Recreational boaters are worried they’ll be left on dry land if the District of West Vancouver follows through on its Ambleside waterfront concept plan.
The plan includes a ban of motorized boats from the launch as Argyle Avenue closes to become part of the Spirit Trail. The ramp would remain open to the Hollyburn Sailing Club and to the public for non-motorized vessels.
But that will shut out recreational anglers and outboard enthusiast who have been using Ambleside for water access for generations, said Andrew Kennett.
“I think everybody has the right to have access to the water,” he said.
The only other public access on the North Shore is in Cates Park, which is often at capacity, Kennett said. There are private ramps in Horseshoe Bay and at Sunset Marina, about 20 kilometres away.
And launching their boats in Vancouver could prove unsafe, according to Phil Grassi, another longtime ramp user.
“Now these smaller boats are going to be taking more of a risk by going through the inner harbour with tanker traffic. Port (of Vancouver) is not going to be happy about that,” Grassi said. “West Vancouver has the most ideal location of any ramp, pretty much in all of the Lower Mainland as far as getting into safe water.”
But the district isn’t looking to amend that portion of the concept plan, according to Donna Powers, district spokeswoman.
“If we were to maintain the use of the ramp for motorized vehicles, that would conflict with other elements of the plan,” she said “It is true there was lots and lots of public feedback and there was support from the public for maintaining it for motorized vehicles but there was more support for extending the Spirit Trail and foreshore path through the area.”
The district “understands and empathizes” with the power boaters, Powers said noting the district’s director of planning learned to fish in the water off Ambleside from a long-gone boat launch under the Lions Gate Bridge.
“The district has indicated that we are willing to work with the boaters in the process to find another boat ramp for motorized boat launches,” she said. “It may not be on district territory but we’re willing to work with them.”
Coun. Michael Lewis, a boater himself, said the ramp isn’t ideal because of a lack of nearby parking. And, Lewis said, he believes the ramp today is unsafe.
“There’s really no breakwater. If you go out in the morning and it’s crystal clear and dead calm, fine, but when it blows up in the afternoon, it really is, I think, a potentially dangerous situation,” he said, noting he’s seen several instances of boat owners nearly pinned between their boats and trailers during heavy seas. “I personally would never launch a boat there.”
Dave Steele, owner of Highwater Tackle, said the district’s “elitist” waterfront concept fails to reflect the inherent outdoor nature that first attracted people to West Vancouver.
“There’s a history of angling, fishing and outdoorsmanship in that area that goes right back to before the British Properties were even developed,” he said.
“They keep saying in this new proposal that it’s access to the waterfront but they have a skewed definition of access to the waterfront. … Their skewed definition is having a glass of wine and looking at art by the water.”
The plan is scheduled to be presented to council at a June 13 meeting.
