Victoria, Esquimalt enter contest for swimming dock funding

Swimmers in Greater Victoria could have new docks to swim from within the subsequent few years.

The City of Victoria, and neighbouring Esquimalt Township, are making use of for the WAVE prize — a grant that will cowl as much as 80 per cent of the prices of swimming infrastructure round pure our bodies of water.

Both municipalities would use the funding so as to add docks on their respective sections of the Gorge Waterway — a heat, slim channel off Victoria’s Inner Harbour that could be a common place to swim in the summertime, and is even utilized by some swimmers year-round.

There is already one dock alongside the waterway, at Victoria’s Banfield Park, that is so common that metropolis councillors agree there’s an urge for food for extra — and residents of Esquimalt have been asking their council to get one constructed too.

“We’ve heard strongly that we’d like to have our own here in the township,” stated Robbie Young, parks supervisor for Esquimalt.

The township has already begun planning to construct a sequence of docks, beginning with one within the common Esquimalt Gorge Park — which has a brand new public constructing, with washrooms and a big car parking zone. 

While particulars for the venture aren’t absolutely sorted, Young stated there would possible be a gangway main from the land to a small floating dock. 

He stated having a piece of the prices coated can be an enormous assist. 

The WAVE prize was introduced in November. It’s coordinated by a Canadian non-profit group referred to as Swim Drink Fish, which works to guard water and join folks to it, with monetary assist from the Weston household.

Swim Drink Fish is providing as much as 5 grants of $3 million to $15 million to native authorities and First Nations in B.C., with a purpose of serving to to extend public swimming entry to pure water in city areas.

Separate from the prize, the non-profit can be serving to to fund the development of a floating swimming platform in North Vancouver, with a donation from the Weston household.

In Victoria, there weren’t any energetic plans so as to add extra docks, however when Coun. Krista Loughton heard in regards to the WAVE prize she figured that wanted to alter. 

She satisfied her fellow councillors to authorize employees to take a look at the viability of the prize, a venture it could fund, and whether or not different funding is likely to be obtainable, and employees rapidly got here again with concepts. 

They’ve prompt two potential areas — and say there have an interest neighborhood donors to cowl the extra prices for each.

The prize cash would both be used so as to add extra capability at Banfield Park or to create a model new dock on the opposite facet of the Gorge at Cecelia Cove Park, a small space of shoreline on the foot of the Selkirk Trestle.

Loughton instructed CBC News she believes individuals are extra prone to care for the surroundings if they’ll get pleasure from it, so getting extra folks to the water might help shield it. 

Plus, she added, it’s enjoyable. 

“It’s really, really good for people to have access to something that just brings them joy and happiness,” stated Loughton.

The deadline to use for the prize is Jan. 30, 2026. 

According to Swim Drink Fish, winners shall be introduced “on a rolling basis” all year long.