Boat Launches Open/Closed

Off topic, but..
We are all driven by our personal interests.
My advice is obey the rules and suck it up!!!
"this is not forever, just for now"

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My point was the knee-jerk reactions of closing everything is based upon what? I just used lung cancer of one example of where our society does not react to facts, but like sheep we all lock ourselves away indiscriminately. Please explain how closing boat ramps will help stop the spread of the virus.
 
Sorry, but I am not inclined to simply agree and do what I am told when idiotic measures like this are introduced.
Someone please explain to me how boating (or launching a boat) is a dangerous recreational activity in the spread of Covid-19? So, if you have a larger boat in a marina, boating is OK but launch your tinny and you are a veritable germ factory that will overwhelm our health care system?

Meanwhile, it is perfectly OK to go to Costco, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, etc and rub shoulders with hundreds of others people? Can someone please explain this logic?

I understand that the argument is that the Coast Guard was pulling boats over and making sure that everyone was from the same household? So, why aren't the cops pulling cars over on the road and doing the same thing? Surely, if this is such an issue, then we should see roadblocks everywhere?

This is complete Federal Government overreach and has all of the logic of the present ban on Chinook fishing where we can't retain clipped American fish to save the wild Fraser River stocks??

This is complete and utter BS and we shouldn't just be sitting back, nodding our heads, and buying the argument that the Feds know best. Did it ever cross their mind that by allowing extremely low risk activities like boating to continue, we will all be more agreeable to suffering the many other inconveniences that have been imposed upon this?

Meanwhile Vancouver Island has one of the lowest rates of infection and death in the entire world. 800,000 people, only 117 cases reported, 6 people in hospital, and 2 have died. While we all want it to remain that way, closing boat launches and further pissing off the public is not going to make anyone safer.
 
Here is my letter that I sent to Sidney, I encourage others impacted to as well.


Hello,

As an annual boat launch pass holder I am beyond disappointed with this measure.

I myself am an essential worker, so luckily I still have a job. Nevertheless my income has been severely impacted by the pandemic, and the future of my industry and career are very much in doubt.

My three young children have been house bound for nearly 2 months. My kids can't play with their friends, go to school, play their sports, or even go to the park. The one thing they can do is go out as a family on the boat, following all of the public health measures. We also are able to fish for crab and pawns, halibut, and as of May 1st bottom fish such as ling cod. This goes a long way to preserving our sanity as well as helping to feed us as finances are much tighter than they used to be. Meanwhile, we are following all of the public health guidance and social distancing orders.

I understand there has been an appeal from the coast guard to close the launch, but there is no basis to this. Covid case loads are very low on the island, and despite their claims there has not been an increase in coast guard calls. Many of the lower mainland boat launches that had previously been closed during the pandemic are in fact reopening.

It is also important to realize BC has recognized fishing and hunting, and the subsistance benefits they afford us as essential activities. They are not to be restricted.

Meanwhile, those that are wealthy enough to afford moorage in one of the many nearby marinas are free to carry on with no restriction.

I implore you to reconsider this decision, at least at this time. Should the covid situation on the island deteriorate in the future, revisit the option at that time.

I await your response,
Sincerely,
Ryan ******
Well said! I’m typing mine right now. Did you send this off to information@sidney.ca?
Thanks Ryan, and I hope many of you are doing the same!
 
It's going to be a long battle and a long distance marathon, not a sprint. The point here is that the boat ramps and boaters are not a high risk activity. If they start closing all other ramps they wont open up again for a long time is my guess. From my own personal experience, I have seen that most boaters and anglers have been following the rules with only family members or same household on boats. I am completely all for safety and I am not a person who advocates opening everything up and getting back to normal. We are not there yet. However, I disagree with closing parks, ramps, tennis courts, and other recreational activities where you can maintain social distancing and be safe during the activity. The world economy is in the dumps, oil and gas has fallen off the cliff which is a huge industry for Canada, millions have lost jobs, people are going to loose homes due to the financial impact... Give us a means to get away from all this bad news and devastation to enjoy ourselves in a safe manner. There is very serious negative consequence, mentally, to long term social isolation and social distancing and that's not taking into consideration jobs, finances and other issues. People can't be cooped up like a fish in a bowl. This is incredible insensitive and irresponsible to those who are implementing these policies.

If the gov doesn't think that responsible recreation is an essential service, wait till everyone cracks due to feeling like they are strapped in a straight jacket for months on end and see what happens.
 
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The problem is the overzealous knee jerk reaction, happens so much in society. Starts with a single ideas which in the beginning is usually pretty good and it just starts getting snowballed and spun out of control, people trying to add to and top the last idea, take it a step further. That’s the direction society has been going, over regulation and red tape for everything.
I get the reasons to a certain degree that the coast gaurd wouldn’t want to have unnecessary exposure, but that is the job others still working are expected to have exposure but with different protocols.
I would think there has to be less people out on the water right now and risk to coast gaurd staff would be somewhat low. I know I haven’t been on the water and usually my family would by now. I do agree with some of the rules my family has been out only twice to grocery shop since before March break. I do think boating can be done responsible, meaning taking less risk, staying closer to port, and do on. I get there will be those who do stupid things and take unnecessary risk but I think those people should be punished through fines not all of society through closed boat launches and water ways
 
So I'm assuming my letter to the town of sidney will be as effective as my letter to the dfo.

