May 23, 2025 – Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada must determine whether the proposed Sunshine Coast Water Security Project, taking place near Sechelt, in British Columbia, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Housing, Infrastructures, and Communities Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments will be considered public. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website (https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/Protection?culture=en-CA).

Written comments must be submitted by June 23 to:

Stéfanie Larose, Environmental Review Officer, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

The Proposed Project

The project is proposed by the shíshálh Nation and aims to protect the small communities of the Sunshine Coast from water shortages due to increase drought pressure from climate change. The project will help ensure that residents have access to sufficient and reliable water supply to support their living, economic, tourism, and development activities. It will also help improve food security by supporting agriculture in the area. The project will increase water storage capacity through converting a decommissioned mine pit into a large-scale water storage reservoir partially located on shíshálh Nation reserve lands. Other related infrastructure will be constructed; however, they are not included in HICC's environmental effects determination for this project as they are not located on federal lands.

Project works include:

• Decommissioning of a mine pit
• Conversion of the decommissioned mine into a reservoir
• Installation of piping and pumping infrastructure
• Construction of perimeter road
• Excavation

The project will partially take place on federal lands (Sechelt Band Lands No. 2) and has requirements under section 82 of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA).