Powell River Regional District elected officials and staff travelled to Texada Island on Thursday, August 22 for the board’s regular meeting. About 25 people attended the board meeting, held in Gillies Bay.
Colin Palmer, board chair, gave attendees an opportunity to address the board and a dozen residents took the opportunity to speak.
Many of the speakers expressed their opinion about the Caesar Cove Boat Club Society’s application to change its tenure from a 10-year licence of occupation to a 30-year lease.
Glen Walker, vice president of the society, explained the group was on a two-year extension of its 10-year licence of occupation. “The docks need several thousands of dollars worth of improvements done, but how much money do we put in not knowing where we stand,” he said.
The society would like a longer term than it currently has so it can invest more money into the infrastructure, Walker said. “We’d like a little bit more security,” he said.
Walker said the society has no problem with public access. “That’s always been open there,” he said. “I played there as a kid.”
A Texada Island resident, Angela Beaumont, brought her concerns about the tenure change to the planning committee the week before. If a 30-year lease was granted, it would include exclusive use of the foreshore.
Beaumont told the board she had collected 80 signatures on a petition that asked the provincial government to reject the society’s application for a 30-year lease and continue a 10-year licence of occupation. “We would support 30 years if they let us dip our toes in the water too and share,” she said.
Beaumont also apologized for the divisiveness the issue has created in the community. “I only wanted it to be a win-win situation, keep them going in what they’re doing and let us share in the spot. Let us put our kayaks in too.”
There was a proposed motion on the board’s agenda, but when it came up, directors voted to send it back to the planning committee for more discussion.
Another Texada resident, Tom Read, raised four issues he was concerned about. He asked the board to consider hiring local contractors to work on Regional District projects. He also asked that the regional district follow-up with BC Transit regarding the possibility of redeploying an underused paratransit bus to Texada for service during the summer months. He also asked for an update on a unsightly premises bylaw which staff have been developing and suggested that the regional district support his proposal for a community-based coal dust monitoring program and ongoing monitoring of fresh-water impacts as essential conditions to be included in Lafarge Canada Ltd. plans for coal transshipment expansion at its Texada quarry.
Residents also asked directors about progress on rebuilding the Shelter Point Regional Park concession and caretaker’s residence. Al Radke, chief administrative officer, explained the regional district was still waiting to receive a permit from the province’s archaeology branch. “We’re optimistic that we can start building this fall,” he said.
