Lions Bay ( Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) language : Ch'ích'iyúy Elx̱wíḵn, IPA: [t͡ʃʼit͡ʃʼijoj əlχʷeːqn] ) is a small residential community in British Columbia , Canada, located between Vancouver and Squamish on the steep eastern shore of Howe Sound . In the 2021 census the community had a population of 1,390, BC's 36th smallest municipality by population. At 2.53 square kilometres (0.98 sq mi), it is BC's 10th smallest municipality by land area. Originally a boat-access summer camping destination for Vancouverites, Lions Bay began to be permanently settled in the 1960s. The community incorporated as a village municipality in January 1971.
41-560: In 1889, distinctive twin peaks in the North Shore mountains were dubbed the Lions by a Judge Gray, for their supposed resemblance from Vancouver to the lion statues around Nelson's Column on London's Trafalgar Square . They are the Transformed Sisters, Ch'ich'iyúy Elxwíkn, of Coast Salish legend. The small bay on Howe Sound where pre-road climbers were dropped off to climb them was
82-679: A mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city. The steep southern slopes of the North Shore Mountains limit the extent to which the municipalities of Metro Vancouver's North Shore ( West Vancouver , the District of North Vancouver , the City of North Vancouver and
123-660: A downhill ski area and tourist attractions which are accessible by the Skyride, an aerial tramway . A very popular hiking trail, the Grouse Grind , climbs up the steep flanks of Grouse Mountain from the tramway parking lot. Before the Grouse Mountain Skyride was built, a chairlift operated from Skyline Drive at the head of North Vancouver's Lonsdale Avenue, and the ski area itself could be accessed via Mountain Highway, which now has
164-579: A future peak-shaving desalination plant. 100 houses in the Kelvin Grove neighbourhood are on central sewer connected to a small secondary treatment plant renewed in 2020; remaining residences and businesses rely on individual onsite wastewater systems. As a member of the regional TransLink public transit network, Lions Bay is served by the hourly 262 bus route. The provincial Sea-to-Sky Highway (four lanes and three overpass/underpass intersections) and CN Rail (three at-grade road crossings) run through
205-691: A gate at its upper end in the Lynn Valley neighbourhood. In the Seymour River valley, the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve features over 100 km of trails including a paved bicycle path called the Seymour Valley Trailway that winds into the mountains for 10 km to Seymour Lake. It is frequently used for recreation, and occasionally for TV and film productions such as Stargate SG-1 . There are dozens of individual mountains in
246-497: A population of 1,390 living in 506 of its 557 total private dwellings, an increase of 4.2% from its 2016 population of 1,334. With a land area of 2.53 km (0.98 sq mi), population density was 549.4/km (1,423.0/sq mi). Lions Bay Beach Park has restroom and change facilities, a sandy beach protected by a log boom, and a float. Pay parking is available. The Kelvin Grove Beach and Marine park 500 meters south also has
287-568: A restroom and is a popular scuba destination and dog beach. In the 2017–18 school year, School District 45's Lions Bay School had about 30 K-3 pupils, down from peak levels in prior years of 60–80. After Grade 3, public school students bus to the K-7 Gleneagles Elementary (approx. 60 Lions Bay students out of 240) and the Grade 8–12 Rockridge Secondary (approx. 80 students from Lions Bay out of 800). Volunteer-maintained trails run through
328-661: Is a member of Mayors' Council, one of Translink's several quasi-governing bodies. In 2018 Lions Bay's average residential non-rural property assessment of $ 1.62 million was the fourth-highest of all assessment areas in the province, behind only the University Endowment Lands ($ 3.51 million), West Vancouver ($ 3.24 million) and Anmore ($ 1.65 million). In the 2017 provincial election , 567 of Lions Bay's approx. 1000 eligible voters voted 43% Liberal (centre-right), 28% Green , and 18% NDP (left). Politics besides, Lions Bayers tend to support environmental causes, such as
369-444: Is especially true in winter, but even in summer, large precipices are hidden very close to popular hiking trails and it is very easy to get lost, despite being in sight of the city. Those who venture into the North Shore Mountains for whatever reason should be well prepared at any time of year. Three deep river valleys divide the North Shore Mountains. These are, in order from west to east: The Capilano and Seymour rivers emanate from
