The Sechelt chapter of the Gibsons Paddle Club can breathe a sigh of relief -- at least for one year.
Just days before the paddlers thought they were going to be forced to leave their storage area in Porpoise Bay in Sechelt Inlet, they received word their eviction is on hold.
In an email to Coast Reporter, member Errol Lipschitz said the club is good for at least 2025.
“With support from the mayor, council and staff of the District of Sechelt, Gibsons Paddle Club now has a new sub-lease for one year,” said Lipschitz, who added the canoes will be moved to a different location on the same property.
At a Dec. 4, regular council meeting of the District of Sechelt, club member Margaret MacDonald made a presentation asking for permission for the Sechelt chapter to store their Hawaiian-style outrigger canoes — two, six-person canoes and one, four-person canoe — on Lamb’s Brook Beach or at another nearby location.
Prior to Porpoise Bay, the club stored their canoes on the grounds of Sechelt Sustainable Community but when a bid for rezoning on that property fell through and it changed hands, within a few weeks the club was also asked to leave. Meanwhile, the Gibsons chapter of the club has had use of Gibsons Marina since 1997, an arrangement made through that town council.
MacDonald explained to council that the group had been subleasing land on the beach at Porpoise Bay, which was leased by Harbour Air, but a change in the company’s business plan, including suspending non-stop flying between Sechelt and Richmond (YVR South) as well as Vancouver Harbour for the coming winter season, saw the company give up that lease.
As reported by Coast Reporter at the time, the paddlers were then asked to leave by Dec. 31. With just weeks to find a home for their canoes, MacDonald and other members began visiting Sechelt beaches with appropriate amenities, including a washroom, parking and suitable launch area.
Concerns from council and the public regarding Lamb’s Brook Beach included limited parking and a lack of enough room on the beach to store the large watercraft.
During the meeting, Coun. Darren Inkster suggested that while tasking the group with looking for alternate sites themselves, he could make a motion to see if council can help in any way. He then made a motion to have a staff report compiled, while also recognizing the tight deadline the club is under.
A holiday miracle or quick work by the District of Sechelt? You be the judge.
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