PHARA once again calls on Eby to pause negotiations on Aboriginal Title for the Sunshine Coast
Province has yet to respond to PHARA’s previous letter. On October 14, 2025, the Pender Harbour & Area Residents Association (PHARA) formally wrote to Premier David Eby calling on the Province of British Columbia to immediately pause all negotiations related to the recognition of Aboriginal Title on the Sunshine Coast — and elsewhere in the […]
Upcoming Road Construction & Logging Activity
Notice to Trail Users: Hikers, bikers, ATVers and other recreation users are advised that road construction will begin shortly on access routes leading to McNeill Lake and Menacher FSR. What to expect • Road-building equipment will be active along Menacher Road, continuing onto McNeill Lake FSR (approximately ¼ km), and then onto Menacher FSR (KL130) under the power lines. • The road […]
PHARA calls on Eby to pause negotiations on Aboriginal Title for the Sunshine Coast
The following letter was sent to Premier Eby on October 14, 2025 calling on the Province to pause all negotiations on Aboriginal Title on the Sunshine Coast and everywhere until the Cowichan Tribes appeal has been fully resolved. It was also cc’d to major media outlets, other government ministers as well as the heads of several leading […]
Progress on our Legal Challenge
A court date is set for the next step in our legal challenge to the DRIPA. Our lawyers will be before the BC Supreme Court in Vancouver on December 15, 2025 asking the court for a ruling to change our original “petition” to a civil claim. This is a procedural step made necessary after the […]
Heritage Conservation Act Overhaul Threatens Property Rights
Speak Up Before November 14 The Province of British Columbia is seeking public input on sweeping proposed changes to the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) — legislation that governs the protection of sites with historical, cultural, and archaeological significance, including those that are sacred to First Nations. The Act has not been substantially updated since 1996, […]
Two Important PHARA Updates
We’ve recently sent two letters to Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill on your behalf. They are copied below. The first relates to the disposal of Styrofoam. Dock owners are required to remove old Styrofoam floats, but there’s no facility for proper disposal. The second about serious concerns with the wording of paragraphs 1.12 and 8.1(g) that […]
PHARA’s Analysis of the DRIPA 2024–2025 Annual Report
Just released in June, the 2024–2025 Annual Report on B.C.’s implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) outlines a major shift in how the province governs land, resources, and decision-making. While the goal of reconciliation is widely supported, the process underway raises serious concerns. As Sunshine Coast residents, we are […]
The Land Act Issue is Back Again – This Time Under the Guise of “Land Use Planning”
On July 15, 2024, PHARA wrote to the government asking whether the Sechelt area land use planning process was expected to result in legally binding outcomes. Eleven months later, Deputy Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Lori Halls finally replied. She stated that upon finalization, the plan “would be legalized to formalize direction to […]
Stand Up for BC’s Public Lands and Democratic Rights
Thank You for Supporting PHARA — Now Let’s Take This Province-Wide To our members and dock owners: Thank you for your generous support of our legal challenge to the BC government’s DRIPA legislation. Your commitment helped us take a stand—but the fight is far from over. We’re entering a new phase. One that urgently requires […]
PHARA’s Spring 2025 Town Hall
On the evening of April 30, PHARA held a Town Hall meeting at the Community Hall. Almost 200 people attended the lively meeting chaired by PHARA President Peter Robson. He and others reported on the activities of your community association over the past year with a look forward to the future. Highlights included updates on […]