Saanich Inlet Protection Society (SIPS), in co-operation with Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force, started testing water quality in Brentwood Bay in January 2026. The program is designed to detect potential sewage contamination by testing for bacteria. Sampling takes place monthly with some exceptions.Continue reading
The Glass Sponge reefs we are focusing on are in the waters of Saanich Inlet near Senanus Island. Senanus island is part of the Tsartlip reserve, and encompasses sacred burial sites as well as being central to the ancestral history of the Tsartlip Nation.Continue reading
Brentwood Bay Marine Community Society ,fall 2026 Beach and Boat Cleanup. Saturday, September 12th . Volunteers are asked to meet at the Municipal Wharf on Marchand Street in Brentwood Bay at 10 am.Continue reading
The next Roundtable will be held from 2 to 4:30 PM on May 14. The topic will be Water Quality in Brentwood Bay. We will hear (and see) presentations from various speakers who have been taking samples from various parts of the Inlet.Continue reading
On March 7th 2026 SPEC conducted a public meeting to report on their findings and to make recommendations to the three Peninsula local governments. Read the report and take the Check-Up! Survey 2 which closes May 1, 2026.Continue reading
The next Roundtable will be held from 2 to 4:30 PM on March 19. The topic will be Water Quality in the Inlet. We will hear (and see) presentations from scientists and volunteers who have been taking samples from various parts of the Inlet.Continue reading
WLRS reports that, "the parties are near to an "Enabling Agreement" which outlines the commitment of the Province and the Partner Nations to work together and includes objectives and intentions" and "the CEA process begins with establishing "values". The Provincial team has created a first draft focused on the "marine foreshore". Continue reading
Saanich Inlet Protection Society (SIPS), in co-operation with Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force, has started a water quality testing program in Brentwood Bay. The program detects potential sewage contamination by testing for bacteria.Continue reading
The Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition is planning a Public Meeting on March 7. This is designed to be a positive event to promote the bioregional planning approach and how it relates to the work of the 3 municipalities and their OCPs.Continue reading
Join Conservancy Hornby Island March 5 through 7 in celebrating 10 years of advocacy for Pacific herring and healthy coastal ecosystems. 3 days and nights of art, education and inspiration, culminating in the one and only Herring Ball.Continue reading
Wonders of the Salish Sea (WSS) are presenting a new 2026 Webinar series. The Salish Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world. Discover the wonders of this uniquely biodiverse, yet fragile, ecosystem with the guidance of scientists, naturalists, and environmentalists.Continue reading
Saanich Inlet Protection Society (SIPS), in co-operation with Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force, has started a water quality testing program in Brentwood Bay. The program detects potential sewage contamination by testing for bacteria.Continue reading
The plan to improve the safety and reliability of the Malahat corridor is now on hold with serious environmental concerns being recognized. The need for greater review puts the project on hold.Continue reading
The Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition is planning a Public Meeting on March 7. This is designed to be a positive event to promote the bioregional planning approach and how it relates to the work of the 3 municipalities and their OCPs.Continue reading
Brentwood Bay Marine Community Society (BBMCS) is hosting a shoreline and marine debris cleanup on January 31 at 10:00 am at the Municipal Wharf (end of Marchant Road). Volunteers are needed to help load marine debris onto a dump truck and assist with shoreline cleanup. The same day, anyone may responsibly dispose of unwanted runabout boats 16’ and under. BBMCS will assist with transport and logistics; disposal fees are the responsibility of the owner.Continue reading
HCRS and David Suzuki are going to be gathering outside the Department of Fisheries in Vancouver on Monday, November 17th to hand deliver our response to the draft herring fishery management plan.Continue reading
Please read the SIPS response to the latest from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) regarding the herring situation below. We recently heard the phrase "the herring are being managed to extinction" and find it ironically appropriate.Continue reading
