If you live in a tidal or freshwater marine community, listen up.

Various BC governments provincially and regionally are limiting or banning your access to docks or marinas,
which are lifelines for emergency evacuations, tourism businesses, plus convenient transportation
of goods & services in rural communities.
Ownership structure is also being changed unilaterally and will likely be a template
for all communities with water access.
Read this blog post below or click the
Learn More button for a pdf version.

TAKE ACTION: Please share on social media, websites & email. Send a message to governments.

From Ancient Pompeii to Rural British Columbia (BC),
Boat Docks Are Lifelines

 So Why Are Our Governments Banning Them?

What do the famous, catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Year 79 that killed thousands of people in the ancient Roman empire city of Pompeii, the tragic BC Queen of the North ferry sinking and the recent Maui island wildfires have in common?

Their only hope of quick rescue was by boat.⛴️🛥️

From a University of San Diego translation of Roman historian Pliny the Younger’s first-hand account of the volcanic eruption:“Just as he was leaving the house, he was handed a message from Rectina, the wife of Tascus, whose home was at the foot of the mountain, and had no way of escape except by boat. She was terrified by the threatening danger and begged him to rescue her. He changed plan at once …. and ordered the large galleys (ships) to be launched and set sail.”

Unfortunately, the boats came too late as people who perished were trapped between the“volcano’s wrath and the sea” on the beaches of the Gulf of Naples (Italy), adds a science journal.  Their remains were mummified in falling volcanic ash (pictured).

Closer to home, a possibly little-known fact is that BC and the Yukon are home to all of Canada’s active volcanoes according to Natural Resources Canada.

While scientists advise the last eruption was 150 years ago, they also say future events should be expected anytime.

However, BC has seen other more recent emergencies where boaters proved to be heroes.

Fast forward to this century, in Hartley Bay, BC, where Gitga'at First Nation members immediately launched their boats around midnight to rescue passengers as the BC ferry issued a distress call before it sunk on March 22, 2006, 135 kilometers south of Prince Rupert. Two people died while 99 survived thanks to the quick efforts of these local residents, netting a Community Achievement Award from the B.C. Achievement Foundation.

Last year, during the Maui wildfires of August 2023 that destroyed Lahaina and other areas, killing over a hundred people, survivor John Singer told ABC News … he saved himself by running toward the ocean and jumping into the water.  

"I ran with a lot of heat on my back. I ran to the ocean," he said. After escaping the inferno, he looked back at his home. "Devastation - everything gone. There's just nothing left."  

Boat captains chronicled the “harrowing”ocean rescues of Maui survivors for CBS news.

Here in BC, fleeing to the icy ocean temperatures means you wouldn’t survive long before hypothermia kicks in, just under 60 minutes.  

Even recent Kelowna fires saw people jump into the warmer Okanagan Lake to flee flames, profiled in Newsweek.

Just this summer, July 2024, in Ruggles Bay on Sakinaw Lake, boat owners and local residents came together to fight a cabin fire that broke out. Boats and docks were critical for pumps to help prevent it from spreading to other homes, according to the swiya Lakes Stewardship Alliance (sLSA) “Today our strong lake community pulled together and helped to operate the many pumps that arrived at the fire.  Sadly, the Stapleton’s home is a total loss. Thanks to those who ran lines, tended pumps and worked with our local volunteer fire departments. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the residence.”

Photographs show docks, boathouses & barges, were needed to accommodate people, pumps, hoses, gas & supplies.

As we know only too well, BC’s rural regions are prone to wildfires. During such crises, docks provide a safe, alternative evacuation route for residents when scarce roadways could be obstructed by fire.

But marina docks are more than just a safe evacuation point—they’re lifelines for tourism, medical emergencies, provisioning or even school transportation by boat.

TOURISM ECONOMY
Tourism in BC’s remote regions is an economic driver, with adventurers and explorers drawn to serene waters or hidden coves. Picture a pristine bay with crystal-clear waters where docks offer essential access for recreational boaters, kayakers, and cruisers. They’re bridges that connect tourists to unforgettable experiences and local businesses to a thriving customer base.

