Sooke Public Boat Launch

I would give Jocks a little credit. They have provided important services to the angler community for many years and since the new ramp has gone in they have supported things like fund raising derbys at the Hotel with the use of their facilities. I have also watched them sit back quietly without complaint and wait with some of their guided clients to clean fish on their own fish cleaning station while someone from the new ramp used it. I have no problem with them getting a little benefit. It would be good if easy direct access could be added to allow overflow paid parking on their lot.
 
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One objective of our proposal is to level out competing interests and produce a community initiative that is more than the sum of its parts. We have invited an expression of interest from Eldon and Ellen at Jocks to participate in our proposal so that their interests are represented.

We anticipate the added value of our proposal will make a pie big enough that there will be something for everyone, rather than having winners and losers in a publicly funded facility.

One thing that has not been developed is a fuel dock, and we are currently looking into including it in the proposal.
 
Would rather see an Anglers assc. take over like Sidney anglers look after Tolista park ramp. Monies go back into improvements or here's a thought salmon enhancement..
 
The District can't just give a lease to Jocks because of the general prohibition against assistance to business in P. 3 of the Community Charter. Other than being illegal, there are a number of other reasons, not the least of which is that Jock's is not the only business with an interest.

The notion that the launch is a liability to Jock`s or any other operation is superficial and does not stand up to scrutiny. The owners of Jocks realized a substantial capital gain in their property and business values by the very fact the the boat launch was constructed next to them, and they will realize far more in spill-over business than they will ever lose in launch fees. It is not even possible to launch from their ramp at times, but they can still charge for parking, and their marina slip space will be at a premium.

As long as the public facility is priced competitively, there is no compelling argument that can be made that Jock`s should be recieving special treatment.
 
Kinda like the fox looking after the hen house!!!
1 suggestion why not like Esq and saanich residents have a sticker on the window on your vehicle if your a sooke resident it free as as a tax payer I ALREADY am paying for it pick it up at the city hall. AS for non sooke people collection box made of steel with envelopes where you write your lic plate down and put 10 bucks in if you don't pay YOU GET TOWED to the bill of whatever it is, only have to hear about it once and people will buck up ...so simple yet so out of grasp......

Wolf
 
Other than unfair competition to private operators, the best reason for a fee is that the general taxpayers have already absorbed the capital cost, and there is no valid reason that users should get a free ride on the backs of non-users. If there is a better idea than a shop-local redemption arrangement for users to recover the launch fee, we would sure like to hear it!
 
Maybe the prestige could pick up the tab for us sooke taxpayers in exchange for the 600,000 plus in DCC's they didn't pay for!
 
Well lets see i sold my property in Sooke and now I'm a resident of Saanich. My tax dollars paid for that ramp am i going to be grandfathered. lol. NOT. Users pay period..
 
Other than unfair competition to private operators,
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Did they not get a hefty amount of money for that property????. and im sure they knew what was going in.
so if I open a new coffee shop (tim hortons) do i have to pay the other shops as well???
MAYBE what they(jocks) should do is improve what they have so people would use it more its hasn't been touched in how many years?? wow quite a concept improve your services .......Not trying to stir it but cmon lets be real....
 
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We will be putting on a public information & engagement session at the Economic Development Committee meeting at the Prestige, Thur, April 18 @ 7pm. Come out and voice your views about the operation of the boat launch!
 
The Prestige is moving forward with their marina, so the fuel dock is part of the discussion.
 
Listen up out of towners...the problem that we Sooke people have here is that our old (current?) planning department in Sooke put zero logical thought into this facility. There should have never been a boat launch put here in the first place. WHY? because there is NO ROOM TO PARK!!! Oh great for the PRESTIGE, they are going to put a marina in! Oh well maybe they will build a roof top parkade over the hotel....OUT OF CEDAR!? That will then make us locals happy because we are all blinded by the "white house" when we drive by! So the previous summer when people were actually staying at the prestige in july august, the parking lot was actually full for the hotel guests. And as well the launch stall were usually full as well on fishing days. So now, where are the people going to park that will be using the new marina?? probably along the side of west coast road. where there should be a side walk!! Cant wait for the discussion on April 18.
 
I agree. While any new proper dock space and facilities are welcomed within the harbour to accommodate the local and transient demand for such services, an obvious question arises. Where will the boat owners park?
 
I used that ramp all last year for the first time and thought it was great. My only gripe is that it only has one gangway and finger. It's a pain ferrying boats around. The other thing they could have done, is made the parking spots longer. It's to bad Sooke couldn't fix the dumb a$$es that park in the traffic circle or on the side of the ramp. As others have said it's to bad about Jocks but I could never launch the anyways.
BlackPearl sorry about parking on the road, but as you say there is no where else to park. I to think there was not to much thought put into the new ramp, that said I'm thankful that they did anything.
 
We have an agreement in principle with a nearby landowner for overflow parking on an undeveloped acreage. It's a couple of minutes to walk back, but it's better than nothing and will accomodate any size rig.
 
I would assume that will be the lot owned by the Butler's that was at one time set up for the commercial guys to use? If so that flopped as nobody on the government dock was willing to pay for parking. If I'm correct in my guess I would suggest the same scenario would take place with this arrangement. Problems I see are the longer walk, vehicle security and an extra cost to park which existing marinas don't charge for if you have moorage.
 
What is Sira's history in sooke? I would want to know a little about it and terry martin before endorsing this. I personally will never pay to use the launch without knowing that my pmnt will go firstly to pay for its maintenance and secondly towards salmon enhancement. That is my access to my recreation. The best solution is an Anglers Association. No Jocks, no prestige, no to another Sooke amenity under complicated control
 
Thank You Nimo. I am going to head up to the District office to get more info on the upcoming proposals. I respect Terrance's group, but I would like to see a Sooke Angler's Association started. This would be better run by people that really use the dock on a frequent basis and that know how it should be kept up. We need a group of local boaters/fisherman to really make this a better place. No offence to SIRA, i do not know how many SIRA members use the launch frequently. But i do know how many anglers there are that want this launch to be a easy to use/safe/fair launch with no more drama attached to it. Its really to bad it is coming to this. Its really very simple what needs to happen.

Sooke Anglers/Boating Association members go to the District office and pay $50 dollars for there annual sticker to put on there vehicle and they get access to the spots on the Prestige Driveway.

Non members pay $10 to launch at Public Launch but they have to park at Jock's Dock lot. That money goes to the Smith's.

People that stay at the Prestige hotel and want to park there boats over night must go to Jock's Dock.

After enough money was raised I would recommend to the Association we put in a second 30 ft key on other side of launch to make the launch faster in the early mornings. I would also suggest another key to be made off the big square dock on end so that the Auxilary could be double parked side by side to leave the end of the key clear for more space when people are waiting coming in or for there late friends.

This is all that has to happen. Should we be having a Sooke Anglers Association meeting fellas? And I am open to all and any ideas and scrutiny on my ideas. Let me know what you think.
 
Id be up for helping establish a sooke anglers association, count me in if your planning a meeting,
 
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