Join us for cake, cookies, tea, and coffee and a special presentation on the past 35 years of SIPS! The Saanich Inlet Protection Society will be holding its AGM at the Central Saanich Seniors Centre to present our Financial Report, Directors’ project reports and election of Directors for the coming year.Continue reading
SIPS is considering how we might participate with Surfrider Foundation’s Victoria marine water quality sampling program for Saanich Inlet. The program is known as the Blue Water Task Force.Continue reading
Despite having an owner, a weathered vessel has sat for months, highlighting frustrations with Canada’s fragmented system. Continue reading
You are invited to the Esquimalt Gorge Pavilion, Thursday, October 30th, 5:30 to 9 PM and hear all about herring. What Can We Do Now About the Herring Troubles? Buy your tickets now. Continue reading
To improve the safety and reliability of the Malahat corridor the province proposes widening 1.7 kilometres of the highway near the provincial park, plus the installation of over 1.5 kilometres of a median barrier. The highway however would remain one lane in each direction. A 2024 environmental assessment report says the ‘improvements’ will not be without environmental circumstance. Continue reading
To improve the safety and reliability of the Malahat corridor the province proposes widening 1.7 kilometres of the highway near the provincial park, plus the installation of over 1.5 kilometres of a median barrier. The highway however would remain one lane in each direction. A 2024 environmental assessment report says the ‘improvements’ will not be without environmental circumstance. Continue reading
SIPS organized the fall Round Table for last month on September 11th and invited speakers to present on the theme of Water Quality in Saanich Inlet. The event was hosted by the Willis Point Residents Association. Continue reading
SIPS will be hosting another roundtable this year with the topic being clean water, examining the state of water in the Inlet and the various sources of water entering it.Continue reading
At the District of Central Saanich Council on Monday July 28 a motion to request staff to develop options for a Pump Out service was passed unanimously by Council. A background and Resolution is posted below as well as a letter from SIPS in support of the motion. Continue reading
The Brentwood Bay Marine Community Society (BBMCS) organised a clean up on July 6th using the same successful approach used previously.Continue reading
Puget Sound Institute continues the Science of Puget Sound Water Quality workshop series, which explores emerging science and insights to help protect water quality in Puget Sound. Register for the event!Continue reading
As previously advertised on our social media, here’s a follow up notice for helping support the Saanich Peninsula Environment Coalition (SPEC) to publicize their public Check-Up! questionnaire. The survey is designed to assess how well our communities are planning together for environmental sustainability and resilience.Continue reading
Sir David Attenborough at 99 says: "After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea." This resounding statement is part of the message in the new cinema-length film "Ocean" which he believes could play a decisive role in saving biodiversity and protecting the planet from climate change.Continue reading
Malahat Nation will be upgrading their wastewater treatment facilities through loans acquired from the CIB's Indigenous Community initiative. This will result in better water protection for the inlet.Continue reading
Volunteers needed! The BBMCS has organized another cleanup using the same successful approach used for the previous two clean ups this year. Meet at 10.00 am at the Marchant Street wharf. BBMCS will bring boats with marine and shoreline debris to the wharf.Continue reading
SIPS will be hosting an All Candidates meeting of local political candidates with a question and answer period. Read post for full information.Continue reading
The Marine Community has organised a clean up of marine debris and is looking for volunteers to assist. Continue reading
A federal decision to increase herring quotas in B.C. is facing pushback from critics who say increased fishing could threaten the return of a species that forms the base of the marine food chain.Continue reading
Vice President of SIPS Michael Simmons has drafted a letter to Misty MacDuffee & John Driscoll in regard to the continuing lack of action from the province on the Herring situation. You can read that letter here.Continue reading
From eggs to adults Pacific herring provide food for salmon and other flsh, birds,mammals, and people.Continue reading
Sydney Dixon from Pacific Wild has some great articles (as always) regarding the state of herring fishery in British Columbia. Well worth your time to read.Continue reading
Hereditary chiefs of four Saanich Peninsula First Nations united to call for a complete moratorium on this year’s herring fishery.Continue reading
