The rain didn't deter a small crowd from forming to celebrate the official opening of a new concrete float and drive-on ramp in Gibsons Harbour on May 29.
Gibsons Mayor Wayne Rowe said the new float and ramp has already seen steady use by prawn fishermen in the area who used to have to haul their catch up the dock in wheelbarrows.
Now the fishermen can back a truck right onto the float and unload in minutes.
The new float has also drawn the attention of a water taxi company that's exploring setting up regular trips to downtown Vancouver from the site.
Rowe said he was excited about the possible economic spin-offs of the new harbour feature and noted it took a long time to make the idea reality.
"This new dock is not unlike the tip of an iceberg, which as we know has much of its support out of sight," Rowe said at the ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday. "While the actual construction was accomplished in a short timeframe of a few weeks, it was really the culmination of several years of effort and perseverance by successive members of our [Gibsons Landing] Harbour Authority (GLHA) to bring it to a successful conclusion."
While Rowe thanked all of the GLHA members for their work he noted the roughly $1.3 million project could not have happened without a lot of cooperation and support from other agencies as well.
Sunshine Coast Community Futures, through funding by the government of Canada. lent its support as well as the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) through funding from the province. Local MP John Weston was behind the plan, as was the Federal Department of Oceans, Small Craft Harbours Division.
"Through this partnership we accomplished what individually we could not," Rowe said. "We hope that this dock will serve as a corner stone for expanded moorage facilities to accommodate more of the fishing fleet as well as recreational boaters."
Terry Rhodes, president of the GLHA said he was very excited about the float's completion, adding that it was just the first phase of a multiphase plan to grow facilities in the harbour.
Phil Kent, speaking on behalf of ICET noted he "expects" to see more requests for funding in the coming months, and Dawn Miller, chair of Sunshine Coast Community Futures, said she looked forward to working with the Town and the GLHA more in the future.
The GLHA has a multi-phased, multi-use plan to revitalize the harbour that includes additional floats, floating breakwaters and a reconfiguration of the entire harbour space for maximum efficiency.
