Live Aboard Boaters

The following letter was sent and published by both the Dailey News and the Nanaimo News Bulletin. Nanaimo is a fantastic place to live and for the Port Authority to try their best to eliminate one way of life seems ludicrous. Yes we want to make sure people don't polute our waters but to over-regulate to the point of making it almost impossible for many of those living in the harbour to continue doing so is simply put, STUPID. I for one have always enjoyed seeing some of the very interesting boats some people call home, I am sure there are many others that do as well.


This is a harbour city and with that comes people who will call the harbour home. For many this is a form of affordable housing, it is also a way of life. Is the Port Authority working to "gentrify' the harbour? With the proposed and currently under construction waterfront condo's is this a means to eliminate what some would call unsightly?


To the Editor
Regarding Live Aboard Boaters in Nanaimo Harbour .

I am continually puzzled by the rational of decision making used by many of this Cities Governing bodies. It would seem that whatever vestiges of character Nanaimo possesses, they are always under attack and at threat of being eliminated.

People have lived on boats in the harbour for years and are part of the character of any harbour city. Of course we want to make sure they are not dumping waste into the harbour, what even remotely environmentally conscious person would not? If live aboard, as well as tourist, boaters are not availing themselves of sewage disposal facilities then fine them and make it a hefty one that would deter them from polluting in the future. Otherwise lets live and let live and not try to over-regulate to the point of destroying a way of life that actually adds to the character of Nanaimo and its' Harbour.