Join us for cake, cookies, tea, and coffee and a special presentation on the past 35 years of SIPS! The Saanich Inlet Protection Society will be holding its AGM at the Central Saanich Seniors Centre to present our Financial Report, Directors’ project reports and election of Directors for the coming year.Continue reading
Hereditary chiefs of four Saanich Peninsula First Nations united to call for a complete moratorium on this year’s herring fishery.Continue reading
Read the joint submission on herring which we have signed along with many other NGOs. It was sent by Pacific Wild who created the original letter and pulled it together.Continue reading
Please read the SIPS response to the Draft Commercial Fishing Plan for Herring for the coming year.Continue reading
WSÁNEĆ Elder Carl Olsen has been protesting the expansion of the Malahat highway at Goldstream Provincial Park for almost two years. Come rain or shine, he’s at the park every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon with some supporters and a handful of signs saying “save the stream” and “save the salmon”. Continue reading
The next Roundtable is October 17th with the topic of Watersheds & Saanich Inlet, with presentations by various groups and individuals interested in and knowledgeable about the topic including politicians representing various levels of government.Continue reading
Vice President of SIPS Michael Simmons has drafted a letter to Misty MacDuffee & John Driscoll in regard to the continuing lack of action from the province on the Herring situation. You can read that letter here.Continue reading
The next Roundtable is October 17th with the topic of Watersheds & Saanich Inlet, with presentations by various groups and individuals interested in and knowledgeable about the topic including politicians representing various levels of government.Continue reading
In 2004 there were 22 boats moored in Brentwood Bay. Ten years later in 2014 there were 79 moored boats and today there are over 100. In 2017 Central Saanich Council approved a management plan for moorings that has never been implemented.Continue reading
Memorandum created by West Coast Environmental Law concerning the legal framework for moorings in British Columbia.Continue reading
Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen has announced he won’t be seeking re-election in October, choosing instead to spend more time with his family. Adam has always proven to be an advocate for the environment and an ally to SIPS. His presence and efforts will be missed.Continue reading
With this month's Round Table focus being on biosolids (toxic sludge) we are sharing a few resources for information on the subject. Every day 10 tons of "biosolids" are spread...Continue reading
The next Roundtable is October 17th with the topic of Watersheds & Saanich Inlet, with presentations by various groups and individuals interested in and knowledgeable about the topic including politicians representing various levels of government.Continue reading
The CRD in Victoria, BC, Canada has a long-standing and popular ban on the land application of biosolids. This is a crucial regulation that protects our local drinking water, environment and public health. Biosolids contain PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and other toxic contaminants that pose risks to our forests, farms, watersources, and human and environmental health when applied to land. Continue reading
What do we have to do to get you herring to spawn in our clean, healthy and lovely Gorge Waterway?Continue reading
Vice President of SIPS Michael Simmons has drafted a letter to Minister Nathan Cullen in regard to the continuing lack of action from the province on the Herring situation. You can read that letter here.Continue reading
Informative article and video from the Creatively United website. Take a moment to visit their site and watch the video on this important issue.Continue reading
Jim Shortreed and Briony Penn from the Herring Conservation and Restoration Society review the state of herring in the Salish Sea, and what can be done to preserve and enhance this precious resource.Continue reading
The basking shark, a fish the size of a bus, used to appear off the BC coast every spring. During the 40s the fish was declared a nuisance to commercial nets and fishing trollers. By 1970, the basking shark was virtually eradicated in BC.Continue reading
The Saanich Inlet Protection Society will be at the Saanich Inlet Round Table on Thursday, March 7, 2024. 2pm to 4pm. Itinerary will include discussion on herring, Bamberton, bio-solids and much more.Continue reading
The Saanich Inlet Protection Society and Peninsula Streams and Shorelines have commissioned a plaque in memory of Denis Coupland, to be dedicated at 10:30 AM on March 9 in Verdier Park, next to the Brentwood/Mill Bay ferry dock.Continue reading