410-403: Is modelling hydrological characteristics of the snowfields and groundwater catchments above the village, both to know when to implement short-term consumption restrictions, and to understand long-term flow trends to have time to plan for deep wells, additional creek intakes or pipelining. In 2017 the municipality purchased the last piece of available waterfront land to hold in long-term reserve for
451-461: Is sufficient for a consumption on the order of 1,100,000 liters (300,000 U.S. gal) per day in winter and 1,900,000 liters (500,000 U.S. gal) per day in summer (a relatively high per-capita consumption rate regionally). With no reservoirs possible in the steep terrain, and climate projections calling for longer, hotter summers with more-intense rainfall, a long-range study underway in partnership with UBC's Civil Engineering department
SECTION 10
#1732844900583492-519: The Indian River . Mount Seymour Provincial Park and Indian Arm Provincial Park occupy its south-eastern drainage, while its north-eastern drainage is provincial crown land. Its entire western drainage is part of the Seymour Watershed . The Britannia Range is the northernmost part of the North Shore Mountains, although some lists consider it to be a separate range. It is officially bounded by
533-637: The Late Jurassic continued to persist. Angiosperms (flowering plants) appeared for the first time during the Early Cretaceous; Archaefructaceae , one of the oldest fossil families (124.6 Ma) was found in the Yixian Formation , China. This time also saw the evolution of the first members of the Neornithes (modern birds). Sinodelphys , a 125 Ma-old boreosphenidan mammal found in
574-574: The Pacific Ranges , the southernmost grouping of the vast Coast Mountains . They are bounded on the south by Burrard Inlet , on the west and north-west by Howe Sound , and on the north and north-east by the Garibaldi Ranges . To the east the bounds are defined by Indian Arm (a branch of Burrard Inlet). The ridge running north from Mount Seymour has its own name, the Fannin Range , while much of
615-812: The Panthalassic Ocean the Pacific Plate continued to grow; the Arctic Alaska-Chukotka terrane formed the Bering Strait. Continued rifting opened new basins in the Indian Ocean, separating India, Antarctica, and Australia. By 110 Ma the Mid-Atlantic Ridge reached south into the Proto-Caribbean and South Atlantic, effectively separating South America from Africa, and continued rifting in
656-449: The headwaters of Magnesia, Alberta and Harvey Creeks are underlain by mid-Cretaceous era " Coast Plutonic Complex " rock, which has intruded into the older Gambier rocks. Outcrops primarily consist of greenish volcanic rock that is highly fractured (10 cm fracture spacing) with red oxidation on exposed surfaces. Prominent northwest trending faults and jointing create structural discontinuities that cause instability. Geomorphology in
697-459: The "Lions Bay." The extensions of the CN railway in 1954 and Highway 99 in 1958 spurred permanent residences, the area having previously mostly been summer cottages. In the 1960s, Lions Bay became a Water Improvement District. In 1999 Lions Bay amalgamated with the neighbouring unincorporated community of Brunswick Beach. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Lions Bay had
738-464: The 2nd highest in BC. The 2017 operating budget was: Capital spending is funded by federal and provincial grants, debt, and occasionally taxation when the spend is overdue. In 2017, for example, a $ 2.71 million capital project to replace and remove four water tanks and improve water distribution network was 50% funded by the federal government, 33% by the provincial government, and 17% by 30-year debt funding for
779-608: The Barremian–Aptian boundary ranged from 126 to 117 Ma until recently (as of 2019), but based on drillholes in Svalbard the defining early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a) was carbon isotope dated to 123.1±0.3 Ma, limiting the possible range for the boundary to c. 122–121 Ma. There is a possible link between this anoxic event and a series of Early Cretaceous large igneous provinces (LIP). The Ontong Java - Manihiki - Hikurangi large igneous province, emplaced in
820-621: The Howe Sound-flanking portion of it is known as the Britannia Range . There is debate whether the Britannia Range is part of the North Shore Mountains as there are no official boundaries of the North Shore Mountains. Although not particularly high, these mountains are rugged and should not be underestimated. Severe weather conditions in the North Shore Mountains often contrast dramatically with mild conditions in nearby Vancouver. This
