Squamish needs a marine strategy, even if ships sailing to the proposed Howe Sound liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility never become a reality, says a former harbour master.
For years Tom Bruusgaard has called for the District of Squamish to complete a marine strategy. As the community's waters get busier, it becomes more imperative, he said.
"This has to be done," Bruusgaard said.
Pacific Energy Corp.'s proposal to transport approximately 1.5 million tonnes of LNG from the former Woodfibre site would add three to four ships to the sound per month, company president Ratnesh Bedi told The Chief earlier this month.
Even then, shipping activity at the northern end of Howe Sound would be less intense than it was when Woodfibre was operating. Combined, Woodfibre and Squamish Terminals handled about 200 ships per year, Bruusgaard said.
Howe Sound is an easy and deep waterway to navigate, he noted. What poses future challenges is the increased number of small crafts and recreational activities, Bruusgaard said.
"As time goes on we will see more and more small craft traffic," Bruusgaard said, adding the District of Squamish and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District need to set out guidelines to properly deal with the issue.
Squamish Terminals sees upward of 100 vessels a year, a figure that has decreased due to the growth of vessels' sizes, company spokesperson Kim Stegeman said. There are many components that fit into Squamish's waterfront, she said. Terminal officials support the idea of a marine strategy, she said.
Almost a decade ago, people steering the Squamish Oceanfront highlighted the inevitable growth of the community's marine activity, former oceanfront chairman Larry Murray said. Research demonstrated an a significant pent-up need for marine services in Squamish, he said, adding there were no moorings for sail and power boats and no landing areas for other types of crafts.
While some of these services still don't exist, the waterway is only more crowded with further growth on the horizon, Murray said, noting the China-based Taicheng Development Corp. multi-use development proposal for South Britannia is proposing to develop that waterfront.
District officials have heard stakeholders' cries. Staff have begun work on a marine strategy, municipal spokesperson Christina Moore wrote in an email to The Chief. The first phase is 70 to 75 per cent complete.
Currently the strategy is in front of council as part of the 2013 budget deliberations to confirm funding to finish the initial step and develop Phase 2, Moore stated. Budget discussions are ongoing.
The geographic boundaries of the marine strategy have not been formally defined, Robin Arthurs, the district's corporate services general manager, wrote in an email to The Chief. As the district looks at all aspects of the marine environment and its impact on Squamish, officials expect to look at the part of Howe Sound within the Squamish boundary as part of that study, she wrote.
