Business on the Sunshine Coast

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES DIRECTORY

Search the Bigpacific directory for businesses operating in or serving the Sunshine Coast. For Tourism listings, Shopping & Retail, or Government Services please see the main directory. This is a new section, so please be patient while we continue to add new businesses as fast as we can get them entered!

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SUNSHINE COAST BUSINESS RESOURCES

Sechelt Chamber of Commerce
Business Information Centre, discount programs, brochure racking etc.
604-885-1036

Sechelt Downtown Business Association
Box 1226
Sechelt, BC
V0N 3A0
Tel: 885-9611
Fax: 885-2733

Gibsons Chamber of Commerce
Business Information Centre, discount programs, brochure racking etc.
Phone: 1-604-886-2325
Fax: 1-604-886-2379
Email: gibsonschamber@dccnet.com

Pender Harbour & Egmont Chamber of Commerce
Box 265
Madeira Park, BC
V0N 2H0
Tel: 883-9019

Community Futures Development Corporation - Sunshine Coast
604-885-1959
CFDC-SC offers financial and technical assistance to new and existing businesses, participates and/or facilitatse regional economic development, helps facilitate cooperative community initiatives, and initiates research projects to identify employee training and educational needs.

Sunshine Coast Community Employment Centre
The Sunshine Coast Community Employment Service is a free, federally (local HRDC) and provincially funded employment support service for Canadian residents on the Sunshine Coast. Located at 5600 Highway 101, Sechelt (across the street from "McDonald's") in the New Century Building.
Phone # (604)885-7443 and
Fax # (604)885-7493

District of Sechelt
Box 129
5797 Cowrie St.
Sechelt, BC
V0N 3A0
Tel: 885-1986
Fax: 885-7591

Town of Gibsons
Box 340,
474 S. Fletcher Rd.
Gibsons, BC
V0N 1V0
Tel: 886-2274
Fax: 886-9735

Sunshine Coast Regional District
Box 800
5477 Wharf Rd
Sechelt, BC
V0N 3A0
Tel: 885-2261
Fax: 885-7090

Sechelt Indian Government District
Box 740
5555 Sunshine Coast Highway
Sechelt, BC
V0N 3A0
Tel: 885-2273
Fax: 885-3490

Community Resource Centre
Box 1443,
5645 Wharf Street
Sechelt, BC
V0N 3A0
Tel: 885-4088
email: resourcecentre@dccnet.com
The centre offers computer/internet access, meeting space, support services, information/referral, library, legal clinics, community volunteer income tax program, networking and mentoring and referral service.

BC Government Agents Branch
P.O. Box 950,
Sechelt
#102 - 5710 Teredo Street
Sechelt,
B.C.VON 3A0
Tel: 885-5187
Fax: 885-3710
Toll Free: 1-800-663-7867 (Enquiry BC)
Front line to Provincial Government Services including provincial payments, various data base searches, and statutory appointments.

ECONOMIC SECTORS
Information courtesy of the District of Sechelt

FORESTRY AND FOREST PRODUCT INDUSTRIES

Forestry is a primary industry on the Sunshine Coast and has been instrumental in the development of the region.

Although logging and other related employment take place outside of the Municipality, Sechelt's economy is directly affected, by spin-off employment in related secondary and service industries.

The Ministry of Forests assists in providing opportunities for individuals and firms to acquire timber to support new businesses or existing operations.

Through the Small Business Forest Enterprise Program (SBFEP) over $8,254,85.009 worth of timber value was awarded in 1998-1999. Timber rights are granted on a competition based on stumpage and awarded to the highest bidder.

Logging

The Sunshine Coast is one of eight Timber Supply Areas (TSA's) in the Vancouver Forest Region. The Sunshine Coast Forest District covers an area approximately the same size as Northern Ireland or three times the area of Prince Edward Island.

Main areas of harvesting are located in: West Sechelt, Sechelt Inlet, Salmon Inlet, Howe Sound, Pender Harbour, Egmont, and Jervis Inlet.
Main species: Western Hemlock, Douglas Fir, and Western Red Cedar.
Specialty forest products include: Pulp, newsprint, lumber, timbers, house components/custom logs, utility poles, shakes, shingles and firewood.
Major companies include: International Forest Products (INTERFOR), Terminal Forest Products, Canadian Forest Products (CANFOR), and numerous businesses involved in the Small Business Forest Enterprise Program (SBFEP).
Annual Allowable Cut for the Sunshine Coast: 1998 - 1,140,000 m3

Pulp & Paper
Located in Port Mellon is the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Ltd. (HSPP) facility, orginally built in 1908 by H. A. Mellon. Highlights of this facility include:

620 employees.
Owned equally by Canfor and Oji Paper of Japan.
Japan is the primary market for HSPP newsprint.
Asia & Europe are the primary market for HSPP Kraft.
In 1990/92, a $1.3 billion modernization and expansion of operating facilities enabled the production of newsprint, in addition to improved environmental technology and production capacity.
Produces 570 tonnes of newsprint and 950 tonnes of market craft pulp per day (1997).