861-539: The North Shore Mountains. The list below is incomplete. Rising above the eastern shore of the Howe Sound , the crests of the mountains are protected by Cypress Provincial Park and are accessed by the 29 km Howe Sound Crest Trail. The southwestern tip of the North Shore mountains that are visible from Vancouver and a popular destination for recreation. It is the namesake of Cypress Provincial Park . Located centrally in
SECTION 20
#1732844900583902-627: The South Pacific at c. 120 Ma, is by far the largest LIP in Earth's history. The Ontong Java Plateau today covers an area of 1,860,000 km . In the Indian Ocean another LIP began to form at c. 120 Ma, the Kerguelen Plateau – Broken Ridge , together covering 2,300,000 km . Another LIP on the Liaodong Peninsula , China, c. 131–117 Ma, lasted for 10 million years. It
943-570: The Stawamus River in the north, the Seymour River in the east, and Deeks Lake in the south. Lower Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous ( chronostratigraphic name) is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous . It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Proposals for the exact age of
984-483: The UNESCO Biosphere initiative for Howe Sound and glass-sponge reef protection, and are generally opposed to reindustrialisation of Howe Sound (such as Woodfibre LNG, McNabb Creek gravel mining and clearcut wood harvesting). The municipality is small, with a 2017 operating budget of $ 3.3 million (raised 50% by property taxes and 50% by fees plus grants). 2017 average per-parcel taxes, utility and fees of $ 7,647 were
1025-641: The Village of Lions Bay ) can grow. In many places on the North Shore, residential neighbourhoods abruptly end and rugged forested slopes begin. These forested slopes are crisscrossed by a large network of trails including the Baden-Powell Trail , the Howe Sound Crest Trail , the Binkert/Lions Trail and a wide variety of mountain biking trails. The North Shore Mountains are a small subrange of
1066-564: The Yixian Formation, China, is one of the oldest mammal fossils found. The fossil location indicates early mammals began to diversify from Asia during the Early Cretaceous. Sinodelphys was more closely related to metatherians (marsupials) than eutherians (placentals) and had feet adapted for climbing trees. Steropodon is the oldest monotreme (egg-lying mammal) discovered. It lived in Gondwana (now Australia) at 105 Ma. Oil in
1107-569: The area are demanding; a hike from Lions Bay to the top of the West Lion gains 1500 meters in elevation with 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, increasing demand on Lions Bay Search and Rescue in cooperation with the Provincial Emergency Program . North Shore Mountains The North Shore Mountains are
1148-447: The area is a product of recent glaciation and post-glacial erosion. The last, or Fraser , glaciation began 33,500 years ago and reached its peak 17,500 years ago. Ice retreat was delayed several thousand years by floating glaciers grounding on the seabed, with several minor readvances. Glacial marine sedimentation (mud and rock dropped from icebergs) is believed to have ceased by 10,600 years before present. The weight of ice had depressed
1189-679: The banks of Newfoundland and to connect to the Canada Basin in the Arctic Ocean. With the opening of the Labrador Sea , Greenland became a separate tectonic plate and Laurentia became North America . The Proto-Caribbean Sea continued to grow and the Paraná-Etendeka LIP began to break Africa into three pieces. The Falkland Plateau broke off from southern Africa at 132 Ma and Madagascar ceased to move independently c. 120 Ma. In
1230-595: The community, and there is multi-day pay parking available at the Sunset North trailhead. Commercial amenities include a general store with Rural Liquor Outlet, a café (including on-tap beers for on-premise consumption), a real estate office, a 150-boat dry-storage marina and a marine service centre. Under license from the Province, water is drawn at intake weirs on Harvey and Magnesia Creeks, and disinfected in two modern dual-barrier (UV and chlorine ) treatment plants. Supply
1271-691: The community. Lions Bay is not supplied with natural gas (the pipeline runs to the north, from Coquitlam over the North Shore mountains to Squamish), so wintertime heating is by baseboard and underfloor electrical resistance heating at standard tariffs, heat pumps , oil furnaces and propane for houses with forced air ducting, and wood heat in appliances ranging from open fireplaces to airtights and pellet stoves . Despite occasionally poor wintertime air quality, Lions Bay negotiated reduced compliance with regional wood appliance regulations that started in 2019. Local geology comprises lower-Cretaceous Gambier Group marine sedimentary and volcanic bedrock. Upslope,
