The Gambier Island Community Association has asked the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) to help determine the future ownership of the island’s New Brighton dock and barge ramp, which the community association is concerned might not remain publicly owned.
In a delegation to the SCRD’s Dec. 10 planning and community development committee, community association spokesman Dr. Danny Tryon spoke of the strategic importance of the dock and associated barge ramp, on the island’s southwest peninsula close to Langdale, and is a primary point of access for the approximately 300 part- and full-time residents. The dock is used by the Langdale water taxi operated by BC Ferries, which Tryon said, “makes 35,000 people-trips annually to bring people who live on Gambier Island, and also our visitors.” The barge ramp is the only means of getting supplies and vehicles on and off the island, he added.
Tryon said the federal government had control of the dock until about six years ago, when control was handed to the Skwxwú7mesh Nation, which now plans to divest it.
“We're here today to ask today that the SCRD play a leadership role in working with the federal and provincial governments, the Skwxwú7mesh Nation and our community to ensure the dock remains a vital public asset in the long term,” said Tryon. He said the community association was also asking that SCRD staff be directed to examine “the development of strategies to make permanent the public access to the New Brighton dock and barge ramp for the Gambier Island community.”
In comments after the presentation, Area D director Andreas Tize said his impression was that the SCRD board “has been reluctant to tackle this head on because of our previous experience with other dock facilities and finding out how much they cost. But I do think that it is incumbent upon us to at least take a leadership position and in that we do find a solution.”
Area E director Donna McMahon agreed. “If you said to me, ‘Gee, let's take on more docks,’ my first response would be, ‘No, no, please, no.’ But I do understand that this is the primary access to Gambier Island. It's a really important dock. And so, we're going to have to look at the whole situation.”
The committee moved a recommendation to have district staff report back on the status of the dock and suggest possible steps forward.
