Temporary closure of Hopkins Landing wharf for an undetermined period will be subject to a vote at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board at its June 22 regular meeting.
The district’s electoral area services committee recommended that and a budget of $520,000 for wharf emergency structural and safety repairs during its June 15 meeting.
At that gathering, the director for Area F (which includes Hopkins Landing and the nearby islands), Kate Louise Stamford, read a statement outlining that the facility is “a vital transportation link” for island residents. She stated alternate watercraft docking at Langdale is not a viable option in many emergency situations or for transporting large loads or hazardous materials. Also detailed was the site’s place in the Coast’s history and its use by other residents and visitors to the Coast.
On the subject of the closure, she said, “We should not be in this untenable situation," citing that the SCRD has not received adequate funding to maintain the site and the eight other local port assets it took over from the federal government in 2000. She urged staff and her fellow directors to look for options to “fix” the wharf “to a safe minimum and restore public use as soon as possible."
No concrete suggestions came forward. The committee did support a recommendation to request a meeting with the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure on the subject of funding for port services during the Union of BC Municipalities convention in mid-September. Also recommended was a budget of up to $10,000 to cover costs related to closing public access to the site while repairs are done.
The committee followed advice provided in a staff report on that meeting’s agenda, which summarized an engineering consultant’s inspection findings based on “a visual and tactile assessment from above and below the water." Conducted in the fall 2022, the inspection indicated “major upgrades are required at the facility, and that the port is currently considered structurally unreliable for public assembly." It also recommended closure of the site until a list of repairs and improvements were completed. The SCRD has not released the consultant's report to the public.
How long will repairs take?
Community services manager, Shelley Gagnon was unable to estimate a repair timeline, as the proposed work was “new territory” for staff. While procuring contractors' services is a routine practice that usually takes two to three months to complete, she said the details of permitting for work in foreshore areas plus other environmental and marine considerations are the “unknowns for staff." She indicated that the over half million dollar project cost estimate covered the “absolute minimum” repairs needed to safely reopen the wharf for public use, with an additional $400,000 in other upgrades recommended within the next six years.
When asked about potential grant funding for the project, staff indicated those opportunities are “scanned weekly” and should an option be identified it would be brought forward for consideration.
Spending a half million dollars for “band-aid” repairs on one of nine ports presented what Area E director Donna McMahon called a “challenging situation." After staff advised that the capital asset renewal plan that would detail what improvements are required at each of the SCRD-managed ports was slated to be provided in mid to late 2024, McMahon expressed concerns about how to prioritize this spending over what may be needed at other sites. She also stated, "The SCRD has taken on so many services and now faces huge costs…our number one priority is water, it has to be."
McMahon's was the lone vote in opposition to the recommendation to fund the repairs.
Like Peggy’s Cove saying 'we don’t really need a lighthouse'
Two representatives of the SCRD’s Ports Monitors Advisory Committee provided comments after the meeting adjourned. Both stressed the importance of repairing and keeping the wharf in service. Along with the critical access point to the Coast that the amenity provides to island residents, one also outlined how public wharves are an opportunity for all to enjoy the waterfront. The contribution wharves make in creating a unique and attractive living experience was noted. “It would be like Peggy’s Cove saying “we don’t really need a lighthouse," said one representative.
To a suggestion made by advisory committee members that the SCRD consider taxing more to fund port repairs, McMahon indicated she was not in favour of that approach and stated there are residents in her area struggling economically, and others who were “leaving our community because they can’t afford to live here.
“We [the SCRD] are going deeply into debt to pay for critical infrastructure…we have to find a way to say no in some circumstances.”
What happens next at the wharf?
The staff report noted that when the consultant’s opinion was received in mid-April, public notices advising that the wharf be used “at own risk” were posted at the site. SCRD communications staff told Coast Reporter via email that signage will remain in place with updates added following a decision from the board. “Other measures to close the port would be actioned as soon as possible," they wrote.
In a June 15 press release, Gagnon stated, “The main repairs will be known once a contractor is procured and assessments and permits are obtained. We understand that the dock closure is an inconvenience, and would like to thank users of the dock in advance for their ongoing understanding and patience as this vital infrastructure is repaired.”
