The original Village of Sechelt was incorporated on February 15, 1956. Sechelt later expanded its boundaries in 1986 with the inclusion of a number of adjacent unincorporated areas. The District of Sechelt, as it is known today, encompasses some 39.71 km² (15.33 sq mi) at the isthmus of the Sechelt Peninsula, between the southern tip of Sechelt Inlet (Porpoise Bay) and the Strait of Georgia that separates the provincial mainland from Vancouver Island.
Sechelt is a seaside community with approx. 35 kilometers (20 miles) of Pacific Ocean shoreline that extends primarily along the coastline of the Sunshine Coast, and is bounded to the west and east by the unincorporated communities of Halfmoon Bay and Roberts Creek, respectively. The 2016 Canadian census placed its population at 10,200. The regional offices of the Sunshine Coast Regional District of British Columbia are located in Sechelt.
Although its population is relatively small for its geographical area, Sechelt has several distinct neighbourhoods. From east to west, they are ts'uḵw'um (Wilson Creek), Davis Bay, Selma Park, the original Village of Sechelt, and West Sechelt. Several neighbourhoods around Sechelt Inlet were also included in Sechelt's 1986 incorporation as a district; these include West Porpoise Bay, East Porpoise Bay, Sandy Hook, Tillicum Bay and Tuwanek. The shíshálh Nation Government District, which contains a substantial commercial district, is immediately east of Sechelt's "downtown" village.
History
The original inhabitants of Sechelt are the shíshálh Nation, a British Columbian First Nation.[4] The town of Sechelt is known as "ch'atlich" in she shashishalhem (the shíshálh language).[5] For thousands of years, the shíshálh People practiced a hunting and gathering subsistence strategy, making extensive use of the natural food resources located around ch'atlich, and its strategic location for access into the Sechelt Inlet.[6]
Europeans began settling in the ch'atlich area in the 1860s and by the 1880s, developing an active centre of the logging and fishing industries with the construction of sawmills and wharves. With sustained contact with European settlers, the shíshálh People's semi-nomadic way of life began to be substituted for a more sedentary life in Sechelt, a change heavily influenced by the establishment of a Roman Catholic church by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.[4] Our Lady of the Rosary was completed in 1890 and cost the Sechelt people a sum of $8,000 to construct.[7] In 1906, this church was destroyed in a fire, and a year later another church was erected in its place called Our Lady of Lourdes but this too was also destroyed by fire in October, 1970.[8]
The natural beauty of the Sunshine Coast soon attracted tourists, who arrived at the wharves at Trail Bay via steamship. The construction of the original provincial highway in 1952, Highway 101, now also known as Sunshine Coast Highway, and the accompanying commencement of ferry service to Horseshoe Bay (near Vancouver) and Powell River (hence to Vancouver Island) accelerated tourism and residential growth, which continues today.
In 2019, the Seawatch subdivision was evacuated due to a risk of sinkholes. The subdivision was built in 2006 and covenants were placed on the land to release Sechelt from claims relating to the land, including sinkholes. Since the evacuation, multiple lawsuits have been filed between the 14 homeowners, Sechelt, the province of British Columbia, and the property developer over issues including an unnecessarily long state of emergency (awards granted to 2 residents),[9] Sechelt's claim that residents have an obligation to repair infrastructure and pay legal fees (ongoing),[10] Sechelt's withholding of documents (set of documents released to resident),[11] covenants on the properties (deemed valid),[12] and Sechelt's approval of the subdivision (negligence not found).[13][14]
Geography
Sechelt is a municipality on the Sunshine Coast, west northwest of Vancouver BC. Sechelt is located on an isthmus, a narrow strip of land that bridges between the Sechelt Peninsula and the BC mainland. This isthmus is bounded on the north by the Sechelt Inlet, and on the south by the Strait of Georgia.
Sechelt's climate is Cfb (Temperate Oceanic) according to the Köppen climate classification, and is designated as USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9a (8b inland) by Environment Canada.[15] It has the warmest nights in Canada.
Climate data for Merry Island Lightstation (1981-2010 normals, extremes 1960-present)[a]
^1981–2010 normals are for Merry Island Lightstation, while extreme high and low temperatures are from Sechelt Aut (August 2007 to present),[16] and Merry Island Lightstation (February 1960 to present).[17]
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sechelt had a population of 10,847 living in 5,128 of its 5,738 total private dwellings, a change of 6.2% from its 2016 population of 10,216. With a land area of 39.02 km2 (15.07 sq mi), it had a population density of 278.0/km2 (720.0/sq mi) in 2021.[27]
Ethnicity
Panethnic groups in the District of Sechelt (2001−2021)
The village itself, the original locus of Sechelt, includes Clayton's Heritage Market (a grocery store named after its pioneering family owners) in Trail Bay Mall. A new public library with municipal hall opened in 1997, and a combined provincial courthouse and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) building, and a public recreation aquatic centre serving Sechelt and the surrounding area, have also been completed since that time.
Sechelt airport, presently a small regional aerodrome, a few kilometres (miles) east of the downtown village in the ts'uḵw'um (Wilson Creek) neighbourhood
Davis Bay, with a public seawall walk, wharf, and lands for a public waterfront park, presently known as Mission Point Park
Sechelt Quarry, operated by Heidelberg Materials, one of the largest open-pit gravel quarries in North America.
Recreation and tourism
Like other parts of the Sunshine Coast, Sechelt is known for its natural beauty, and is a popular destination for outdoor activities that include kayaking, diving, snowshoeing and skiing, hiking and backpacking, camping and mountain biking. There is an 18-hole public golf course, and a number of small marinas are available around Sechelt Inlet. Sechelt has several municipal parks, and larger provincial parks are nearby.
Auto enthusiasts come from around the Pacific Northwest for Sechelt's annual Sleepy Hollow Rod Run, and the "Show and Shine" held in conjunction with the August drag races at Sechelt Airport.
Notable parks and conservation areas
Hidden Groves
The Hidden Groves area[33] of old growth forest adjoins the Sandy Hook neighbourhood, 6 km (4 miles) from downtown Sechelt and 2 km (1¼ miles) from Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. It has trails for walkers and hikers of various abilities, from easy walks of around 15 minutes to more strenuous treks of 3 or 4 kilometres (about 2 miles). A wheelchair-accessible trail of 480 metres (525 yards) into the Ancient Grove area is also suitable for people with walkers, strollers, and those not so fit. A second 400-metre (yard) accessibility trail loops from the entrance kiosk through pristine forest and back.
The entrance kiosk features a large map of the trails. All trails are well-marked and maintained. There are signs at all intersections with directions, maps and guides.
The Groves includes giant ancient trees, maple wetland, and rocky promontories with views of Vancouver Island and Sechelt Inlet. There is parking at the entrance to the trails. It is a legal off-leash area for dogs.
The Sechelt Heritage Forest portion of the Groves is a protected interpretive forest as designated by the Province. Hidden Grove is currently part of the BC Forest and under a special tenure to the Sechelt Community Forest, which has declared the Grove a special high-priority recreational area and mandated it shall not be logged. Volunteers provide daily maintenance.
Porpoise Bay Provincial Park
Porpoise Bay Provincial Park is some 4 km (2½ miles) north of downtown Sechelt, on the east side of Sechelt Inlet. It is characterized by second-growth forest, open grassy areas and sandy beaches.
