Hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars at stake, Barbary Coast Marina says
Brian Morton
Sun
CREDIT: Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun James MacMillan (front), Russell Bennett and David Carroll are looking for a new home for their charter boat businesses.
Several charter boat operators being forced to move by the expansion of the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre may have to shut down if they can’t find a new home in Coal Harbour, an operator said Wednesday.
“They certainly won’t have anywhere to go,” said James MacMillan, who operates cruises from Barbary Coast Marina near Canada Place, in an interview. “I don’t know if we’ll close. I can’t even think of that.”
MacMillan said three charter boat companies located at the Barbary Coast Marina have been given until the end of next week to stay at their current location in Coal Harbour.
He said that city hall is now mulling a proposal that would allow the boats to move part of their wharf to a water lot in front of Harbour Park, about 300 metres west of their current home. He said three of four planning advisers have recommended that the city approve the interim move, which would be for three years.
Until then, he said, they can only wait. “We’re certainly hoping to [make the move]. Hopefully, this will go quickly.”
MacMillan said they just want to get the same treatment as the float-plane companies operating out of Vancouver harbour, which were also facing eviction because of the convention centre expansion but have been allowed to temporarily relocate to a new home in Coal Harbour.
“We presumed that we’d have a place to go, but we got left out of the discussions. We were forgotten here, because everybody was concerned about the planes.”
MacMillan said the charter boats, which can carry up to 350 passengers, have supported Vancouver‘s tourism industry for decades, adding that the six boats impacted by the move also take part in the annual Carol Ships parade of ships at Christmas.
According to a news release, businesses located at Barbary Coast Marina stand to lose millions of dollars and hundreds of employees will lose jobs.
MacMillan said that whatever happens, his cruises will find a way to participate in this year’s Carol Ships parade of ships through Vancouver harbour. “We’ll find a way to be in it. But it’s difficult.”
Jim Lehto, a development consultant for Barbary Coast Marina and the charter boats, said it may be several weeks before the city approves the permit to move and that, in the meantime, operators are looking for another interim location until the permit is approved. “We’re scrambling.”
Lehto said the cruise operators hoped to be included in the permit that allowed the float planes to move, but it didn’t happen. “We’re high and dry.”
Unlike the float-plane application, Lehto doesn’t expect the same type of opposition from local residents. “A lot of the issues with the float planes is not there with the boats. We may have an open house on this.”
Norman Stowe, spokesman for the Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Project, said the charter boats will have to be moved by the end of next week.
“We’ve been talking to the marine people and the float-plane people for about a year,” said Stowe in an interview. “This is no surprise for them. They [charter boats] asked to stay until January, but that’s impossible. That part of the site we have to work on first and our time frame is tight. There will be no extension.”
Stowe said it’s up the city of Vancouver to find a new place for the charter boats.
© The Vancouver Sun 2004
