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Pilot Project to
Boost Marine Tourism
Times Colonist (Victoria), 09-Nov-2004
By Andrew A. Duffy
CHEMAINUS -- Cutting through red tape and regulation
will soon rival cutting through wakes in Vancouver
Island's marine tourism sector with the introduction of
the Marine Tourism Authority pilot project for the
Ladysmith-Cowichan area.
Unveiled in Chemainus Monday, the authority is being
established to determine the amount of regulation in the
system, make sense of it and come up with ways to get
through the impediments to economic expansion.
"This is going to be a co-ordinating body which can cut
through and across all the levels of government and the
agencies within to be able to encourage the kinds of
enterprises people are trying to get on with," said
Labour Minister Graham Bruce, MLA for
Cowichan-Ladysmith.
Jointly funded to the tune of $70,000 -- $50,000 from
the province and the balance from the regions involved
-- the authority is charged with developing a local
vision for marine tourism.
"Our first order of business is to understand the work
that has already been done ... and to get a good
understanding of the regulatory regime ... with federal
provincial and local governments (involved) frankly I
don't know if any of us completely understand how all of
that works," said Jim Cosh, a retired senior partner
from KPMG who will chair the authority.
The authority has a three-pronged attack in mind.
Within the next year, it intends to develop an inventory
and sector analysis of marine tourism assets and
activities; develop a strategic plan for expansion of
the various sectors that constitute marine tourism and
identify challenges or impediments to expansion.
Bruce said the industry could have made more use of it,
if entrepreneurs didn't have to jump through thousands
of bureaucratic and regulatory hoops.
And if he sounded as though he was electioneering, Bruce
made no apologies.
"Absolutely it does," he said after asking himself if
the announcement had anything to do with the upcoming
spring election. "I'm not sure what and when good
government stops and when it starts and when it becomes
political or not.
"We've been working on this for the last couple of years
... now it's here, if that's political then it's good
politics as far as I'm concerned."
According to Cosh there's plenty of opportunity to make
things happen, and it's imperative the area diversify
its economy in the wake of mill closures.
Also sitting on the authority's board: Gary Marshall
from the Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Marina
Association, Dorothy Alexander of the Brigantine Pub,
Bud Bell of Sealegs Kayaking Adventures, Herman Thomas
from the Halalt Band, Geoff Millar with the Cowichan
Economic Development Commission, North Cowichan Mayor
John Lefebure, Rob Hutchins, mayor of Ladysmith, Mike
Tansley, CVRD director, development consultant Pat
English, and Tom Lee from the Small Business Ministry |
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