Signage Revival for Horseshoe Bay - Ch’ax̱áy̓

Horseshoe Bay could be called a gateway to the biosphere region, at the foot of the Sea to Sky Highway and by the wharf and terminal leading to the Sunshine Coast and the islands. For this reason, we join Horseshoe Bay community groups in seeking to revive the interpretive signage that overlooks Átl'ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound and lies in the vicinity of thousands of ferry foot passengers and waterfront wanderers daily. Support our efforts to turn this tired sign into one that respectfully acknowledges indigenous territory and proudly recognizes the biosphere region. Small or large, your donations greatly help us make this project a reality.

Charitable donations can be made here to this fund.

Overlooking the waterfront at Horseshoe Bay stands a very tired and outdated interpretive sign. It desperately needs to be updated and refreshed. The sign is part of the newly revived waterfront park and lies mere steps from the foot passenger BC Ferries terminal. As far as potential audience reach goes, this sign is very definitely in a high footfall area but currently gives a bad first impression to visitors. And with the recent impressive revival of the waterfront park, this sign now stands out as a forgotten piece of an older Horseshoe Bay.

Conversations with the Horseshoe Bay Business Association, the District of West Vancouver and motivated Horseshoe Bay individuals have shown there is agreement that the sign would be an opportune place to acknowledge and honour the UNESCO designation of the biosphere region and a chance to engage people on the significance and beauty of the terrestrial and marine realms nearby.

In 2022, we began the process of establishing commemorative and interpretive signage in collaboration with BC Parks, regional districts and municipalities. Visitors to coastlines at Furry Creek and the Marine Provincial Parks at Halkett Bay, Plumper Cove and Porteau Cove can now learn about the biosphere region. In 2023, we also developed a set of communication themes for the work we do in encouraging people to care about their role in nurturing the biodiversity that nurtures us.

We believe that Horseshoe Bay is a key location for raising awareness of the biosphere and are therefore seeking to raise the funds to have a professionally developed and fabricated sign to take pride of place at this popular lookout. We would bring our existing thematic lens to the development of signage at Horseshoe Bay along with best practices, guided by a team with decades of experience in this field.

Help us turn this small, but undeniable eyesore into a celebration of this incredible region we call home. Donate today to our charitable fund. Tax receipts will be issued automatically by Canada Helps.