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Top essentials plus the best choice in apps LBSAR prepares Talon helicopter for night flight. Photo courtesy LBSAR. Well-prepared hikers may already know to head out carrying the ten essentials. but Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR) member Maria Masiar notes that three particular items often mean the difference between a successful hike out and an emergency — a cell phone, a headlamp and a spare battery pack. It's the height of hiking season at the moment, and local parking

Conservation Officer, RCMP attended scene on Oceanview Road File image, courtesy Lions Bay Bear Smart. An adult, light brown-coloured bear with an ear tag was shot dead on Sunday after entering a residence on Oceanview Road. A BC Conservation Officer attended the scene, as did a member of the Squamish RCMP. After the bear's death was acknowledged on the Lions Bay Bear Smart Facebook page, The Watershed contacted Councillor Neville Abbott, who acts as council liaison for the L

Why is Lions Bay the only restricted beach in Metro Vancouver? Lions Bay Beach remains closed to swimming through the August long weekend. Photo by kc dyer. Lions Bay Beach continues to be flagged by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) since testing completed on July 16 showed the location to be unsafe for swimming due to the presence of E.coli bacteria. Beaches at Kelvin Grove and Brunswick remain open, as are all other public swimming beaches in the Lower Mainland. Testing of th

LBSAR July rescues more than double this year LBSAR crew aboard the Talon rescue helicopter, July 2026. Photo courtesy LBSAR. For members of Lions Bay Search and Rescue (LBSAR), this has been a busy summer already, and it's not even half over. According to LBSAR member Maria Masiar, June's callouts were on pace for the same dates over the last couple of years, with two rescues this June, compared with three in 2025 and only one in 2024. However, rescues this month are off the