Lions Bay, British Columbia

Lions Bay is a village located north of Vancouver, British Columbia, on Highway 99.

Demographics

According to the Canada 2006 Census, there are 1328 people living in Lions Bay, 552 private dwellings. The population national rank is 772.

Location

Lions Bay is located roughly between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish. Due to the steep topography of the area, many of the homes are site-specific constructions providing the village with interesting and varied architectural styles. It is the northern-most municipality in Metro Vancouver.

There is only one store, which features a coffee shop, a postal office, an art gallery, and a little grocery department. Also, the town features a fairly large marina with a launch ramp adjacent to the town swimming beach. The world championship free diving competition was held just off-shore in 2004, sponsored by AIDA International [http://www.aida-international.org] .

Community Programs take place in the municipal town hall. One can find dancing classes, floor hockey, and kids programs there. It was also the site of the provincial election that was held on May 17, 2005.

The village of Lions Bay has an emergency building which houses a volunteer Fire Department, ambulance station and search and rescue team.

Lions Bay Search and Rescue Team

The [http://www.lbsar.com/ Lions Bay Search and Rescue] team was established in the early 1980's following a series of landslides which caused a number of deaths and briefly cut-off the highway thereby isolating the Village. Although initially set up to provide the Village with a measure of self sufficiency in times of emergency, the Search and Rescue team developed over time into a primarily mountain rescue group. The proximity of the twin peaks known locally as The Lions attracts large numbers of hikers and climbers. As the Lions are prominently visible from Vancouver, hiking into that area has grown in popularity over recent years. The hiking trails in the area of the Lions are rough and demanding (a hike from Lions Bay to the top of the west Lion involves an elevation gain of 1500 metres and 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. This has necessitated the development of Lions Bay Search and Rescue as a volunteer mountain rescue group in association with the Provincial Emergency Program.

Description

For grocery shopping needs beyond the small local store, one has to drive about 15 minutes south on Highway 99, also known as the "The Sea to Sky Highway" to the Caulfield Shopping Center. There are no gas stations in Lions Bay, the closest being located in Squamish to the north, and in the Westmount area in West Vancouver to the south. Driving time to downtown Vancouver is roughly 30 minutes, but can vary depending on traffic.

Notable people

The artist and illustrator Michael Tickner, singer/song writer Colin James and cultural writer and officer of the Order of Canada, Max Wyman, all live in Lions Bay. Max Wyman was elected Mayor of Lions Bay in 2005. Christopher Bamford, a professional horse jockey.

GVRD

The village council is investigating the possibility of withdrawing from the Greater Vancouver Regional District and joining the Squamish-Lilloet Regional District. No formal proposal has yet been considered. [http://www.lionsbay.citymax.com/page/page/2817119.htm]

External links

* [http://www.lionsbay.citymax.com Village of Lions Bay]
* [http://www.lionsbaybc.com Lions Bay BC.com]
* [http://www.telemark.net/%7Erandallg/photos/20020609_lillooet/images/023.jpgAerial view of Lions Bay and The Lions]

urrounding Municipalities

Canadian City Geographic Location (8-way)
Northwest =
North = Squamish
Northeast =
West = "Howe Sound"
Centre = Lions Bay
East = "North Shore Mountains"
Southwest = Bowen Island
"(via [http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/biva-current.html ferry] from West Vancouver)"
South = West Vancouver
Southeast =