Sawmills & Forest Product Processing
Bayside Sawmills Ltd. is a family owned business, which has been in Port Mellon since 1982. With 125 employees, Bayside is one of the larger scale operations on the Sunshine Coast. Bayside produces specialty lumber products for Japan, the United States, Canada, and European & Asian countries. Since Bayside does not hold any tenure, most of the fibre supply is purchased from the open market. In 1999 approximately five percent of the fibre supply was harvested on the Sunshine Coast. Additional local wood manufacturing includes; housing components (custom) logs, shakes, shingles, and furniture.

MINING

In the early twentieth century, Thomas Ralph Nickson possessed a significant granite mining operation in West Sechelt. Today, Sechelt is home to the largest open pit mine and gravel mine operation in North America. Opened by Construction Aggregates Ltd. (CAL) in 1989, the mine is located on the Sechelt Indian Band lands and is expected to extract material for a 50 year span.Existing quarries for similar materials are located along the east side of Porpoise Bay, and are still in use, reflecting the high value of this deposit.

Other mined materials include dimension stone, a natural rock that has been quarried and shaped to meet specific requirements. Two types of stone are extracted from northwest Sechelt, black granite and granodiorite. Other significant materials available include; Calcium Carbonate, Dolomite, Garnet, and Wollastonite (a substitute for Asbestos).

MARINE ECONOMY

Aquaculture Shellfish
The Sechelt area is home to a number of shellfish production and processing operations, taking advantage of the sheltered waters of Sechelt Inlet and the close proximity to the Lower Mainland. The primary shellfish species harvested are oysters and clams, which are destined for markets in the USA, Canada, and Asia. The industry has long-term potential to become a $100 million dollar industry in British Columbia by 2006. In 1993 and 1995, manila clam and oyster production increased 45% and 28%, respectively

Finfish
In 1997, the wholesale value of production from the B.C. salmon farming industry was $227 million. Sechelt Inlet is home to Target Marine Hatcheries near Grey Creek. Production includes food stock and smolt for commercial use/sale. This facility employed ten full-time and six seasonal workers in 1999. Species of fish include Coho, Chinook, Atlantic salmon and Sturgeon.

Fish Hatcheries and Stream Rehabilitiation
Sunshine Coast Salmon Enhancement Society
Located along Chapman Creek, the society releases fish in both Chapman Creek and Sechelt Inlet. With a staff of volunteers, and one full-time and one part-time employee, between 700,000 - 800,000 Sea-run Cutthroat, Steelhead, Coho, Chinook, Pink and Chum are released each year.

Sechelt Indian Band (SIB) Hatchery
Located in MacClean Bay / Shannon Creek, the SIB hatchery had two full-time employees in 1999. Approximately 100,000 (total) Chinook, Coho, Chum or Pink salmon are released each year.

Boat Moorage
Safe moorage in Sechelt can be found in Porpoise Bay and behind the Sechelt breakwater in Selma Park. Moorage at the government wharf in Porpoise Bay offers 186 metres of moorage space.

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture in early Sechelt was limited to the family operations of Herbert Whitaker and Jiro Konishi, who each farmed fruits and vegetables for the local market. Today there are several different farming operations, such as vegetable, tree fruit, beef, and specialty farms.

There is close to 600 hectares of land within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) designation, mostly concentrated in West Sechelt and Wilson Creek areas

MANUFACTURING

Construction
The second largest industry in terms of employment in Sechelt is construction, providing nearly 11% of employment within the local economy. This industry includes the following trades: architects and designers, surveyors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, roofers, painters, and landscaping and paving.

Miscellaneous Manufacturing
The artisan community in Sechelt produces crafts and jewelry, fashion clothing, and other clothing items such as footwear, which is sold locally and to wholesalers for distribution. In addition, local artists display their art through local galleries and craft fairs.

TOURISM

Since the early 1900�s, visitors have come to the Sunshine Coast for holidays, creating Sechelt�s early reputation as a tourist destination that continues to this day. Surrounded by ocean, Sechelt provides access to the Strait of Georgia and Sechelt Inlet, gateway to the popular sailing destinations of Jervis Inlet and Princess Louisa Inlet. The local mountains provide numerous opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and backcountry snowsport activities.

Tourism and visitor information is provided at the Sechelt Visitor Information Centre (SVIC), Sunshine Coast Community Services. Visitors can also find additional information about Sechelt and the Sunshine Coast on the Internet. (Refer to Information Sources section for more information).

Tourism Statistics
(2005) Over 40% of visitors to Sechelt were from British Columbia. The Summer season (June-August) accounted for 56% of all tourist visits to Sechelt for the year. Approximately 57% of visitors remained in Sechelt for 1-3 days.

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Business on the Sunshine Coast

BUSINESS ON THE SUNSHINE COAST

WHERE TO STAY

WHAT TO DO

DINING

ABOUT THE COAST

TRAVEL EXTRAS

CONVENTIONS/ GROUP TRAVEL

CONTACT US

SEARCH/HELP

ADVERTISE ON THIS SITE

Business on the Sunshine Coast

BUSINESS ON THE
SUNSHINE COAST

CONVENTIONS/
GROUP TRAVEL