Saying 撸奶社区needs a new boat ramp is beating a dead horse(power engine).
But good grief, even Williams Lake — that Interior town with no ocean — has a really nice, municipal-run boat ramp at Scout Island.
It has a large parking lot.
“We get numerous boats out there at different times of the year. Sometimes it’s pretty crowded down there,” Williams Lake’s Rob Warnock, director of municipal services, told The 撸奶社区.
“We had to make a spot for trucks and trailers to park because ... sometimes it can be packed. There’ll be eight trucks and trailers in there.”
The municipalityfor boaters as part of an “ongoing city initiative to create a fully-accessible boat launch for residents and visitors alike.”
Well, that makes Squamish’s dilapidated boat launch situation more than a little embarrassing.
Of course, locals have called for a new or improved boat ramp for many years.
But often money, rather than wishes, is the best motivator, unfortunately.
So, let’s talk money for Squamish.
The boating industry is booming.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada report for 2019
The report also notes that recreational boating adds $5.6 billion to Canada’s GDP, with over $10 billion in revenue.
Boaters spend $1.4 billion annually on boating trips.
show that Canada has over 247,000 kilometres of coastline, more than any other country in the world.
And many of us live near the ocean.
In 2016, 4.8 million Canadians lived within 10 kilometres or less of the Pacific, Arctic or Atlantic coasts.
Folks want to explore the coast, and so we could become even more a part of that exploration, but in a way that doesn’t clog up the highway.
Imagine if sustainable boating became how many tourists arrived, rather than by car or RV?
If we build it, they will come, in other words.
The local political will seems to be there.
Council and the District are onside, looking at improving the existing spot and exploring three other places: within the Mamquam Blind Channel — Blocks 45 and 46A, Darrell Bay and Site B — for a new launch.
Our crew is onboard, navigation is planned, and we are ready to sail.
This is more of a reminder that hope floats, but not forever.
Let’s get this done before the sound gets too choppy once again.
