Two dozen Squamish residents asked MP Blair Wilson to help remove federal roadblocks in dealing with local transportation issues, including the dredging of the Mamquam Blind Channel, during a town hall meeting in District of Squamish council chambers Tuesday (July 10).
The level of silt in the Mamquam Blind Channel, which is in federal jurisdiction, is severely hindering boat traffic, they said, and the problem will only get worse unless the federal government acts on it.
"What's happening is our channel is filling in," said Bill Ingraham.
"A previous administration had a program in place that would have dredged our channel, but the present administration doesn't seem to have it as a priority," he said.
"At low tide it's impenetrable by pleasure craft, work craft, and so on."
The current state of the channel is having a negative impact on the local economy, because commercial and pleasure craft cannot safely access Squamish's harbour.
"Could you please...tell us how we can facilitate the dredging of our channel?" said Ingraham.
"This has been dragging on since the 80s, which is nonsense," added Nelson Winterburn.
Wilson promised to look into getting the channel dredged when he returns to Parliament.
"It's a point that is seriously well taken, and I will definitely look into it and see what I can do," said Wilson.
The project would cost approximately $1 million.
However, that price could be partially offset by using the dredged out silt in diking projects.
"We have tried to urge the federal government to allow local municipalities to manage the river gravel," said acting mayor Corinne Lonsdale.
"Whenever we are working on diking or dredging issues we keep running into these federal roadblocks.
"We need authority over our own rivers and waterways so that this stuff can be moved ahead."Wilson agreed to investigate what funding would be available from the federal government to assist with the project.
The town hall meeting was the first in a series of 10 that Wilson is hosting across the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding.
Each meeting focuses on a different local issue with transportation being the topic in Squamish.