ESSENTIAL TRANSPORTATION
Boating is not only a leisure activity but also a crucial means of transportation in many rural communities. For residents who live in areas where roads are few and far between, boats are often the primary mode of travel to get groceries, take children to school, receive building materials or retail supply stock and more. Reliable marina docks ensure that these communities remain connected and can carry out daily activities and commerce efficiently.

MEDICAL EVACUATION
Medical emergencies can turn a serene landscape into a race against time. When every second matters, docks can accommodate BC marine ambulance pickups or delivery of urgent medical supplies—saving lives and providing rapid care.


PLANS LACK FAIR PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Instead of providing a grassroots informed plan that accommodates dock renewal and expansion for all of the above reasons, our various levels of government in BC are going in the opposite direction.

Having failed multiple independent governance reviews, and being labeled “dysfunctional”, the Gulf Islands Trust  (regional government) nevertheless has banned any new docks from being built, and prohibits desalination in an area that suffers from chronic freshwater shortages.

You can read a Gulf Islands’ water engineer’s analysis of this shortsighted ban here.

A provincially owned marina in Ladysmith, saw an ownership transfer deal made with First Nations that evicted an existing long-term marina operator/tenant of 37 years.

A subsequent court challenge by the marina operator was unsuccessful.

“Throughout 2023, the marina was a pressing topic in town as the society held town hall meetings, a protest, and community talks with the goal of continuing operations at the marina, which was owned by the province, leased to the Town of Ladysmith, and was scheduled to be sub-leased to the (Ladysmith Maritime) Society until 2029 before Stz’uminus First Nation and the province signed a reconciliation agreement to transfer the title of the water lot,” per the Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle.

Without proper consultation, the B.C. government has also decided “to invest the Shíshálh (Sechelt) First Nation with co-management powers over dock tenures on
the Sunshine Coast.”

UNCERTAINTY FOR
HOMES & BUSINESSES

These sudden changes are creating much uncertainty about future expansion of desperately needed docks and renewals of existing dock tenures for residents or businesses in both tidal and freshwater marine environments, from Skaha lake to Sidney to Keats and the Gulf Islands and Christina Lake, BC.

Ask yourself, how will you flee a remote tidal or freshwater community in a wildfire or other natural disaster?

MORE TRANSPARENCY

Calling for a more transparent public process is the Waterfront Protection Coalition, (WPC) a group of BC volunteers & organizations affected by policies and legislation impacting tidal and freshwater communities. They are advocating for fairer consultation around BC government’s proposed Dock Management Plan (DMP), amendments to the Land Act and Riparian and Shoreline Protection Bylaw Amendments in the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).

The WPC claims the proposed (DMP) among other land / water access policies are not workable for thousands of individual homeowners and small businesses who are trying to secure dock tenure renewals or approvals today. You may view their letter to the Sunshine Coast Regional District. Further information can be found at https://www.scrd.ca/public-hearing.

Your public pressure efforts are working. On Aug.1/24, the BC Government said they’ll do further consultation on shared access to our waterways.

KEY ISSUES

  • Inadequate public notice or consultation,

  • Increase of waterfront setbacks & diminished land usage,

  • Preventing safe access to the waterfront,

  • Limiting the ability for docks and structures to be attached to land,

  • Creation of buffer zones prohibiting installation of gravel, pavers, patios, decks, structures etc. within up to 35 meters from the water,

  • Limiting the ability to alter or expand an existing structure, which would be made non-conforming, with the proposed changes

  • Impact on property values

GET INVOLVED

Email Your Municipal, Regional & Provincial Governments. Template letter to help. Contacts below.

Contact Local Media To Share Impacts

Share/Post On Your Social Media, website

Join Our Newsletter Mailing List To Stay Apprised.

View some helpful videos here:

Visit Waterfront Protection Organization for more info.

GOVERNMENT CONTACTS:
BC MLAs: https://www.leg.bc.ca/contact-us

Islands Trust: https://islandstrust.bc.ca/contact-us/contact-trustees/

Sunshine Coast Regional District: https://www.scrd.ca/electoral-areas-and-municipalities/

Capital Regional District:  https://www.crd.bc.ca/about/board-committees/board-of-directors

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