The Township of Esquimalt is continuing to explore areas to build a public, multi-use dock, and on Monday, May 12, the committee of the whole unanimously passed a motion narrowing the search to look closely at Gorge Park West.
Staff and township contractors Christine Lintott Architects and Archipelago Marine Research gathered community feedback, identified 18 potential sites for a dock on public land and looked at ecological considerations for each site.
According to a public engagement summary, which took into account the responses of 300 residents in an online survey and 75 at an open house, there is "significant" community interest in building a public dock.
"The main concerns expressed by the community were related to proximity to infrastructure, such as parking and washroom facilities, as well as ecological concerns for the Gorge [Waterway]," according to the report from Christine Lintott Architects.
The report recommends that the township consider Gorge Park West, noting that it's shallow, there are no strong currents, the natural shoreline would prove to be ecologically beneficial and the area is already popular with the community.
Mayor Barbara Desjardins said it's a "great starting point," and it will take "many years" for permitting. In the meantime, staff can continue to work, study and "really solidify this."
"With climate change, the need to be able to access a cooling place, we know, year after year, that this is more and more important," she said.
Another recommendation from the report is to create a network of docks and water access infrastructure. This would address the limited number of public access docks along shorelines in Greater Victoria, which has resulted in overuse and created stress on both ecological and human communities.
The report also notes that each proposed location has benefits for specific uses, using West Bay as an example of an ideal place to launch a kayak, but not so much for swimming.
Council ended up voting in favour of directing staff to look at budget options for docks and water access infrastructure, first focusing on Gorge Esquimalt Park West, while also exploring options for kayak access at the West Bay. They also passed motions to provide community educational outreach and to conduct a wave activity assessment.
