Even if your neighbour owns the land directly above the high tide mark at that beach, he doesn't have any right to stop others from using the beach below the high tide mark. That is B.C. Provincial Crown land, so it is public property.
Some people just have no concept of "sharing". Sounds like your neighbour has this problem, combined with bullying, especially since he's even spray painted a beach log. These people cannot be reasoned with. I would avoid contact with this person. Instead, I would contact the local Islands Trust representative to intervene in this dispute.
While you are waiting for the Island Trust to help, here's a quote from the province that addresses this person's false claim that he has exclusive and private right of occupation of Crown land (the foreshore):
"Foreshore is the land between the high and low watermarks of streams, rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
Aquatic Crown land is all the land, including the foreshore, from the high water mark out to the limits of provincial jurisdiction.
This includes all submerged land between the mainland to the east and Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii to the west, as well as all submerged land within bays on the west coasts of these islands.
In British Columbia, the Province owns nearly all freshwater and saltwater foreshore. Land adjacent to foreshore may be privately owned, but in common law the public retains the privilege or "bare licence" to access the foreshore."
That's from here:
Some people just have no concept of "sharing". Sounds like your neighbour has this problem, combined with bullying, especially since he's even spray painted a beach log. These people cannot be reasoned with. I would avoid contact with this person. Instead, I would contact the local Islands Trust representative to intervene in this dispute.
While you are waiting for the Island Trust to help, here's a quote from the province that addresses this person's false claim that he has exclusive and private right of occupation of Crown land (the foreshore):
"Foreshore is the land between the high and low watermarks of streams, rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
Aquatic Crown land is all the land, including the foreshore, from the high water mark out to the limits of provincial jurisdiction.
This includes all submerged land between the mainland to the east and Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii to the west, as well as all submerged land within bays on the west coasts of these islands.
In British Columbia, the Province owns nearly all freshwater and saltwater foreshore. Land adjacent to foreshore may be privately owned, but in common law the public retains the privilege or "bare licence" to access the foreshore."
That's from here:
Land use - private moorage
Foreshore is the land between the high and low watermarks of streams, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Aquatic Crown land is all the land, including the foreshore, from the high water mark out to the limits of provincial jurisdiction.
www2.gov.bc.ca