On that note.....what will our options be. What launches will we still have access to. I'd say we need to poke around and figure that out.

I think we need to all get a message across. From the early stages of this until this point, bonnie Henry and trudeau have acknowledged the fact that we have impacted the spread significantly and many canadians are taking this seriously and social distancing accordingly. We are now deeper into this thing and things are better here now than before. And now there going to strip us of a little more freedom unnecessarily?
Where does this end?
 
So I'm assuming my letter to the town of sidney will be as effective as my letter to the dfo.

On that note.....what will our options be. What launches will we still have access to. I'd say we need to poke around and figure that out.

I think we need to all get a message across. From the early stages of this until this point, bonnie Henry and trudeau have acknowledged the fact that we have impacted the spread significantly and many canadians are taking this seriously and social distancing accordingly. We are now deeper into this thing and things are better here now than before. And now there going to strip us of a little more freedom unnecessarily?
Where does this end?

I find the lower the level of government the more effect letters can be. Don’t give up I believe the fishermen of Sidney can win this one.
 
This Friday the Sidney boat launch will be closed to the public due to pressure from the Coast Guard. I sent a short email to the town of Sidney and received a polite short response from the fire chief that really didn’t respond to my concern so I sent this additional email...
Brett,
I appreciate the quick response... thank you. Are you aware that there are over 4500 marina slips on the Saanich peninsula? No restriction have been impose on these vessels that occupy the slips and likely no restriction will be imposed based on recent statements made by the provincial government and Health authorities. So these vessels are free to enjoy our waters while still exercising social distancing. We, with trailer boats, in the Sidney, area cannot. No other boat launch in the CRD has been closed except for Tulista.
ln recent public statement made by the Coast Guard their messaging was directed towards the boating public, marinas and industry with recommendations not travel abroad to small communities with their vessels, thus avoiding the spread of the virus. This is completely reasonable and adheres to the strategic guidelines suggested by the government. The public for the most part are well aware of these guidelines and doing an amazing job.
If any vessel were to travel to remote communities it would likely be the vessels occupying private marina slips, not smaller trailered boats. These larger vessels have no restriction... we do.
Small vessels stay in their local water, they do not travel far which is exactly what the provincial guidelines suggest...stay in your community. By closing the boat ramp, you simply send boater to other boat ramp in other jurisdiction or rent available moorage in the local area.
The problem with restriction like this is that they don’t work in isolation. Unless the restrictions are imposed across the entire boating community they are not affective and cause considerable anger, fuelled by an unfair process that targets one small subset of the boating community. Trailer boats are not the problem.
Thank you
 
I've heard there has been considerable backlash from the community of Sidney. Keep up the pressure everyone. People are going to lose their will to follow the guidelines that are flattening the curve if they start to not make sense and are unnecessarily onerous and punitive.
 
I've heard there has been considerable backlash from the community of Sidney. Keep up the pressure everyone. People are going to lose their will to follow the guidelines that are flattening the curve if they start to not make sense and are unnecessarily onerous and punitive.
I have a good friend who is with the Sidney Search/Rescue and he is FURIOUS. There's a meet up at Tulista tomorrow (in cars, maintaining good distances) and then a honking parade at the municipal hall and the new safety building. He said the S&R hasn't been this slow since he was a part of it - virtually 0 calls.
 
I have a good friend who is with the Sidney Search/Rescue and he is FURIOUS. There's a meet up at Tulista tomorrow (in cars, maintaining good distances) and then a honking parade at the municipal hall and the new safety building. He said the S&R hasn't been this slow since he was a part of it - virtually 0 calls.
What time is the meet up?
 
I just got this note from the Sidney Anglers:

"IMPORTANT UPDATE ON TULISTA BOAT RAMP CLOSURE IN SIDNEY

The Town of Sidney Emergency Operations Centre has contacted our Association and we are in talks to develop a method of operations to allow the Tulista Boat Ramp to remain open under a set of new safety guidelines. Details are being developed between the two parties and volunteer participation will be required in order to make this happen.

We will continue to provide all of you with regular updates. Thank you for all of your support."

Not sure of the details and it is still preliminary but looks like our response to the Town of Sidney made a difference!
 
Bonni henry in an interview the other day said she never said to shut down parks. I thought it was pretty ironic considering the province shut down parks.

The province has a lot more decision-makers than Dr Henry. I took her remark to mean that she disagreed with closing parks. Notice that CRD and Metro Van regional parks are open, including washrooms. Makes you wonder about provincial..

PS -Cattle Point and Esquimalt ramps are open in Victoria.
 
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