To the Editor,
Re: Battle for the Boat Basin, Jan. 26.
I have been a resident of Nanaimo for 20 years and our diverse boat basin is an important place for me to visit and enjoy.
It is a delight to watch fish boats off-load their catch and teach my daughter about seafood.
The basin is also a place where many Protection Islanders dock their boats, so I get to greet people I have met over the years and catch up on their news. I also love the restaurants on the harbour.
Nanaimo residents will lose this diversity because of the proposed 30-year lease to a private company. There are so many questions surrounding details about this deal.
The memorandum of agreement between the Nanaimo Port Authority and a private company was signed so quickly and quietly that it leaves many people uneasy. Many sense this deal is not good for Nanaimo.
Bernie Dumas, NPA president and CEO, said the marina has been losing money and the docks need repair or replacing.
Is it not the job of the port authority to maintain the docks? Why would it spend millions on a cruise ship terminal instead of maintaining the docks?
That’s like me choosing to spend my money building an outdoor pool instead of fixing a leaky roof for my house – very irresponsible.
Like many people in Nanaimo, I am not against the redevelopment per se.
Instead, we are against the way this deal has come about with total disrespect for all stakeholders – Snuneymuxw First Nations, commercial fishermen, Protection Islanders, Nanaimo residents and even the tourists who come here to enjoy our beautiful working harbour.
Dorothy Houghton
Nanaimo