For a short time, between last month and this one, it appeared that the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority was about to issue boating restrictions that would limit the ability of kayakers to access Siwash Rock, a popular attraction along the Stanley Park Seawall.
But paddlers received some relief on Friday when the authority announced restrictions that would still allow kayakers to reach the rock, and other locations in the waters around the park.
READ MORE: Vancouver paddlers say new restrictions on waters off Stanley Park go too far
On Sept. 8, the authority released a “notice of amendment” to regulations around safe boating in the First Narrows, a water passage that goes past Stanley Park and areas such as Prospect Point and Brockton Point.
The First Narrows is a busy commercial route, and parts of it had become so popular with paddlers that the authority had proposed a ban on human-powered vessels that would cover Siwash Rock, Ferguson Point and more.
The port authority was concerned that more people were using human-powered vessels such as kayaks and paddleboards in the First Narrows at the same time that container ships and cruise ships were growing bigger — making it tougher for bigger vessels to travel through the area and Burrard Inlet.
The Port of Vancouver’s initial map of proposed First Narrows boundary restrictions:
Members of the public had until Oct. 8 to respond to the proposal.
It drew a strong response from advocates for recreational usage such as Phillip Torrens of the Eco Marine Paddlesports Centre.
READ MORE: Vancouver Park Board votes to work with First Nations to rename Siwash Rock
On Friday, the port authority issued a news release along with a map showing an amended First Narrows boundary that opened up kayaker access to Siwash Rock once again.
Here’s the map that shows the amended First Narrows boundary:
The amended boundary showed that the port authority was committed to promoting safety for both commercial traffic and for recreational users, it said in a news release.
“We… reviewed our vessel traffic safety zones in response to public feedback and determined we could increase access, on a trial basis, for recreational boaters around the First and Second narrows, while still ensuring safety for all port users,” said Chris Wellstood, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s director of marine operations and security and harbour master.
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Wellstood expects boaters to “adhere to the amended boundaries and all other existing safe boating practices, and we encourage the personal watercraft community to engage its members to increase awareness of the restrictions in place for the First Narrows.”
In an email, Torrens said he was happy that the port authority had allowed paddlers to access Siwash Rock once again.
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