About the BC Dock Owners Coalition

The BC Dock Owners Coalition is a group of homeowners, seasonal residents, community members, business owners, and job-creators who are deeply connected to the Shuswap. Members share a concern for the decisions taken by the Columbia Shushwap Regional District (CSRD) and the negative implications that they will have in relation to dock ownership, enjoyment, and use by upland owners. These changes have the potential to reduce property values for upland owners, while decreasing investment into the community and leading to a decline in economic growth.

CSRD’s approach to docks not only impacts individual owners but holds consequences across industries such as real estate, construction, tourism, and all small-to-medium size enterprises. It sends a highly-negative message: this is not a community welcoming to outsiders or growth; it is not a boating-friendly community; it is not a community in
which you should invest. The results for Sicamous and the entire Shuswap could be economically and socially disastrous.

The BC Dock Owners Coalition believes that, by working together to advance the shared interests of community members, they can contribute to making Sicamous and the entire Shuswap a leading place to live, work, and do business.

Background

As the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) pushes for greater control over the Sicamous-To-Armstrong Rail Trail, upland owners in the District of Sicamous risk losing their Mara Lake dock access. The Rail Trail is a former Canadian Pacific Railway corridor now being developed into a “linear park” as part of a longer path between Sicamous and Osoyoos.

CSRD is forcing new crossing agreements upon the District of Sicamous upland owners, who must cross the Trail to access their docks. The new crossing agreements would empower the CSRD to order upland owners to remove their docks without cause.

The District of Sicamous upland owners purchased and retained their properties, relying upon a longstanding course of conduct that permitted ownership and use of docks in the area.

Now, property values and the enjoyment of those properties are being sharply diminished by the actions of CSRD – without proper consultation or justification. Some properties will lose an estimated 50% in their value due to CSRD’s actions.

The District of Sicamous sought ownership of the portion of the trail that passes within District boundaries to address many of the concerns raised by community members, but this application was denied by the committee overseeing the trail—even though the District of Sicamous is paying for 30% of the Trail’s project costs.

If the actions of CSRD are permitted to stand, they won’t be the last. The precedent set in Shuswap Lake threatens dock owners, business owners, boating enthusiasts, and property owners across British Columbia.

Get Involved

If you share our concerns, please consider supporting our cause by contributing to our GoFundMe campaign. To stay up-to-date, please subscribe to our newsletter. For other inquiries, please contact our organizers.