A new Licence of Occupation has been filed by a group of Brentwood Bay boaters which intends to compete with an existing proposal from the District of Central Saanich.

Sue Stroud, the secretary for the newly-formed Brentwood Bay Marine Community Society, said the group registered on Jan. 22, 2018 under the BC Societies Act.

B次元官网网址淲e believe that a community approach to problem solving is the best way to solve any difficulty,B次元官网网址� said Stroud, adding B次元官网网址渢he best way to do this is through the good neighbourliness that people find helpful in times of emergency and itB次元官网网址檚 less of a burden to the limited finances of the community as a whole.B次元官网网址�

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Stroud said the District did not go boat-to-boat to inform liveaboard residents of their plans and that they were not included in meetings prior to an online PlaceSpeak consultation set up by the District. She felt the consultation exacerbated B次元官网网址減rejudicesB次元官网网址� from landowners over those in liveaboards.

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B次元官网网址淲e feel we have a more inclusive, egalitarian model and once we get going itB次元官网网址檒l be a model that other inlets and bays along the coast might want to follow,B次元官网网址� said Stroud.

B次元官网网址淲e feel we have more skills than they have,B次元官网网址� said Stroud, who said the community includes search-and-rescue personnel, former pilots who can provide advice on floatplanes and biologists living on boats who could care for the eelgrass at no cost to the District.

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The group feels the Districts proposed fees for moorage would not directly contribute to the health of the bay, and would only cover administrative costs and third-party monitoring since the Coast Guard would still be responsible for derelict vessels. Stroud said constant third-party monitoring would be unlikely and that boaters themselves would still have to report problems to the Coast Guard and she said they already do.

Mayor Ryan Windsor said this does not change the DistrictB次元官网网址檚 plans for the moment. Both proposals are currently with the province.

B次元官网网址淯nlike what the boaters have said all along, that we havenB次元官网网址檛 consulted, the reason we are aware of their concerns is because we have consulted. I suspect they just donB次元官网网址檛 like what theyB次元官网网址檙e hearing from us,B次元官网网址� said Windsor.

He said the District was never contacted by the Brentwood Bay Marine Community Society and instead learned about this in an email late last night from a third party.

B次元官网网址淚 think it shows a lack of respect by [the] society.B次元官网网址�

A District FAQ says the working group were open for drop-ins to remove barriers to participation and that created the plan had B次元官网网址渙ver 30 participants and at least 11 participants are believed to live on their boat (six specifically signed in stating they were liveaboards).B次元官网网址�

Windsor said he has received positive feedback from other community groups and individuals. At a meeting in December, the Saanich Inlet Protection Society (SIPS) spoke in favour, though Stroud said SIPS did not contact the boaters, either, saying B次元官网网址渙ver time, groups tend to talk to themselves rather than the community as a whole.B次元官网网址� The District has also been in contact with the Tsartlip First Nation during this process and Windsor said he spoke with them March 13 and they were not aware of the new societyB次元官网网址檚 plans.

B次元官网网址淭he reality is that this society has a view, and it is not widely shared,B次元官网网址� Windsor continued. B次元官网网址淭he District is moving forward because the view that is widely held is the one we believe is broadly represented by the number of stakeholders weB次元官网网址檝e consulted and we are moving forward.

B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 the guarantee that theyB次元官网网址檒l even exist next year? They may, but they may not.B次元官网网址�

Windsor said the province will have to consider the possibility that the society could fail, said Windsor, whereas B次元官网网址渢he District of Central Saanich is a government entity. We will continue to exist.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e are satisfied that we reached out to all those boaters over and over again,B次元官网网址� said Windsor.

Windsor said while some boaters claim to not have participated, yet their names appeared on PlaceSpeak going back to August 2017.

B次元官网网址淭o me that doesnB次元官网网址檛 make any sense.B次元官网网址