Lions Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-489: The land surface, so during deglaciation the sea flooded the land up to 220 m higher than it is today. Sea-level fell rapidly as the land rebounded, such that by about 10,000 years ago sea level was 10 m below present. By 5700 years ago it was at approximately modern levels. With the ice gone, water erosion and mass wasting (debris slides and flows, rockfall , avalanches ) rapidly reworked unstable glacial sediments, declining over time such that by no later than 7,500 years ago
1353-831: The landscape was similar to today. Steep rockfall aprons developed on mid to lower slopes. Magnesia, Alberta and Harvey Creeks reincised their debris cones and alluvial fans have formed at their mouths into the ocean. Howe Sound at Lions Bay experiences a maritime climate with a moderate temperature regime and a winter precipitation peak. Temperatures are cool December through February, and warm July and August. A pronounced precipitation peak starts in October and extends through January. Precipitation increases with elevation due to orographic uplift, because air masses condense when they cool as pressure drops when they are driven upward by mountain slopes. Annually, approximately 2000 mm of precipitation falls at sea-level, increasing to 4000 mm at
1394-405: The local contribution (with 92% voter approval in a referendum). A volunteer fire department with 30+ trained members provides in-village and forest interface firefighting and MVA rescue services on Highway 99. Many members go on to permanent roles at professional departments; a training at Lions Bay Fire Rescue is considered one of the best available in western Canada. Lions Bay Search And Rescue
1435-574: The massive Metro Vancouver watershed area administered by Metro Vancouver . The watershed extends deep into the North Shore Mountains region, but is strictly off-limits to all unauthorized human activities. The Lynn Headwaters , a deep cirque valley drained by Lynn Creek , is a very popular regional park administered by Metro Vancouver. There are two provincial parks in the area, Cypress Provincial Park and Mount Seymour Provincial Park . Both feature reliable road access, downhill ski areas, and extensive trail networks. Nearby Grouse Mountain features
1476-707: The municipal offices, and five at the Frank Smith Works Yard. The village's Klatt Public Safety Building houses the 30-volunteer Fire Department, an ambulance station leased to the BC Ambulance Service , and Lions Bay Search & Rescue. Policing is provided by the Squamish RCMP detachment. Lions Bay is part of the Metro Vancouver Regional District , although does not currently participate in its water, drainage or sewer functions. The mayor
1517-589: The northern end completed the longitudinal extent of the Atlantic. In Panthalassa the Ontong-Java Mega-LIP resulted in the formation of new tectonic plates and in the Indian Ocean the Kerguelen LIP began to push India northward. During this time many new types of dinosaur appeared or came into prominence, including ceratopsians , spinosaurids , carcharodontosaurids and coelurosaurs , while survivors from
1558-456: The range between Capilano Valley and Lynn Valley, its peaks are highly visible throughout Metro Vancouver. This range begins as just a narrow ridge between Lynn Valley and Seymour Valley, but nonetheless features some large and prominent peaks. The Fannin Range is the easternmost part of the North Shore Mountains that extends from the western shore of the glacial fjord Indian Arm to headwaters of
1599-533: The ridge crest 1200 to 1400 m above. At mid and high elevations, both rain and rain-on-snow are important drivers of winter runoff and groundwater recharge, both being quantified in the Lions Bay-UBC Long-Range Hydrology Study. Lions Bay is a self-governing municipality with an elected mayor and four councillors setting policy. Execution of policy and administration is managed by a chief administrative officer through five staff working out of
1640-508: Was established in the 1980s following a series of landslides which caused a number of deaths and briefly cut the highway and isolated the village. Although initially set up to provide the village with a measure of self-sufficiency in an emergency, the SAR team has developed over time into a primarily mountain rescue group. Trails and peaks accessible from Lions Bay attract large numbers of hikers and climbers, especially in warmer months. Hiking trails in
1681-766: Was the result of the subduction of the Kula and Pacific plates, which was probably caused by a superplume . During the opening of the South Atlantic the Paraná–Etendeka LIP produced 1.5 million km of basalts and rhyolites , beginning 133 Ma and lasting for a million years. The opening of the Central Atlantic continued as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge spread north to separate the Iberian Peninsula from