The mass boat removal on Cortes Island scheduled for this month has been changed by BC Parks.

Last month, BC Parks left notices on dozens of boats on the beach at Mansons Spit. slated for removal by mid-November. The notices refered to the Park, Conservancy and Recreation Area Regulation and gave owners 30 days to remove the boats or else the vessels will be removed and destroyed.

On Nov. 7, CKTZ reported that BC Parks media representative David Karn confirmed that, “57 boats in the area have been identified for removal.” 

On Nov. 9, Karn updated the media upon request, clarifying that less boats would be dealt with in November: 15 boats, instead of 57 vessels, will be removed in the coming weeks

“BC Parks is taking a phased approach …will be focused on the approximately 15 boats identified as unseaworthy…Information will be communicated through community engagement,” he stated.

Karn also suggested that it is BC Park's intention to engage the community and First Nations directly moving forward on the erosion mitigation concerns at Mansons Spit, also know by its Indigenous name "Clytosin."

Lisa Ferentinos, a local to Cortes, received the notice on her kayak last month. Ferentinos has a boat moored in Mansons Lagoon and uses her kayak to access the moored boat often. She has commented publicly on cortesisland.com about the notices and she also wrote a letter on behalf of local residents to a BC Parks officer, Thomas Porsborg, asking for a cooperative solution to the issues of erosion and small boat use in the park.

Karn confirmed with CKTZ that BC Parks officers will not offer an interview to the media at this time.

To hear more, listen to the CKTZ News Update below: