POWELL RIVER – New Democrat MLA Nicholas Simons says that the protected area around Northeast Bay on Texada Island is being extended to cover the waters of the bay itself, a decision that was advocated for by the local community.

“Northeast Bay is very special place to people here,” said Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast. “By protecting the bay itself, we can be sure that this area will stay whole, so that future generations can experience it the same way that we can today. We owe a lot to the years of local advocacy from residents and the qathet Regional District for pushing to make this happen.”

“Protection of Northeast Bay was driven by the residents of Texada Island who value the area as a beautiful natural recreation resource,” said Sandy McCormick, the island’s director on the qathet Regional District (qRD) Board. “The bay itself is a designated site for camping and paddling on the BC Marine Trails Network. Texada residents appreciate the support of the qRD and the provincial government in protecting this important and popular site.”

The protection of the waters creates a continuous reserve area with the lands around the bay that were protected by a decision from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations in 2019. The area will operate as a public reserve under B.C.’s Land Act, which protects the area for nature conservation purposes.