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New Marina in English Bay? |
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Written by Peter Vassilopoulos
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 Vancouver has a unique opportunity for a new, spectacular marina—the likes of Elliott Bay or Shilshole in Seattle, Wash.—but whether it happens depends on decisions by the Parks Board and input from the general public. Several proposals have been put forward by the Vancouver Parks Board on the future of the old, historic Jericho Marginal Wharf in English Bay. The wharf has come under scrutiny and is considered dangerous and in need of dismantling, repair or replacement.
Of the four options proposed by the Parks Board (to rehabilitate, demolish or some variation of the two), none include the building of a new marina. This is surprising, as several voices, including that of Pacific Yachting magazine, have been heard over the past few years, calling loudly about the critical shortage of moorage on the coast. Many say this is an opportunity of a lifetime to build a marina at a most suitable location, one that would accommodate a vast number of boats in an area of great importance to the community, and generate revenue for the city.
In Seattle, the large marinas at Elliott Bay and Shilshole are seen as a beautiful part of the sea front, with magnificent vistas of boats in a backdrop of the bay and the distant mountains. This is how it could be if there were a marina of that calibre in English Bay, proponents say.
The wharf was built in the 1940s as part of the seaplane base of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s coastal station at Jericho Beach. It served as part of a training and exercises base in the Second World War. In more recent years, it has been used as a viewing platform for people drawn to the sights and sounds of English Bay.
Immediately west of the wharf is the Jericho Sailing Centre (JSC). It is here that members of the JSC Association launch their sailing dinghies. At the centre, there are corporate meeting rooms, storage facilities for boats and a restaurant with a patio, which has a sweeping view across the water.
To the east of the wharf is a shallow bay that boats have long used as a temporary anchorage, with the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club on the other side. The beach between the wharf and RVYC is somewhat sheltered from the winds that occur in English Bay, and some vessels have remained at anchor for days on end, protected from the weather—an ideal spot for a marina.
The Parks Board is seeking feedback on its ideas. An online survey may be found through May 9 at www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/feedback/jerichowharf.shtml. While there is no option on the survey for alternative ideas, there is space for comments; if so inclined, one could use this space to suggest a new marina be built at the site.
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