A long-time Okanagan Centre resident and a district councillor say the Okanagan Safe Harbour in Lake Country is poorly designed and inefficient.
Richard Gibbons has been a resident of Lake Country for 65 years.
He said the safe harbour is primarily being used as a boat launch and is completely ineffective as a safe harbour.
Boaters are unable to moor their boats aside from using the shore during a storm, due to the waves breaking through the safe harbour香蕉视频直播檚 opening near the dock, he said, adding boaters are also unable to tie boats to the breakwater as it香蕉视频直播檚 too high and has railings.
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香蕉视频直播淭hen what do you have to do, you have to climb over a fence?香蕉视频直播� Gibbons said, gesturing toward the breakwater.
Parking is another significant issue. Vehicles will often have to park in the wrong direction, and boaters are left waiting for a long period of time as only one boat can launch at a time, he said.
The safe harbour lies under the Regional District of Central Okanagan香蕉视频直播檚 jurisdiction and was taken over from the federal government in 1996. Prior to that, it was wooden, with rotting wood, said Bruce Smith, regional district communications officer.
香蕉视频直播淲hat they have done, is take a useful breakwater 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 able to break waves, but for whom? No boats can really use the area and in terms of launching, they could have made it much more user-friendly,香蕉视频直播� Gibbons said. The number of boaters launching large boats has also increased, he said.
Milfoil at the launch is also a problem.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 all over the surface香蕉视频直播� this entire basin is filled with milfoil,香蕉视频直播� he said, adding the milfoil is spreading in the area because the district hasn香蕉视频直播檛 cleaned it up. Milfoil is an invasive species that .
There香蕉视频直播檚 a lack of any kind of maintenance, he said.
Okanagan Centre Coun. Blair Ireland agrees that the safe harbour doesn香蕉视频直播檛 function as it was intended.
香蕉视频直播淲hen they rebuilt it they structured it so that it香蕉视频直播檚 not a safe harbour, it香蕉视频直播檚 a boat launch with a breakwater. It香蕉视频直播檚 not a safe harbour, there香蕉视频直播檚 no way to moor a boat unless you run it up on the beach,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淓very Saturday morning, Sunday, there香蕉视频直播檚 almost fights down there because it just doesn香蕉视频直播檛 work,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Ireland suggested building a floating dock, which can move up and down to help those with mobility issues.
香蕉视频直播淟ake Country has no say. I香蕉视频直播檝e tried to encourage us to possibly take it over because we get all the flack,香蕉视频直播� Ireland said.
香蕉视频直播淚n the old days, you could have had six or seven boats at the same time,香蕉视频直播� he said.
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Smith said the safe harbour was never meant for long-term mooring, and there香蕉视频直播檚 no room for it to grow because of its location.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 really no room to grow because it香蕉视频直播檚 right beside the road. It香蕉视频直播檚 right on the shoreline香蕉视频直播�. and there are no plans for anything further,香蕉视频直播� Smith said.
He said remediation work will soon begin to restore it to its pre-floods state, and Lake Country staff and council were involved in the original restoration period.
Smith said the regional district is open to having discussions with the District of Lake Country.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e always tried to be inclusive,香蕉视频直播� he said.
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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