To the Editor,
Re: Boathouse must be a value-add, Editorial, May 15.
This boathouse and paddling centre is not a shed and it will benefit much more than dragon boats. It will benefit a wide variety of paddling disciplines including outriggers, dragon boats, kayaks, canoes and stand-up boards. It will be available to all ages and abilities, increase paddling events and festivals and provide washrooms, changerooms and lockers which are sorely lacking in that area.
This boathouse will enhance the waterfront; it will be a point of interest on the proposed waterfront walkway and it will be a catalyst for adventure tourism on the water. Our boathouse will have space for hosting business and social events, bringing residents and visitors directly onto our stunning Newcastle Channel.
Furthermore, there will bee a one-time economic impact of $8 million for its construction with an ongoing economic impact of almost $1 million annually, through its operations and events, with a projected tax revenue of over $112,000.
This boathouse meets everything you ask for with a resounding yes. It will be a multi-use facility, it is “a space that we don’t have, that we need, that we want and that gets used,” and, we would add, it is a space that Nanaimo deserves. This boathouse is a value-add.
Camela TangpresidentNanaimo Boathouse Society