
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Council of
BC YaCHT CLUBS
Advocating for Recreational Boaters
About the Council of BC Yacht Clubs
In January 1956, the first meeting of interested boating clubs was held in Nanaimo. It was then formally registered as British Columbia Non Profit Society in January 1980 representing the interests of boaters from more than 50 British Columbia boating organizations. We have representation on Provincial and Federal committees to provide and receive information pertinent to our recreational interests, and collaborate with like-minded outdoor organizations in BC and Washington State. In 1990, at the request of BC Parks, we formed B.C. Marine Parks Forever Society to assist in funding land purchases to be added to the Marine Park System. We meet four times per year, alternating between the mainland and Vancouver Island.
Current Council Activities

Top Priorities
- Gambier Island Official Community Plan
- Southern Gulf Islands – Southeast Vancouver Island Advisory Group
- Pender Harbour Dock Management Plan
- Amendments to the Land Act
Search for news on these topics here:

Projects
The Council is working and supporting a variety of projects
- Water Use Licence Applications
- Transport Canada
- Navigable Waters Act
- Sewage Regulations
- Canada Shipping Act
- Canadian Hydrographic Services
- Park Host

Marine Parks Forever Society
The Marine Parks Forever Society is an all-volunteer registered non-profit founded by the Council of BC Yacht Clubs in 1990
We advocate for and financially support the creation, expansion or enhancement of BC Marine Parks.
We also execute special projects for boaters like the popular “stern-tie program”.
Recent Developments
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BC and Coastal First Nations (CFN) announce bilateral Accord
Lori Halls, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship announced today: British Columbia and the Coastal First Nations (CFN) have negotiated a new bilateral Accord, which consolidates and builds upon the parties’ 2009 Reconciliation Protocol and 2020 Memorandum of Understanding. BC and CFN will be signing this new Accord on August…
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Updates to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan Announced
The BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship provided an update to the Dock Management Plan via email: To whom it may concern, As an interested party in the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan, we are notifying you of updates to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan. Updates can be found here. Together, the…
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Southern Gulf Islanders Call for Urgent Action on Waterfront Issues
Ganges, British Columbia – August 1st , 2024 – Today, Southern Gulf Islanders for Collaborative Partnerships and Reconciliation (SGIR) called on the BC Government to take urgent action on waterfront issues in the Southern Gulf Islands. SGIR is an informal group involving 800 waterfront owners in the Southern Gulf Islands. Here is the link of…
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Waterfront Protection Coalition meets with Premier Eby and Minister Cullen on the DMP
After months of advocacy, the WPC met with Premier David Eby and Minister Nathan Cullen today, to voice the concerns of our coalition members regarding the Dock Management Plan. We discussed the fundamental issues and outlined a transparent process that we view as the best path forward. For details, see the WPC news release.
Boating News
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Salish Sea Symposium
The 2024 Salish Sea Symposium (January 23-24, 2024) is organized by Transport Canada as an event held under the Oceans Protection Plan’s Salish Sea Strategy, which aims to establish a shared level of understanding of existing work across the Salish Sea. The theme of this event is “Building on our past, advancing our future”. The two days…
Council News
Yacht Club Job Postings
Let us know if your Yacht Club has open positions – we are happy to post them here.
Council Meetings
Our next meeting is on
Saturday, September 19, 2026 /10:00 via Zoom
Our meeting schedule for 2026 is
February 28, 2026 online via Zoom
May 16, 2026 Nanaimo Yacht Club and via Zoom
September 19, 2026 online via Zoom
November 21, 2026 West Vancouver Yacht Club and via Zoom