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#41 sebberry

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Posted 27 July 2020 - 09:07 PM

Have you ever went to one entrance and every parking spot was taken, forcing you to drive around to the other side?

And sorry, I guess you’ll be campaigning against me then. I just think the experience of going to the beach and walking along the lagoon is improved without cars using it as a thoroughfare.

 

 

Not everyone is visiting just to park in a parking lot and move to the beach.  Sometimes, believe it or not, people like to sit in their cars to watch the boats go by, do some reading, whatever.  Personally I do this quite a lot when I have no interest in sitting in the direct sun.  With all the cars crammed together, the spots you do end up finding are often bordered by noisy teenagers with their stupid music or someone smoking something.  

 

I used to go out there 2-4, sometimes more time a week in the evening.  I can tell you it's been made a lot less pleasant now that that beautiful unobstructed stretch has been hacked up into parking lots.  

 

Yesterday I sat in my car and watched as someone struggled out of their car and almost twisted their ankle on the log trying to get a little closer to the water.  Many of the spots with fewer obstructions have been blocked off making it harder to access the beach.

 

 

When Councillor Gordie Logan made the motion to extend the closure until the end of September, far beyond their silly COVID justification would have had it closed, it caused a massive divide in the community, both figuratively and literally.  


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#42 sebberry

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Posted 27 July 2020 - 09:07 PM

And you can still do that. Drive to the middle of the lagoon, chill and watch the ocean from your car, and then drive away when done. You are still driving almost the same length, less say 100-200m from the 2km stretch. 

 

Except many of the spots that are left have obstructed views of the water.


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#43 mbjj

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Posted 28 July 2020 - 07:03 AM

And you can still do that. Drive to the middle of the lagoon, chill and watch the ocean from your car, and then drive away when done. You are still driving almost the same length, less say 100-200m from the 2km stretch. 

 

 

And you can still do that. Drive to the middle of the lagoon, chill and watch the ocean from your car, and then drive away when done. You are still driving almost the same length, less say 100-200m from the 2km stretch. 

No thanks, we usually do it on the way home from somewhere else.


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#44 todd

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Posted 28 July 2020 - 07:24 AM

“View Royal fire chief frustrated by Thetis Lake accidents
‘You’re rolling the dice every time you jump off,’ chief says”:
https://www.vicnews....lake-accidents/


One time did a bellyflop from high distance I decided I wanted to look down during the jump which apparently caused me to go from vertical to horizontal. Could barely move my jaw for a week or two lot of pain.

#45 GetLisaSomeHelps

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Posted 28 July 2020 - 08:32 AM

Closing off that section of Esquimalt Lagoon made about as much sense as closing off Arbutus Way in the name of "social distancing".


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#46 Mike K.

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Posted 28 July 2020 - 08:37 AM

I just head to Royal Beach and hang out there. Far nicer (fewer people), same view, but because it’s private there are time restrictions.

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#47 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 July 2020 - 09:30 AM

no natural sea shore (except at military bases) is private in Canada.

private property can only begin at the high tide line.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 July 2020 - 09:31 AM.


#48 todd

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Posted 28 July 2020 - 09:36 AM

no natural sea shore (except at military bases) is private in Canada.
private property can only begin at the high tide line.


My understanding is there’s some historical exemptions in Canada? Also waterfront leases and then if erosion has occurred since the last survey.

#49 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 July 2020 - 09:39 AM

I think royal bays beach just has a private parking lot etc. that’s prevents most access.
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#50 tanker

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Posted 31 July 2020 - 07:21 AM

Not much support for the closure among colwood residents but of course their opinions do not matter.

#51 Mike K.

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Posted 31 July 2020 - 07:40 AM

The end-game here is to connect Royal Beach with Esquimalt Lagoon to create one massive beachfront area.


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#52 Spy Black

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Posted 31 July 2020 - 04:55 PM

no natural sea shore (except at military bases) is private in Canada.

private property can only begin at the high tide line.

