George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary

03/28/2026

To celebrate our reopening, I would like share some lovely audio from here at the Sanctuary. This recording was captured, edited and shared by Christopher Pavsek, a professor and filmmaker with Simon Fraser University and a long time visitor of the Sanctuary. Over the past year, Christopher has been co-coordinating with staff to capture the sounds the Sanctuary. This particular recording features an overnight soundscape from early May 2025 and provides a new perspective on the Sanctuary when no one is around.

A sound recording made at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in early May of 2025. (All recordings made with permission of the Sanctuary. All microphones placed under supervision of Sanctuary staff.) For those who miss Reifel during its current closure due to the closing of the Westham Is...

03/27/2026

Sanctuary Reopening Announcement

With the announced reopening of the Westham Island bridge for 7 PM on Saturday March 28th, we are finally able to plan for the reopening of the Sanctuary. Our official reopening date will be Tuesday March 31st at 9 AM. Like always, please remember to make a booking to guarantee a spot as we will likely be busy for the first few weeks of reopening. We are excited to finally be able to open again after these three long months and look forward to seeing you all soon!

01/24/2026

A quick update regarding the bridge closure. TransLink's most recent update estimates work may take up to several weeks to complete. Unfortunately, the Sanctuary will remain closed for the duration of the bridge closure. Below is a link to TransLink's official page for updates on the bridge status.

This webpage provides the most up-to-date information on the Westham Island Bridge, after its vehicle closure on January 20, 2026. […]

01/21/2026

Unfortunately, as many have already heard, the Westham Island bridge was struck by a barge yesterday evening. As a result, The bridge to the island is closed to all vehicle traffic until further notice. Unfortunately, because of the bridge closure and the uncertain time frame for its reopening, we have had to remove the bookings for the planned weekend reopening of the Sanctuary. Once we can be certain the public can even get onto the island, we will put booking spots back up on our website. I will be updating our page as regularly as I can during this process when I have any new information. We apologize for the inconvenience during this process.

Below is a link to the city of delta updates about the state of the bridge and the current closure.

UPDATE: 8:05 am, January 21. The Westham Island Bridge remains closed to vehicle traffic this morning, following yesterday's incident involving a marine vessel. Pedestrian crossings are being facilitated and appropriate safety measures are in place.

01/17/2026

The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary will be reopening on Saturday January 24th, 2026 for public use. Booking spots will open up on Wednesday, January 21st - three days prior to the reopening date. Book you visit at https://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com

Here are some photos to give a little glimpse into what we have been dealing with the past few weeks. Wet conditions for the first two weeks made doing repairs harder and take longer than anticipated. We appreciate everyone patience over the course of the closure.

01/04/2026

Due to recent weather events, the Sanctuary will be closed to the public for maintenance. At this time, we are not taking any booking for visits and do not have a re-opening date set. When the Sanctuary is re-opened, booking spots will become available on our website again. We apologise for the inconvenience. Check our website at https://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com for updates.

The official website of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC, Canada.

12/29/2025

We are currently experiencing issues with our phone line and are unable to receive calls at the moment. If you would like to contact the Sanctuary, please send us an email at [email protected]. Sorry for the inconvenience, we hope to have the phones working again soon!

Send a message to learn more

12/20/2025

2025 Sanctuary Holiday Hours:

Christmas Eve, December 24 - 9 am to 2 pm (last entry 1 PM)
Christmas Day, December 25 - CLOSED
Boxing Day, December 26 - 9 am to 4 pm
New Year’s Eve, December 31 - 9 am to 2 pm (last entry 1PM)
New Year’s Day, January 01 - 9 am to 4 pm

Dont forget to book your visit at www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com

11/04/2025

Remembrance Day Long Weekend Hours:

Saturday November 8: 9 AM to 4 PM
Sunday November 9: 9 AM to 4 PM
Monday November 10: Closed
Tuesday November 11: 9 AM to 4 PM

Remember to make a reservation on our website as we are always busy on long weekends.

The official website of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC, Canada.

08/31/2025

Labour Day Long Weekend Hours

Saturday August 30: 9AM - 4PM
Sunday August 31: 9AM - 4PM
Monday September 1: 9AM - 4PM
Tuesday September 2: Closed

Please remember to make a booking at www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com. Enjoy your Labour day long weekend!

The official website of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC, Canada.

07/29/2025

BC Day Long Weekend Hours
Saturday August 2: 9AM - 4PM
Sunday August 3: 9AM - 4PM
Monday August 4: 9AM - 4PM
Tuesday August 5: Closed

With good weather in the forecast, we anticipate a busy long weekend. Be sure to bring water, sunscreen, and to make a booking at

The official website of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC, Canada.

06/25/2025

Canada Day Long Weekend Hours:
Saturday June 28: 9am - 4pm
Sunday June 29: 9am - 4pm
Monday June 30: CLOSED
Tuesday July 1: 9am - 4pm

Please remember to book your visit online at www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com for the long weekend. We expect to be busy as we are every long weekend!