shíshálh swiya Dock Management (formerly Pender Harbour Project)

shíshálh Nation and the B.C. government recently renewed the 2018 Foundation Agreement. Join B.C. representatives for a virtual information session to find out more about the agreement.

Dates: March 20 and 31, 2025

Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PST

Format: Zoom video conference

Representatives from the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship will provide details on the Foundation Agreement renewal, how it relates to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan, and what it means for residents of the Sunshine Coast.

Questions and comments will be accepted and addressed during each session.

Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and MLA for Powell River - Sunshine Coast, will provide opening remarks.

A meeting link will be available shortly before each session on the shíshálh Nation - British Columbia Foundation Agreement web page. A copy of the presentation and additional resources will be posted following the second information session.

The shíshálh Nation and the government of B.C. are committed to speaking with people about agreement components that have the potential to impact local government, interest holders and the public.​

Additional information and engagement opportunities are being planned for specific components of the Foundation Agreement renewal. More information will be made available as we begin this work.

Questions about the Foundation Agreement renewal can be sent in advance by email to IRRCoastNegotiations@gov.bc.ca.

Together, the shíshálh Nation and the government of B.C. are announcing the renewal of the Foundation Agreement signed in 2018.

The renewal affirms the changes to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan (DMP) that shíshálh and the B.C. government announced in August 2024. Additionally, the renewal includes commitments to conduct more studies in the foreshore, to undertake shared monitoring and fund restoration work conducted by shíshálh.

This shared work will ensure that foreshore values are managed in a balanced way that sustains them for future generations.

In the Foundation Agreement renewal, shíshálh and the B.C. government agree that, at this time, they will not be proceeding with section 7 negotiations related to dock authorizations and the resumption of those discussions will involve robust public engagement.

Please see the Joint Press Release.

We are continuing our work to implement a new path forward for new and existing dock and boathouse owners in both marine and lake environments, as well as commercial dock owners.

Self-registration for existing marine docks in the swiya remains open, and dock owners are encouraged to complete the self registration form online. The shíshálh Nation and the B.C. government have also begun transitioning self-registered dock owners to 20-year long-term authorizations and have offered licenses of occupation to 6 dock owners in the swiya. As this work continues, B.C. government staff will connect with self-registered dock and boathouse owners inviting them to begin the transition process.

More information will be shared in the coming weeks. As we move forward on commitments around docks and boathouses in lake environments and commercial docks, we will be reaching out to the public through community contacts and making information available on this web page.

Self-registration system reminder:

Thank you to those who have completed their self-registration for their existing marine docks in the swiya. Self-registration allows the shíshálh Nation and the government of B.C. to efficiently transition existing docks to 20-year renewable long-term authorizations. While there is no deadline to complete the self-registration form, early self-registration ensures you are prioritized in the transition process.

Please remember to email yourself a copy of the self-registration form once complete. The form does not auto-email. If you need the email link to your self-registration form sent to you as you have already completed your registration, please email ssDMP@gov.bc.ca.

Dock and boathouse inventory assessment criteria:

Jointly, the shíshálh Nation, the government of B.C. and public volunteers have been on the water collecting an inventory of docks and boathouses in the swiya over the last couple weeks. The inventory will ensure an accurate count of all docks in the water as of July 1, 2024.

The inventory collects three key pieces of information for each dock and boathouse:

1. Photographs
2. Location 
3. Condition assessment (PDF, 153KB)

While the best management practices for freshwater docks remain paused, the lakes are being inventoried and the same information is being collected as above. An additional inventory may be required in the future should further considerations be raised during the review of the best management practices for freshwater docks.

Staff from shíshálh Nation and B.C. government are conducting an inventory of dock and boathouse structures in the shíshálh swiya in the upcoming weeks. This is part of our ongoing work to protect existing habitat and cultural resources. Field crews will be in boats on the water in the swiya assessing the state and locations of existing private moorage structures.

The inventory will involve:

• Photography used to develop a current (or confirm) inventory of existing private moorage structures
• An assessment to inform a condition-rating. This will be used to support work planning for transition to 20 year long-term authorizations

As announced on August 1, 2024, all tenured and untenured dock and boathouse owners are asked to self-register their structure by filling out a new form. The form is live for registration as of September 18, 2024.

The self-registration form is easy and free to use. By self-registering their structures, owners of existing tenured and untenured docks and boathouses within the swiya will receive a shíshálh swiya General Permission. This is applicable for the existing structure, as built, subject to upgrade requirements outlined in the Existing Dock and Boathouse Owners in the swiya Fact Sheet (PDF, 185KB).

Starting September 2024, existing dock and boathouse owners will be given the following timelines for repairing or upgrading dock and boathouse components to be more environmentally sensitive:

• Dock and boathouse owners will have 10 years to update Styrofoam to encapsulated or a non-Styrofoam floatation system
  • If Styrofoam is actively breaking apart, dock and boathouse owners will have 2 years to replace it with encapsulated Styrofoam or a non-Styrofoam floatation system that ensures light penetration through the structure to the sea floor
• Dock and boathouse owners will have 10 years to upgrade to light transparency decking or another option supported by academically peer reviewed research regarding shading mitigations approved by shíshálh and the B.C. government
• When dock and boathouse owners need to replace pilings, they must not be replaced with creosote pilings.

To support the overall health of the marine environment, dock and boathouse owners are encouraged to make repairs to their structures in alignment with other dock management plan best management practices wherever possible, but they are not mandatory.

Updates to management plan provide certainty for Sunshine Coast dock owners.

