Dear Editor,
I think it’s safe to say that “island dwellers” would comprise of a sizable number of boat owners, be it a large sailor or a small boat on a trailer. Frankly it amazes me how little our municipality achieves for the benefit of our boating community.
Bowen has a well-maintained public library and fire department, organized public transportation, as well as a well-equipped public works (snow plows included). It maintains parks along with the many public walking trails and public toilets on our beaches. Yet absolutely no maintenance is provided to our only public boat launch at Tunstall Bay. The launch is so run down that a private family passenger vehicle cannot safely launch a boat there, for fear of damaging the vehicle’s undercarriage or getting caught in a rising tide.
Is it fair to say the taxpaying small boat owner is not receiving fair treatment from our municipality in this regard? It appears the current and previous councils have never had a small boat owner as a member, who I am certain would have been an advocate of better launch maintenance.
However, the previous council did obtain the various permits from federal and provincial governments, which required a $25,000 gift to the Vancouver Aquarium, a total outlay of about $79,000. Nothing ever came after that money was spent. The whole launch project was scraped, possibly because former Mayor Adelaar was unable to run for a second term.
I am appealing to council to take a positive approach to providing a proper safe public launch for small boats on trailers, as most other coastal islands have done. lf Undercurrent readers agree about the need for a launch upgrade, please make yourself known: phone and leave a voice message for Mayor Skeels and council at 604-947-4255; send an e-mail to mayor council at [email protected]; send a letter to mayor and council a Bowen Island Municipality, 981 Artisan Lane, VON 1G0.
Thank you for any and all support,
Erwen Smith, small boater and taxpayer
