More than 100 people gathered in Ladysmith on Tuesday to talk with the leader of the BC Conservatives about an ongoing marina dispute.
At issue is the former Ladysmith Community Marina, once home to a flurry of activity and now largely quiet.
“The society lost its marina and the community lost its community marina,” said Richard Wiefelspuett with the Ladysmith Maritime Society.
The Ladysmith Maritime Society operated the facility’s water lot lease up until last year.
That’s when the Stz’uminus First Nation took over under a reconciliation agreement with the province.
The decision has proved decisive in the community.
On Tuesday, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad met with residents and blamed the province for failing to do proper community engagement in the name of reconciliation.
“There are huge opportunities that community wants to be engaged and involved in, and they’re feeling like they’re being left out,” Rustad said. “They are just being told what is happening.”
Communities in other parts of the province have raised similar concerns.
A group of hunting guides in the Chilcotin region have recently complained about a lack of compensation after they lost access to land due to the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling on Tsilhqot’in rights and title.
“There is a lot going on here that makes people say, wait a second here, how does this work and where do I fit in here?” Rustad said.
The Maritime Society sought an injunction to allow it to keep operating the facility but lost the battle in the B.C. Supreme Cour last year.
It originally had a lease that allowed it to operate up until 2029, and is still fighting for up to $5 million in assets, including docks and buildings.
“There is no ruling on this, the ownership of these assets is still disputed, and there may be some legal action in the future, right now we are still trying to reach out to find another solution,” Wiefelspuett said.
Coast Salish Development Corporation, the Stz’uminus’ economic arm, did not respond to a request for comment.
The group plans to rename the facility the Oyster Bay Marina. The project’s website describes the marina transfer as a “coming home” to land the First Nation was forcibly removed from 170 years ago.
“This is a significant milestone in the long journey of reconciliation for the Stz’uminus people,” Chief John Elliott says on the website.
“Our ancestors lived on this land, thus Ladysmith Harbour has great significance to our community. This sets the stage for making things right.”
The website lays out plans to conduct an environmental cleanup and redevelop the area into a “mini-Granville Island concept” with an eventual 1,200 moorages.
The province said the Town of Ladysmith terminated the contract after public engagement, and that it supports the First Nation and the municipality’s vision for this waterfront.