Heritage boats belonging to the Ladysmith Maritime Society are being moved to a temporary site until a permanent home can be found for the small fleet.
Two vessels have already been hauled out of the water and stored at Saltair Marine Services in Ladysmith. The rest will be moved in the coming week.
“They’ll go one-by-one, day-by-day,” said Richard Wiefelspuett, executive director of the society.
The society owns three restored dinghies, five motorized heritage vessels and a tour boat, he said.
The 1938 Saravan tug, restored by volunteers and trainees, along with the 1947 C.A. Kirkegaard passenger vessel, restored and relaunched in 2021, are both at the new short-term site.
For many years, the boats “have been a key public attraction for the Ladysmith Community Marina, providing unique hands-on opportunities for young and old to get close and comfortable with the maritime heritage of our coast,” the society said in a statement.
The move was expected after the former Ladysmith Community Marina came under management of the Stz’uminus First Nation at the start of this year.
The society was informed by the nation that it must move out of marine structures by month’s end.
For decades the marina was operated and developed by the Maritime Society, which offered educational and recreational programs for the public.
Under a 2022 reconciliation agreement with the province, the Stz’uminus First Nation took over the marina, which sits on a provincial water lot lease. That lease was previously held by the city and granted to the society. It has been transferred to the Stz’uminus nation.
Chief John Elliot said in a statement on the nation’s website: “Our ancestors lived on this land, thus Ladysmith Harbour has great significance to our community. This sets the stage for making things right.”
“We embrace the economic and recreational opportunities at Ladysmith Harbour to build a sustainable future for current and future generations.”
The transfer has not gone smoothly.
The society failed in December to convince a B.C. Supreme court judge to grant an injunction that would have allowed it to continue managing the marina until a related court case was decided. In that court case, the society seeks a declaration that the marina facilities belong to the society.
Discussions have been underway with the province regarding the ownership of floating boathouses, including the welcome centre, museum, paddling centre, and work shed, at the marina, Wiefelspuett said.
The society maintains it owns the infrastructure, which it values at several million dollars, at the marina.
This month, the society issued a plea for support to help fund legal costs. It used to count on about $1 million in annual revenue through its marina operations, a funding source that has evaporated.
Meanwhile, the nation envisions redeveloping the marina and working toward a mini–Granville Island in the area. Its development arm is working with the province to remediate portions of the harbour.
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