Kelvin Grove Officially Off Limits

[KrisB]

Councilor Peach Akerhielm has added a new article regarding diving at Lions Bay to the lionsbay.net site, here is a link Lions Bay Community Online BC Canada - Visitors, Visitors! .

Most interesting is that the article indicates they will not be enforcing the diving ban in the immediate future, though it gives no indication of if/when they may decide to start enforcing it again.

I'd still avoid breaking the law -- they will use that as ammunition against divers when they decide to revisit it.

 

[fire_diver]

So what was the result of the council meeting? Did you get an idea of the council members feelings on this?

 

[Sintax604]

Good spotting, Scott.

Maybe now is the time to get started on that information/poster campaign. If we can show them that we can be good visitors during this intermediate period, hopefully it will help to sway their final decision.

I'm happy to do the work but I'm out of town this weekend... if we can all agree that this is a good course of action, hopefully we can get something drafted for sending to all the local dive shops early next week.

 

[sschlesi]

Good spotting, Scott.

Maybe now is the time to get started on that information/poster campaign. If we can show them that we can be good visitors during this intermediate period, hopefully it will help to sway their final decision.

I'm happy to do the work but I'm out of town this weekend... if we can all agree that this is a good course of action, hopefully we can get something drafted for sending to all the local dive shops early next week.

I'd certainly be willing to collaborate on this, however I will be in Quebec until the 20th.

 

[tregrrr]

So correct me if I am wrong...


My take on the "will not be enforcing" and "Council has sent it back to the legal advisors who reviewed the bylaw before it was passed" bits in the midst of a dissertation extolling the community of Lions Bay's attempts to balance the embrace of visitors with their mitigation .... boils down to:


Basically we can go blow bubbles, and we can be very respectful and humble and not cause any trouble in doing so. If trouble arises then they have already indicated their willingness to put their foot down and we will have to tar and feather the miscreant(s) if found....

assent dissent??

 

[tregrrr]

I stopped by the site yesterday coming back from Porteau..... I just wanted to get a feel for the place, not having been before.

Now i am sure I want to dive there...

According to some residents (swimming their dogs at the beach) the council is responding to ONE individual. They do not know how this one person manged to get so much pull over council or what his malfunction is... he never even uses the beach that is right beside his home. They believe this individual is most likely the source of all the incriminating photographic 'evidence'...

One curiously ironic point they put out:

The Squamish RCMP was called in the past on this gentleman whilst he was standing in his window NUDE holding naught but a camera....

I had to share...

 

[mustang_5l]

This just keeps getting better and better

 

[paddledive]

I have been able to prompt some very basic dialogue with Lions Bay. The extent of the input from Lions Bay was that I had to complete this form

http://lionsbay.synaxisits.com/DelegationRequestForm.pdf

if I wished to formally bring any issues to Council's attention while at their meetings.
The filled out Delegation form for Council meetings must be received no later than 4:00pm the Wednesday prior to the regularly scheduled Council meeting. The next scheduled Council meeting is on Monday, September 21, 2009.

I think I possess a fair bit of humility, but I have to admit that I had a smirk on my face when I read that I had to precisely follow their procedures if I wished to discuss the concern that they were doing something unlawful.

On the same topic, but different note, Peach Akerhielm has posted this letter to visitors on lionsbay.net

Lions Bay Community Online BC Canada - Visitors, Visitors!

I personally feel that Peach is well written in general, but in a nice patronizing manner. As a visitor reading "Visitors, visitors!" I kinda felt like I was a peasant being summoned by Julias Ceasar (wasn't he eventually destroyed by members of his own party?). Later she writes that visitors may become "an honorary resident of Lions Bay for the day" upon paying a $10 fee.

I wrote back to Peach asking that she reconsider her choice of written language when drafting open letters to the public. I explained that her latest letter only exemplifies the belief that Lions Bay is an elitist community.....I'm yet to see a reply from her.

