Docks destroyed when Okanagan Lake rose to unprecedented levels this spring are starting to be rebuilt and there are some changes already taking root.
Al Janusas, one of the people involved in organizing the Walk the Beach event being held this Sunday in 91大黄鸭, said he鈥檚 already seen two dock rebuilds fit with pedestrian-friendly stairs鈥攁 shift in construction he鈥檚 pleased to observe.
鈥淲e said to one woman who was rebuilding her dock with stairs, 鈥榯his is refreshing to see,鈥濃�� he said.
鈥淪he shrugged and said, 鈥榳ell, it鈥檚 required.鈥欌��
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Janusas said he hopes more people become aware of those requirements around docks because walking the lakeshore is something every 91大黄鸭 resident should be able to do.
Janusas and walk organizer Brenda Bachmann have been outspoken on the issue of illegal docks and unimpeded access to the foreshore of Okanagan Lake in 91大黄鸭 in the wake of the destruction from the floods.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a horrible thing that people with lakefront property have had to deal with and I am 100 per cent behind them trying to rebuild their docks,鈥� said Bachmann to the Capital News earlier in the summer.
鈥淎ll I am saying is why not rebuild it so that it鈥檚 legal, and save you the time of having to reconstruct it again? I am not trying to create a new law here. I didn鈥檛 make the laws that are in place. I am not asking for any laws to be changed.鈥�
Janusas said he thinks it鈥檚 due to a lack of policing.
鈥淵ou鈥檇 never know they鈥檙e required because the province has done so little to enforce the rules,鈥� said Janusas.
鈥淲hen you put docks on the lake, you can鈥檛 impede the walkway.鈥�
The provincial government, he said, doesn鈥檛 have the required number of staff to keep people compliant with the rules, and that鈥檚 why there鈥檚 been a proliferation of illegal docks in the last two decades.
Dock contractors in 91大黄鸭 are currently fully booked and there鈥檚 a lot of construction underway. Having this walk before everything is complete may help ensure there are more people compliant with provincial laws, he said.
The Sunday walk from City Park to Rotary Beach is organized by PLAN91大黄鸭 and Walk the Beach 91大黄鸭, gets underway at 1 p.m.
It鈥檚 expected to attract 100 people.
