and subdivision application. It came with a $12,000 contribution, which has been allocated to a land management fund. The Sandy Beach Nature Reserve includes 3.4 hectares (8.4 acres) of Coastal Douglas-fir forest and over 250 metres of beachfront. It is a location of cultural heritage for Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and sәlilwәtaʔ𐑉’ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and provides suitable habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species. Peter Diemer photo