 

[fisheater]

I have been able to prompt some very basic dialogue with Lions Bay. The extent of the input from Lions Bay was that I had to complete this form

http://lionsbay.synaxisits.com/DelegationRequestForm.pdf

if I wished to formally bring any issues to Council's attention while at their meetings.
The filled out Delegation form for Council meetings must be received no later than 4:00pm the Wednesday prior to the regularly scheduled Council meeting. The next scheduled Council meeting is on Monday, September 21, 2009.

I think I possess a fair bit of humility, but I have to admit that I had a smirk on my face when I read that I had to precisely follow their procedures if I wished to discuss the concern that they were doing something unlawful.

On the same topic, but different note, Peach Akerhielm has posted this letter to visitors on lionsbay.net

Lions Bay Community Online BC Canada - Visitors, Visitors!

I personally feel that Peach is well written in general, but in a nice patronizing manner. As a visitor reading "Visitors, visitors!" I kinda felt like I was a peasant being summoned by Julias Ceasar (wasn't he eventually destroyed by members of his own party?). Later she writes that visitors may become "an honorary resident of Lions Bay for the day" upon paying a $10 fee.

I wrote back to Peach asking that she reconsider her choice of written language when drafting open letters to the public. I explained that her latest letter only exemplifies the belief that Lions Bay is an elitist community.....I'm yet to see a reply from her.

I'm not Canadian, so I might be missing some of the local subtleties, but it looks like Peach is offering local residents as dive guides. "Council’s reasoning in drafting the new clause was that if one of our own residents can accompany a group of divers while they are here, that group will likely treat the neighborhood with more respect."

Sounds mighty neighborly to me. You local divers should take Peach up on her offer.

 

[Sintax604]

I wrote back to Peach asking that she reconsider her choice of written language when drafting open letters to the public. I explained that her latest letter only exemplifies the belief that Lions Bay is an elitist community.....I'm yet to see a reply from her.

Nice job paddledive, keep the pressure on them

It seems that we've got a bit of a good cop/bad cop thing going here, as I just finished a potential communication to the dive shops and council. It is more for the benefit of council as it shows that we are willing to make an effort to be better visitors. I'm sure the dive shops won't pay much attention to it but from council's perspective, it's a nice gesture.

Please let me know if there's anything I should change/add or if you think it shouldn't be sent at all:

Dear shop manager,

As you are probably aware, the Village of Lions Bay recently enacted a bylaw prohibiting non-residents from diving Kelvin Grove. The motivation for this bylaw was "an irresponsible minority have had a pattern of stripping down, sometimes to total nudity, at their cars up in the parking lot and then urinating around the parking lot, or doing this in the park, even in front of people with children."

A group of local divers have been actively working to have this bylaw repealed by writing letters to Lions Bay Council, attending council meetings and discussing the issue with divers as well as residents of Lions Bay. Our efforts combined with public dissent and unfavorable media exposure have resulted in the bylaw being put on hold, for now - "Council has sent it back to the legal advisors who reviewed the bylaw before it was passed, and asked them for a closer look and a briefing. We will not in the meantime be enforcing this clause. If it turns out to be impractical, Council will look at other means of achieving the aims of our OCP in this case."

Please help us demonstrate to the residents of Lions Bay that divers are responsible, respectful, and willing to make an effort to work with council to ensure our continued access to Kelvin Grove. We ask that you do not discourage divers from visiting Kelvin Grove but remind them that special consideration is required when visiting sites that are in close proximity to residential neighbourhoods. In particular, please point out the following:

-Kelvin Grove Park is open from 6:30am until 10pm daily
-Washroom facilities exist in the park - please use them
-There are 5 visitor parking spaces with a 3 hour time limit (free parking)
-Parking in resident-only parking spaces is permitted with the purchase of a parking pass from Lions Bay Marina
-Changing in the parking lot is not permitted as it is in clear view of several homes

This message is being sent to all local dive shops as well as Lions Bay Council members with the hope that our proactive approach will appease Council and put an end to this bylaw.

Thank you for your help.