Re: “Liveaboard community has a right to exist,” Comment, Dec. 26.

I believe it necessary to respond to Nathaniel Poole’s commentary. To provide some background, the community has expressed concerns about environmental, navigational, esthetic and nuisance impacts from a variety of uses in Brentwood Bay, including derelict and sunken vessels. The District of Central Saanich commenced a community consultation this past summer and engaged multiple stakeholders, including liveaboards.

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Poole states: “A planning committee was struck to develop a management plan, and those asked to participate were pretty much all shoreline property owners hostile to those of us on the water. Not a single individual living or mooring on the bay was included.”

The working group included more than 30 participants, and at least 11 participants are believed to be liveaboards (six specifically signed in stating they were liveaboards, two of whom were Nathaniel Poole and his wife, Tracy). Two representatives of the B.C. Nautical Residents Association also attended. All meetings of the working group were open to the public, and participation was open to drop-ins (this was designed to remove any barriers to participation).

The long-term strategy for the management of Brentwood Bay has been made in co-ordination with Tsartlip First Nation, with the support of other First Nations. The proposed solutions are drawn from successful ones in other jurisdictions, such as Bowen Island and Port Moody.

It proposes Central Saanich apply for a “licence of occupation” from the province of B.C., which would grant the district the ability to create a modest regulatory program. The program would regulate the number and placement of mooring buoys and likely reduce the number of buoys in the bay to 60 (there are about 15 liveaboards on the 80 boats that are attached to buoys; there are also about 40 buoys without boats); ensure the buoys avoid navigational channels; and ensure existing liveaboards have insurance, holding tanks and receipts to prove pumping for their vessels. The licence is a nominal-rate tenure, and fees collected must be used directly to pay for the cost of the regulatory service.

The district does not want to displace any of the liveaboards. The reports to council are also clear that liveaboards are recommended for first priority for mooring buoys. This is a key point: If the liveaboards have insurance, pay the lease fee, have holding tanks and pump their vessels, the liveaboards are in fact granted initial priority for a buoy and not discouraged in any way.

The plan was adopted in mid-December, and communication for the program begins in early January. We anticipate the regulatory program to begin this spring or summer (the timing depends on when the licence of occupation is granted).

Our council, as well as district staff, have been and remain accessible to all stakeholders on this issue. We established a website (PlaceSpeak) dedicated to hearing from the community on Brentwood Bay; it has been viewed almost 3,000 times and continues to be open to members of the community. Council meetings are open to the public and videos are posted online.

In January, we will begin accepting applications for the Brentwood Bay Open Moorage Advisory Committee, which will provide advice to council regarding the Brentwood Bay Management Plan and serve to promote and foster community awareness of the plan. We will be seeking members from a cross-section of stakeholder groups, including liveaboards.

We will continue engagement and encourage participation from all members of our community.

Ryan Windsor is mayor of the District of Central Saanich.