I have taken this from another website and beleive that it is of interest to the users of this lake.
The CRD head, Chris Causton has indicated that there will be a public hearing into the proposed expansion of the Rowing Club and its facility at the south end of Elk Lake. The Victoria media has suggested there are "only one or two fishermen" that might be opposed to the move.. This is NOT A LOCAL ROWING CLUB!!! The club works directly under Canada's National organization and is attempting to use public property and lands and waters that were designated to be used/shared by all recreational and outdoors people.. If you have fished in a tube anywhere on Elk or Beaver Lake, you have very likely either had a close call with a shell, a quad, or the stealth bomber... an eight.. Some of the rhetoric that has come from the club is that they "will not increase the traffic on the lake", and "there have never been any accidents". That is catagorically untrue!! The rowers show little, if any regard for fishers on the water and on shore. Fishermen have been knocked out of tubes on the highway side (you do not hear them coming and the safety boat, if there is there for the rowers)..
The date of the hearing has not been set yet, but it has been suggested it will be late may or early june. CRD made it clear several years ago that no expansion would be entertained, however it appears that lobbying has pressured CRD into disregarding their own policy.
It is quite transparent that Rowing Canada has set Elk Lake up for the training facility for 2010 Olympics.. For the last Games they actually went on Global TV and asked that people not use Elk Lake as the rowers were training.. I have fished Elk and Beaver Lake for 40+ years and can only hope that other fishers recognize this move by the rowers as the first step in the theft of a rare jewel..
Please follow this closely and get your organizations and individuals ramped up to speak on behalf of the rod and reel groups.. Otherwise we shall turn around, and there she be........gone!!
and also the pertinent info for you all
I've found the references to the Elk Lake boathouse expansions in the CRD Parks Committee minutes, and a link to the summary of the consultant's report.
February 15, 2006 Minutes of the Parks Committee
In Section 11(a) refer to a proposal by the Rowing Society to expand the boat house, and two studies to be completed by consultants by the end of March on the impact of the boathouse expansion on recreational use.
http://www.crd.bc.ca/minutes/parkscommitte...eb06Minutes.pdf
March 15, 2006 Minutes of the Parks Committee
Section 14a
More details on the background and the process. Draft timetable to include public consultations late May/early June. Committee recommendation to the Board in August. Note that Management Plan does not allow further expansion of any facilities. There is a process in place to consider any proposals and assess it on is merit. "Staff were directed to see if the process could happen quicker without curtailing the public consultation process"
http://www.crd.bc.ca/minutes/parkscommitte...MAR6MINUTES.pdf
May 10, 2006 Minutes of the Parks Committee
Section 6: Studies completed and distributed to committee. Consultants there to answer questions of the committee. Public meeting to be held, and staff to report on the results of the public meeting and to provide a recommendation on the expansion to the committee in July.
Section 10: Correspondence re Rowing Club Expansion
http://www.crd.bc.ca/minutes/parkscommitte...AY06Minutes.pdf
Elk Lake Boathouse Expansion Reports Executive Summary
"The study indicates that the proposed expansion of the Elk Lake Rowing Centre will not have a direct negative impact on recreational use on Elk/Beaver Lake..."
(attachment 2 is the executive summary on impact of recreational users"
http://www.crd.bc.ca/reports/parkscommittee_/index.htm
If you have had any concerns with the expansion or incidents / near misses with the rowing club while out fishing you may want to attend the meeting.
The CRD head, Chris Causton has indicated that there will be a public hearing into the proposed expansion of the Rowing Club and its facility at the south end of Elk Lake. The Victoria media has suggested there are "only one or two fishermen" that might be opposed to the move.. This is NOT A LOCAL ROWING CLUB!!! The club works directly under Canada's National organization and is attempting to use public property and lands and waters that were designated to be used/shared by all recreational and outdoors people.. If you have fished in a tube anywhere on Elk or Beaver Lake, you have very likely either had a close call with a shell, a quad, or the stealth bomber... an eight.. Some of the rhetoric that has come from the club is that they "will not increase the traffic on the lake", and "there have never been any accidents". That is catagorically untrue!! The rowers show little, if any regard for fishers on the water and on shore. Fishermen have been knocked out of tubes on the highway side (you do not hear them coming and the safety boat, if there is there for the rowers)..
The date of the hearing has not been set yet, but it has been suggested it will be late may or early june. CRD made it clear several years ago that no expansion would be entertained, however it appears that lobbying has pressured CRD into disregarding their own policy.
It is quite transparent that Rowing Canada has set Elk Lake up for the training facility for 2010 Olympics.. For the last Games they actually went on Global TV and asked that people not use Elk Lake as the rowers were training.. I have fished Elk and Beaver Lake for 40+ years and can only hope that other fishers recognize this move by the rowers as the first step in the theft of a rare jewel..
Please follow this closely and get your organizations and individuals ramped up to speak on behalf of the rod and reel groups.. Otherwise we shall turn around, and there she be........gone!!
and also the pertinent info for you all
I've found the references to the Elk Lake boathouse expansions in the CRD Parks Committee minutes, and a link to the summary of the consultant's report.
February 15, 2006 Minutes of the Parks Committee
In Section 11(a) refer to a proposal by the Rowing Society to expand the boat house, and two studies to be completed by consultants by the end of March on the impact of the boathouse expansion on recreational use.
http://www.crd.bc.ca/minutes/parkscommitte...eb06Minutes.pdf
March 15, 2006 Minutes of the Parks Committee
Section 14a
More details on the background and the process. Draft timetable to include public consultations late May/early June. Committee recommendation to the Board in August. Note that Management Plan does not allow further expansion of any facilities. There is a process in place to consider any proposals and assess it on is merit. "Staff were directed to see if the process could happen quicker without curtailing the public consultation process"
http://www.crd.bc.ca/minutes/parkscommitte...MAR6MINUTES.pdf
May 10, 2006 Minutes of the Parks Committee
Section 6: Studies completed and distributed to committee. Consultants there to answer questions of the committee. Public meeting to be held, and staff to report on the results of the public meeting and to provide a recommendation on the expansion to the committee in July.
Section 10: Correspondence re Rowing Club Expansion
http://www.crd.bc.ca/minutes/parkscommitte...AY06Minutes.pdf
Elk Lake Boathouse Expansion Reports Executive Summary
"The study indicates that the proposed expansion of the Elk Lake Rowing Centre will not have a direct negative impact on recreational use on Elk/Beaver Lake..."
(attachment 2 is the executive summary on impact of recreational users"
http://www.crd.bc.ca/reports/parkscommittee_/index.htm
If you have had any concerns with the expansion or incidents / near misses with the rowing club while out fishing you may want to attend the meeting.
