Michelle Corfield, founder of Citizens to Save Our Harbour Coalition, is excited to hear that the proposed privatization of Nanaimo Boat Basin, the visiting vessel pier and the other leases, such as the floating restaurants, will remain under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government through the Nanaimo Port Authority (NPA).
The NPA today announced that the memorandum of agreement (MOA) it signed with Pacific Northwest Marina Group in May 2012 has not been extended past its April 1st, 2013 deadline. Pacific Northwest Marina Group will no longer be taking on the revitalization and long-term lease of the Nanaimo marina. The MOA was signed to work towards a 30-year lease of the Nanaimo marina.
“I have been vocally opposed to the privatization of our public working harbour since the announcement in May of last year,” said Corfield. “I have worked endless hours to gather information so that we, the public, could have a full and complete understanding of the potential impact of the privatization.”
Currently the NPA generates millions of dollars a year from the current activities within the harbour, and in turn the City and businesses of Nanaimo see an economic benefit that would have been lost if the deal had gone through, she said.
“I believe that the true iconic value of the Harbour has been preserved for future generations. We now are presented with a real opportunity for our friends, the Snuneymuxw First Nation, to have their voice heard and included in our public working harbour. This truly is a day that all citizens of Nanaimo, British Columbia, and Canada can celebrate,” Corfield said.
Corfield said she is encouraged and very confident that we can collaborate on how to move forward collectively and create the best harbour on the east coast of Vancouver Island. We have an amazing asset in our harbour.
“Let’s work together to make Nanaimo Harbour a place of inclusion; a place for everyone.”
For more information, please contact Michelle Corfield at michellecorfield@shaw.ca
