Beach Etiquette

Summer is on the way and the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is providing a little refresher for residents and visitors to enjoy beaches and beach accesses responsibly.

The SCRD currently maintains over 40 beach accesses with each one offering a unique experience of our beautiful shorelines and waterways. Some are remote, others are close to homes, so it is important to be aware of your surroundings and respectful of residents and wildlife.

When entering a beach, please keep pets on leashes and of course, clean up after them. The only thing beach users should be cleaning off their feet at the end of a fun, sun filled day is sand! Believe it or not, there are still some visitors to beaches who somehow manage to forget their garbage. Please pack out what you bring in, leave no garbage behind. A bottle, candy wrapper or half eaten sandy jam sandwich can really ruin the beautiful beaches we have.

In many beach accesses, parking is limited and some popular accesses may be restricted (tow-away zones). To reduce congestion and to allow access by emergency vehicles, local beach users might consider walking or biking to the beach.

In the summer months, many of us have a fire on the beach to welcome the sunset and catch up with friends and family. Beach fires are permitted year-round but may be banned by fire departments during high risk periods. The SCRD asks that visitors follow these regulations when starting up a campfire:

• A campfire is defined as a fire no larger than 0.5 metres high and 0.5 metres in diameter.
• Select your spot below the high-tide line and make sure to construct your containment ring with rocks.
• You must keep at least eight litres of water or a hand tool at all times while the campfire is lit.
• Before you leave the area for any amount of time, your campfire must be fully extinguished. The ashes of your fire must be cool to the touch.
• The area around your campfire must be clear of debris and anything combustible.

In the Gibsons area, there are different fire regulations for the two SCRD rural areas; Elphinstone and West Howe Sound and the Town of Gibsons.

Campfires are allowed in Elphinstone and West Howe Sound year-round but may be banned by the Fire Chief during high risk periods. The Town of Gibsons does not allow campfires at any time.

If you are unsure if your address is in an SCRD rural area or the Town of Gibsons, you can search your address here.

If you have any concerns or wish to report any damage to our beach accesses, contact parks at 604-885-6802 or email parks@scrd.ca. For information about beach accesses, visit https://www.scrd.ca/beach-access

To view the parks bylaw click here.