Lions Bay
| Village of Lions Bay | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
| Motto: Splendour in Serenity | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 49°27′29″N 123°14′13″W / 49.45806°N 123.23694°WCoordinates: 49°27′29″N 123°14′13″W / 49.45806°N 123.23694°W | |
| Country |
 Canada |
| Province |
 British Columbia |
| Region | Howe Sound |
| Regional District | Metro Vancouver |
| Government | |
| • Mayor 2011-2014 | Brenda Broughton |
| • Village Council |
Lions Bay Councillors 2011-2014
|
| • Member of Parliament of the Canadian Federal House of Commons (MP) | John Weston |
| • Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) | Jordan Sturdy |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.53 km2 (0.98 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,318 |
| • Density | 520.2/km2 (1,347/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC−8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC−7) |
| Website | |
Lions Bay is a small residential village municipality located north of Vancouver between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish on the Sea-to-Sky Highway on the steep eastern shores of Howe Sound.
Background
The Lions Bay area appears never to have been home to any First Nations group, despite the relatively flat alluvial fans emanating from the three large creeks running through the Village. Originally a summer camping destination, Lions Bay began to be settled for permanent residences in the 1960s, with poor road access to Vancouver. Initially only a water improvement district, the Village was incorporated in 1971. Due to the varied topography of the Howe Sound area, Lions Bay homes are site-specific constructions, with eclectic architectural styles. Lions Bay has a land area of 2.53 square kilometers.[1]
Driving times south to downtown Vancouver or north to Squamish are roughly 30 minutes. There are no gas stations in Lions Bay, the nearest being located in the Westmount area at Exit 7 off the Upper Levels Highway in West Vancouver to the south.
The Lions Bay General Store and Cafe, the Lions Bay Art Gallery, a realty office, and a Post Office are located centrally, close to Highway 99. Community programs and gatherings are held in the Village Hall, which is under refurbishment as of 2013.
Lions Bay is one of the smallest self-governing communities in British Columbia, with an elected Mayor and Council directing an administrative office, a Works (maintenance) yard, and the Village's Klatt Building which houses the volunteer Fire Department, an ambulance station leased to the BC Ambulance Service, and Lions Bay Search & Rescue.
Lions Bay also features a large marina with land-storage capacity for approximately 200 boats of up to 32 feet, and a forklift/trailer launch and recovery ramp.
Lions Bay Beach Park has restroom and change facilities (slated for refurbishment in 2014), a sandy beach protect by floating log boom, and a float. Kelvin Grove Beach park is 500 meters south.
Other than the few houses in the Kelvin Grove area, Lions Bay does not have central sewage, but relies on individual onsite wastewater systems (previously termed septic systems). Under permit from the Province water service is drawn from the creeks, filtered and treated by ultraviolet sanitation; other than a few weeks in late summer, the Village's supply from its own creeks is adequate.
Demographics
In the 2011 Canada Census, Lions Bay's population was 1,328 people living in 556 private dwellings (the Canadian census only counts citizens and permanent residents). The 2013 combined property tax, parcel tax and user fee rate was 0.5278%, taken on an average property assessment value of $1,114,347.[2]
Climate
| Climate data for Lions Bay | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16 (61) |
17 (63) |
22 (72) |
24 (75) |
28.5 (83.3) |
32.5 (90.5) |
34 (93) |
33.5 (92.3) |
30.5 (86.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
16.5 (61.7) |
17 (63) |
34 (93) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.1 (43) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
13.9 (57) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.1 (68.2) |
22.7 (72.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
19.8 (67.6) |
13.5 (56.3) |
8.2 (46.8) |
5.3 (41.5) |
13.9 (57) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.2 (45) |
9.9 (49.8) |
12.9 (55.2) |
15.9 (60.6) |
18.3 (64.9) |
18 (64) |
15.5 (59.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
5.9 (42.6) |
3.2 (37.8) |
10.5 (50.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
2.1 (35.8) |
3.7 (38.7) |
6 (43) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
13.8 (56.8) |
13.6 (56.5) |
11.1 (52) |
7.3 (45.1) |
3.5 (38.3) |
1.2 (34.2) |
7 (45) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −8 (18) |
−12 (10) |
−4 (25) |
1 (34) |
2.5 (36.5) |
6 (43) |
9 (48) |
9.5 (49.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−11 (12) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 228.5 (8.996) |
160.7 (6.327) |
161.3 (6.35) |
139.2 (5.48) |
100.8 (3.969) |
78.7 (3.098) |
54.6 (2.15) |
62.6 (2.465) |
71.2 (2.803) |
198 (7.8) |
288.6 (11.362) |
212.6 (8.37) |
1,756.8 (69.165) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 218 (8.58) |
152.4 (6) |
158.2 (6.228) |
139.2 (5.48) |
100.8 (3.969) |
78.7 (3.098) |
54.6 (2.15) |
62.6 (2.465) |
71.2 (2.803) |
197.8 (7.787) |
286 (11.26) |
202 (7.95) |
1,721.6 (67.78) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 10.5 (4.13) |
8.3 (3.27) |
3.1 (1.22) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.08) |
2.6 (1.02) |
10.7 (4.21) |
35.3 (13.9) |
| Source: [3] | |||||||||||||
Lions Bay School
The public K-3 Lions Bay Community School is part of BC School District 45 (West Vancouver) and opened in 1977, with a joint-use school field installed in 1989. Enrollment at the school varies between 40 and 60 students. After Grade 3, students mostly move on to the K-7 Gleneagles Ch'axáý Elementary School in Horseshoe Bay and then to Rockridge High School at Caulfeild; the school district provides school bus service.
Lions Bay Library
Lions Bay Volunteer Fire Department
Lions Bay Search and Rescue
The Lions Bay Search and Rescue team was established in the early 1980s following a series of landslides which caused a number of deaths and briefly cut the highway and isolated the Village.[4] Although initially set up to provide the Village with a measure of self-sufficiency in an emergency, the Search and Rescue team developed over time into a primarily mountain rescue group. The twin peaks above the Village give it its name, and are known in First Nations stories as The Sisters and in latter days as The Lions. The Lions are prominently visible from Vancouver, and attract large numbers of hikers and climbers, especially in warmer months. Hiking trails in the area of the Lions are rough and demanding (a hike from Lions Bay to the top of the West Lion gain 1500 meters in elevation and a round trip travel time of 6–8 hours for fit hikers). Every year an increasing number of hikers are injured, lost or caught out in the dark while hiking in this area. This has necessitated the development of Lions Bay Search and Rescue as a volunteer mountain rescue group in association with the Provincial Emergency Program.
Lions Bay Brownies, Sparks and Guides
Officially designated the 1st West Vancouver Group, Lions Bay's girls are served by dedicated volunteer leaders.
Lions Bay Historical Society
Lions Bay Arts Council
Lions Bay Hiking Club
Lions Bay Scholarships
External links
 |
Squamish | | ||
| Howe Sound |  |
North Shore Mountains | ||
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 | ||||
| Bowen Island (via ferry from West Vancouver) |
Horseshoe Bay and West Vancouver |
References
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