If we are to believe the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Nathan Cullen, British Columbia is about to enter an ecological renaissance. His Draft BC Biodiversity and Ecosystem...Continue reading
The draft plan offers options to reopen areas for fisheries that are presently closed. For the Strait of Georgia, the only area presently open for commercial fisheries, options are offered to increase commercial fisheries.Continue reading
The basking shark, a fish the size of a bus, used to appear off the BC coast every spring. During the 40s the fish was declared a nuisance to commercial nets and fishing trollers. By 1970, the basking shark was virtually eradicated in BC.Continue reading
Times Colonist covers Saanich Inlet Protection Society's call for a moratorium on the herring fishery in the Strait of Georgia. SIPS is asking the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to pause it's submission on the proposed Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for herring that will be soon be finalized.Continue reading
Nini Long, the Executive Director and statutory Decision Maker for Bamberton, from the Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI), let SIPS know that she has made her decision to grant the expansion of the Bamberton Permit from 240,000 tonnes/year to 479,000 tonnes/year. Continue reading
On October 30, 2023, the Province issued an amended permit for the Bamberton quarry to the Malahat Investment Corporation. This was accompanied by a Decision Rationale of the Executive Director, Regional Operations Branch, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI).Continue reading
The Saanich Inlet Protection Society will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Sunday, November 19th, 2022. 2pm to 4pm Itineray will include Continue reading
Hundreds of derelict watercraft are in B.C. oceans and rivers, posing an ecological risk. CBC News reporter Lyndsay Duncombe meets some of the people working for change including the Saanich Inlet Protection Society.Continue reading
The Official notice from DFO notifying the public of the proposed herring plans for the Food and Bait Fishery and for the Special Use Fishery for 2023-2024 for the Strait of Georgia. The Strait of Georgia Herring fishery is the ONLY herring fishery on the BC Coast that is still open. All others are closed because of over-fishing.Continue reading
Our concern is with Area 191, Saanich Inlet, where at present no herring fishery is permitted and no herring spawn currently occurs. SIPS seeks to recreate ecological balance in Saanich Inlet by restoring the fundamental role of herring to the Inlet’s ecosystem.Continue reading
One June 27, 2023, the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) came out with its report recommending against an environmental assessment of the quarry and foreshore lease activities at Bamberton.Continue reading
The province has verified that a cumulative-effects analysis, promised by Environment Minister George Heyman, will take place but it will take time and resources to create a scope for the...Continue reading
On August 9, 2023, Eric and John had a virtual meeting with Ross McElroy concerning the application by Malahat Nation for an extension and amendment to its foreshore lease at Bamberton. Ross is Director, Authorizations, West Coast Region, Ministry of Forests.Continue reading
Photo Credit: The Bamberton foreshore and quarry site as seen from Willis Point. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST Please read or listen to the Times Colonist article regarding Saanich Inlet Protection...Continue reading
SIPS Board and Members met with EMLI (Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation) to offer suggestions and questions in the continued effort to protect the environment and eco-system...Continue reading
The Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI) is inviting the public to comment on the revised application. The public comment period will run from July 27th to...Continue reading
BC Environment Minister, George Heyman, has decided that NO Environmental Assessment (EA) will occur for the Bamberton Projects. Instead, he expects permits issued by the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry...Continue reading
Bamberton quarry expansion won't undergo environmental review. We are extremely disappointed to learn that BC Environment Minister George Herman has declined an Environmental Assessment for the Bamberton Projects. Please read SIPS response to this decision.Continue reading
Please read SIPS response to the Environmental Assessment Office regarding why the EAO’s preliminary recommendation to the Environmental Minister was flawed and why an EA (environmental assessment) on the Bamberton Project Expansion is critical.Continue reading