A proposal for a mostly megayacht marina in Victoria, British Columbia is facing opposition that should heat up this week.
Victoria International Marina, the development at the center of the controversy, is the subject of a public information session tomorrow. The Victoria Harbour Defence Alliance, an organization opposed to its creation, is hosting the meeting. The marina intends to have 54 slips for yachts from 65 to 135 feet LOA, with most serving 80-foot-plus vessels. It additionally plans a yacht club, a coffee house, a restaurant, and an educational kiosk from the International SeaKeepers Society. This kiosk will educate visitors through videos and other media about the health of the ocean.
Canadian, British Columbian, and Victoria government officials set the property aside for marina development many years ago. However, opponents say a true public hearing hasn’t occurred. According to local newspaper reports, they additionally claim Victoria International Marina poses safety problems for kayakers and seaplanes. Both frequent the area. The South Island Sea Kayakers Association, for example, says that a private lease of the lots breaches the public’s common law rights. It asserts the same breach of Victoria’s own laws. Some performance paddlers further claim that yachts could impede the route that kayakers would need to follow through the marina. The waters would also be too choppy and too narrow for some of their craft. In addition, they say, an alternate route between the marina and the seaplane landing strip, suggested by Community Marine Concepts Group, the developer, doesn’t leave room for error.
Community Marine Concepts Group’s vice president, Bob Evans, asserts that waves will increase by only one or two centimeters. His company also plans to create a landing dock for kayakers near the coffee house and provide kayak storage. The Westbay Performance Paddling Club, The Greater Victoria Marine Air Safety Society, and other aviation organizations all reportedly support the overall plan. Finally, Evans says public hearings did indeed occur for the original proposal.
Transport Canada, the federal office charged with assessing the project’s potential impact on the harbor and vessel safety, indicated earlier this month that it would hold a public hearing. It has yet to announce a date. It may be soon, though. The Minister of Agriculture and Lands, which owns the harbor, anticipates announcing by mid- to late summer whether it will lease the waterfront to the developer. Community Marine Concepts Group also needs a development permit from the city of Victoria.
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