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The dock agreement is meant to address the need for environmental stewardship and protection of archeological sites in shíshálh traditional territories, according to Chief Warren Paull.

“Our ultimate goal is to restore the harbour to its historical ecological abundance,” he said. “Pender Harbour was an area where our people lived year-round. It was a bread basket of our territory and historically held an abundance of resources.”

Boatbuilder Rick Crook’s floating dock was decades old when he bought his cottage on Gunboat Bay, but it is certain to be destroyed under the new plan.

“It was there when we bought the cabin, and by the time we got here to live full-time there was no option to get a permit,” he said.

An informal moratorium on new docks in the area has been in place for about 15 years while the government and the shíshálh worked out their new relationship.

“There was nothing I could do about at that point. No one was accepting applications,” he said. “I suppose I should have realized earlier, but I came here from Alberta.”

Like many waterfront homes in Pender Harbour, Crook’s property is considered water-access only, with no formal road in place. He shares a driveway with 21 other property owners.

“There are no legal agreements about the use of the driveway, so that could change at any moment if a new owner wanted to do something different,” he said.

The Pender Harbour dock management plan, released last month, divides Pender Harbour into three zones. No new docks will be allowed in Zone 1, which covers Oyster Bay and Gunboat Bay, and existing unauthorized docks are to be removed.