I read with dismay in The Squamish Chief that the Squamish boat launch at the Yacht Club will be removed soon.
Woodfibre LNG, apparently, will not be allowing boat launch use or any other by the public at Darrell Bay for at least four years. It seems that council has no firm plans to build another boat launch, even though there has been feedback requesting this from several public members in recent surveys.
This really begs the question as to how much our council is aware of the impending need at present. In my opinion, unnecessary money has often been wasted on ventures of lesser importance in recent months.
There is little need to list them as they have often been aired in our local media
The bottom line seems to be that we will be unlikely to get a much-needed [motorized] replacement boat launch in the foreseeable future — great!
We need a survey to determine how much use our present dilapidated launch gets, especially on weekends.
Any town on the ocean or lake needs a boat-launch. I predict that many will be upset if we suddenly find that there is no such facility.
Our mayor has indicated that there have been discussions about possible ways and means regarding this whole issue.
However, philosophies change and the prioritization of budgets change. At present, there is a need to rebuild or modify the civic centre and many other buildings in town. Garibaldi at Squamish is back on the cards, and such recent initiatives as our innovative directional signs must be completed.
I am aware that there is a plan in the unspecified future to have a watercraft launch incorporated with other more sophisticated structures on the oceanfront but, alas, way down the line.
It is my understanding that there has been a survey, which very much included space for our druthers regarding the ocean front and a boat launch need was mentioned many times.
Please remember that many people in this town have invested in small boats at no small cost. I ask our council not to turn its back on the issue.
This is not a question of privilege. We really need a new facility now. There should be no gap in this service.
Go to any community up our coast of any significant size, and you will find some type of boat launch. Let us push some condos aside a bit and do it!
Dave Colwell
Garibaldi Highland
