[Vic West] Victoria International Marina | Built - completed in 2018

Marina plan floated for Victoria harbour
Mega-yachts would dock in front of Songhees condos if proposal proceeds
Carla Wilson, Times Colonist
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

"This is the first one [marina] in Canada that is designed for mega-yachts," said Bob Evans, who, as president of Pacific National Investments, was an original developer of Songhees lands. "There's no marina on the West Coast that can handle all of them because the slips are too small."


Original plans for Songhees included a marina, Evans said. "This finishes this area of the Songhees."


The area was also the focus of an 11-year fight over the city's decision to downzone the two water lots from three storey residential/commercial to one-storey commercial. Victoria changed the zoning in 1993 after residents complained the plans would spoil their water views.


Pacific National complained smaller buildings wouldn't be feasible and argued it should be compensated for work done based on the expectation the water development would proceed. The dispute went up to the Supreme Court of Canada, ending in 2004 when the city was ordered to pay Pacific National $1.6 million.

Now instead of a few quaint little sailboats the residents will be rewarded with dozens of diesel-spewing megayachts! And they think the kerosene fumes of the floatplanes are bad! They ain't seen nothin' yet!

This proposal actually makes me angry (except for the bronze octopus...I like that because it's so silly). The reason it makes me angry is because it's huge and the original marina that was supposed to be there was just right. Yet ANOTHER case of people opposing something appropriate (in this case, something that every condo buyer KNEW was part of the Songhees plans), only to have something huge (and likely inappropriate and/or problematic) come down the pipe a few years later.

edit looking back in 2019: The final marina ended being pretty standard in terms of its size. Not big, not small. Just a marina. I'm not sure why I thought it was going to be very large, although it's evident over the course of this thread that I (being a landlubber) was never really sure how large the yachts themselves would be. So whatever happened to that octopus sculpture?

Edited by aastra, 22 June 2019 - 11:59 AM.

The area is windy, not protected and is unsuitable for a marina, she said. "It is a beautiful walking place ... He's proposing to put in a marina and a restaurant. We really don't need that."

the web page might have links to market information
http://victoriainternationalmarina.ca/

The mega yacht slips will accommodate vessels of 65 to 135 feet in length. These yachts are the ultimate in luxury from around the world, most manned by professional crews.

Over the last two decades, the number of these magnificent mega-yachts has increased by over one thousand percent. Cities around the world are welcoming the economic benefits brought by these yachts. Special facilities and state of the art amenities are required to accommodate these high-tech water craft.

http://victoriainternationalmarina.ca

In 2005, yacht carrier ships brought approximately 34 large yachts to Victoria from the Caribbean, Florida, and California. In 2006, four carrier shiploads doubled the amount, and in 2007 approximately 12 shiploads were scheduled. Crew and owners then boarded the yachts for cruising on the west coast. With the Victoria International Marina, Victoria will now be able to host these mega yachts in our harbour over longer periods.
(...)
The Victoria area is poised for exponential growth in this area. The mega yacht cruise industry has historically followed the routes of the major cruise lines at points around the world. The BC Coast and Alaska are becoming some of the more popular 'must-see' areas of the world.

“The proposed Victoria International Marina project does not pose any undo risk to seaplanes operating in and out of the Victoria Harbour.”
Wayne McNeal, President
McNeal & Associates Consultants Ltd.

"Hyack Air fully supports the proposed Victoria International Marina...”
James T. Allard, Vice President
Hyack Air

“Will be a definite asset to the harbour."
Captain John (Jack) Bragg, MNI, President
The Greater Victoria Marine Air Safety Society