Anybody with waterfront property can apply for, and get a foreshore lease, for anything from a dock to the right to gather seafood. Those foreshore leases (for as long as they're in effect) are as good as private property.



#53 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 03:19 AM

One local fire chief has had enough after the “absolute disregard” for the public’s well-being culminated in two preventable incidents at Thetis Lake over the long weekend.

 

View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst is calling for realistic solutions to Thetis Lake, even if that means closing some of the park during the summer.

 

“It’s a mess at Thetis Lake and it’s getting worse in my opinion,” Hurst said in a statement. “For bylaw, it’s like pouring a glass of water on a forest fire. They are in an impossible situation, and quite frankly I’m done with it, and so should most of the visitors to the park who go there to enjoy their day, not to have their child witness a cliff accident or drunk belligerent people.”

 

 

 

https://www.vicnews....at-thetis-lake/


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 August 2020 - 03:20 AM.


#54 Mike K.

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 03:23 AM

View Royal, I think, is #1 for complaining.

 

If it's not traffic coming through their community to get to another community that irks the town, it's people coming to their park and messing with their park's ambiance.

 

Their mayor also had an issue with Oak Bay allowing large homes to be built on their waterfront, and I hear he wasn't a fan of my Esquimalt Harbour bridge connecting to Colwood, even though I had planned to name it the View Royal Bypass Bridge.  :mad:


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#55 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 03:51 AM

this issue is simple.

 

increase parking rates to fund two daylight hours (11-7) bylaw or police or safety or whatever officers during the summer.

 

deal with the offenders.  do not "solve" the issue by restricting park access to the 99% that do not act like idiots.

 

i see pay parking there for about 200 cars.  all you need to get is an additional $500/day during the summer months.  an additional 25 to 50 cents per hour and you are very well set.  this is about as close as you can get to user pay.  seems like an easy solution.

 

rates now:

 

Daily and Seasonal Passes

The cost of parking is $2.25 per day, or $20 for a season's pass. A seasonal parking pass is valid at both parks. The ticket dispensers accept loonies, toonies, quarters and credit cards.

 

https://www.crd.bc.c...es/parking-fees


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 August 2020 - 04:00 AM.


#56 Mike K.

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 03:56 AM

That's not a bad idea, actually.

 

I don't think parkgoers will mind if you spell it out on parking lot signage.

 

Could the cost of a bylaw infraction increase, too? Or is there a governing body in the province that limits what municipalities can charge for infractions? I bet if you made it $500 dumb stuff would quickly end.


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#57 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 04:03 AM

provide signage so people can know there is a safety officer presence they can contact via dispatch.  chronic offenders will soon learn they can't get away with stuff 11-7 and will go elsewhere or desist.



#58 Mike K.

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 04:36 AM

Yeah, I was thinking about that. But they'll also know there's no teeth to the threat when that safety officer doesn't arrive.

 

Now if you fine them $500, and word starts to spread that it's a legit infraction, it'll encourage some of these people to think twice, or get their kicks at another park (like at the potholes).


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#59 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 04:42 AM

there is no reason not to have both scenarios.  increased presence and fines.

 

the fire chief thinks closing parts of the park is a solution.  that's terrible for the park users that behave.  that's almost all of them.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 August 2020 - 04:42 AM.


#60 Mike K.

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Posted 05 August 2020 - 04:46 AM

And Colwood is thinking of nixing through-traffic along the Lagoon.

 

Everyone's pulling up drawbridges, but I sense this Thetis Lake issue in View Royal is more about car traffic to/from the park, and vehicles parking on the side of the road, than people getting hurt. View Royal has not been a team player in this region and continues to work in its favour while begrudging the rest of the region for wanting to travel through it or visit Thetis.

 

Look at the fire chief's wording. He's angry. I get people are getting hurt and his crews have to deal with it but he sounds like he just wants to be done with it through closures.


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