qathet Regional District (qRD) will address correspondence regarding disrepair of the boat launch at sḵelhp (formerly Saltery Bay).
At the June 5 board meeting, Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander asked if the board could write a letter to Debbie Malthouse regarding the boat launch, outlining the responsibilities for its maintenance.
“In other situations I would probably suggest that a staff member contact them but if we have the actual letter, it may be handy to have if we have discussion with the provincial body responsible for the boat launch,” said Brander.
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said a boat launch was very much needed in that area. He said he’s had the displeasure of trying to navigate a boat around there and it is dangerous.
“Anything we can do to get support for improvement is much needed,” said Lennox.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said he concurred with Lennox.
“Also, when it comes to emergency response and management, having additional boat launches are a huge asset to the community,” said Gisborne. “There are only so many ways out. A tidbit of information I found out last year is apparently that boat launch was installed by the Powell River Rod and Gun Club way back in the day. That was when folks could get some wheelbarrows and cement, pour it in and everything was good to go.”
In her correspondence to the regional board, Malthouse asked that the regional district put some money into the improvement of the launch.
“This is the only place to launch a boat south of town,” stated Malthouse in her email. “At present, it is in very poor condition. Launching a boat there is tide sensitive and difficult with any weather as there is not even a place to tie your boat to the ramp.
“We recently tried to launch our boat there and my husband had an extremely bad fall from the deep holes that exist in the concrete.”
Brander said he had met with a representative of BC Parks at the launch site and the regional district has sent a letter in the past advocating for improvements to be made.
qRD manager of operational services Patrick Devereaux said he had contacted Malthouse and provided her the BC Parks contacts. She has contacted BC Parks already, he added.
City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said she had been wondering who had jurisdiction over the boat launch and Devereaux had answered the question.
The regional board unanimously voted to send a letter to Malthouse informing her about whose responsibility the boat launch is, that being BC Parks.
The waterbody formerly known as Saltery Bay had its shíshálh Nation name, sḵelhp, restored by the province in 2021.
Join the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