Together, the shíshálh Nation and B.C. government are proposing changes to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan to address community interests regarding existing docks and boathouses. Existing dock and boathouse owners will complete a self-registration form and will receive a temporary authorization under the Land Act. Over the next three years, these authorizations and existing tenures will be transitioned to long-term 20-year renewable authorizations upon individual review.

Please see the updates to Existing Dock and Boathouse Owners in the swiya Fact Sheet (PDF, 185KB) and Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 357KB) for further details on what this means for existing dock and boathouse owners, existing dock tenure holders and upcoming actions required to obtain long-term authorizations.

These updates were informed through the work and recommendations received through the Dock Management Plan Advisory Group (DMPAG). The B.C. government and shíshálh would like to thank and acknowledge the tremendous amount of work the DMPAG members and those who supported them put in to providing feedback and further considerations for the Dock Management Plan amendments.

A Meeting Summary (PDF, 22.5MB) outlining the topics and documents reviewed at each DMPAG meeting with the DMPAG is available. Documents reviewed and written submitted recommendations received by the DMPAG are included in the link for reference.

An Overview of the Recommendations and Feedback (PDF, 264MB) the B.C. government and shíshálh Nation received from DMPAG members is available. The B.C. government and shíshálh recognize that more follow-up is needed with Freshwater dock and boathouse owners, commercial moorages owners, and commit to further engagement.

On Friday April 26, lhe hiwus Lenora Joe, shíshálh Nation councilors, Ministers Nathan Cullen and Murray Rankin, MLA Nick Simons, representatives from the Sunshine Coast Regional District, local mayors, and representatives from the Waterfront Protection Coalition had an opportunity to tour kalpilin (Pender Harbour) to see the area up close. The tour and discussions allowed everyone to see first-hand the passion and commitment that is shared by all across the swiya. Later that day, lhe hiwus Lenora Joe and shíshálh Nation councilors hosted everyone and the Dock Management Plan Advisory Group to hear first-hand from the representatives of the Advisory Group.

On March 14, the B.C. government and shíshálh Nation announced both proposed changes to the Dock Management Plan in response to feedback received from over 1700 submissions from individuals and groups on and off the Sunshine Coast; and, the formation of an Advisory Group with representation from across the Sunshine Coast.

The Dock Management Plan Advisory Group has been meeting regularly since then to learn more about the Dock Management Plan, the processes followed by the B.C. government and shíshálh Nation in reviewing dock applications, and to talk about the foreshore values we are all trying to maintain.

The purpose of the Advisory Group is to build a greater understanding of the Dock Management Plan, provide feedback on the proposed amendments presented by the B.C. government and shíshálh Nation on March 14, and offer any other recommendations, including additional amendments, that could be used to inform further amendments or implementation considerations.

The Terms of Reference (PDF, 224KB) for the Advisory Group is now available.

The B.C. government has proactively released the comments and attachments received regarding the proposed amendments to the Dock Management Plan. Some information has been withheld pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Read the Proactive Disclosure (PDF, 66.8MB).

Together, the B.C. government and shíshálh Nation are proposing significant changes to the Dock Management Plan to address community interests and protect shíshálh’s rights and title, and are forming an Advisory Group with representation from across the Sunshine Coast to review the new proposed changes. Please see the Summary of updates to shishalh swiya Dock Management Plan (PDF, 156 KB) for details on the proposed updates to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan to respond to concerns and balance interests. 

Joint statement on shishalh swiya Dock Management Plan being updated following public engagement

From November 24, 2023 to February 16, 2024, the B.C. government and shishalh Nation requested feedback from the public on a set of proposed amendments to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan. This What We’ve Heard Report (PDF, 146.6KB) is our commitment to share with the public what has been heard throughout the engagement process. The report summarizes the key themes and feedback captured during the engagement.

Thank you for taking the time to engage on the proposed changes to the Dock Management Plan. By commenting you have contributed valuable public input into how BC and shíshálh governments work together to create and adjust planning and policy tools that support our shared goals.

Your contributions will be given full consideration and will assist our governments in determining next steps and continued implementation of dock management in the swiya.

We remain committed to sharing a What We Have Heard report and more information about our next steps. The report will be posted here on March 8, 2024.

The public commenting period regarding the proposed amendments to the shishalh swiya Dock Management Plan has been extended to February 16, 2024. Questions, comments and feedback can be directed to the Applications, Comments and Reasons for Decision website (file # 2412772) until that date. Provincial staff will be monitoring comments received through the website and will provide additional clarity and answers to common questions. Comments received via email or phone call will not be reviewed, so please direct all comments to the website above to ensure your questions/comments are received.

In addition, a summary document of “What We Have heard So Far” will be compiled and shared here in a couple of weeks’ time.  

Proposed amendments to dock management guidance within the swiya are currently open for public engagement and review. 

The Dock Management Plan with proposed amendments and additional guidance documents are available below and on the Applications, Comments, and Reasons for Decisions website (Search for File # 2412772).

Comments on the proposed amendments to the Dock Management Plan can be submitted online at the above website, or in writing to:

Section Head, Crown Land Authorizations
Julia Grant, Section Head
Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
South Coast Regional Office
200-10428 153 Street
Surrey, BC V3R 1E1

Please be advised that public comments received on the proposed amendments to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan will be provided to the public upon request. Comments must be submitted by February 16, 2024.

Proposed Amendments Supporting Documents:

• Proposed amended shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Frequently asked questions relating to the proposed amendments (PDF, 897KB)
• What’s Changed? - Document Summary of Proposed Amendments to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan (PDF, 166KB)