Hoskyn Channel is the body of water separating Read and Quadra Islands. It is named after Richard Hoskyn, a Royal Navy officer who retired in 1867. In 1999, a group of about ten families and Marine Harvest purchased a net cleaning barge-float for $2,850. Five years later, Regional Director Jim Abram secured a lease on the 0.8 acre Quadra Island dock site. The SRD provided $10,000 to have a ramp built, but the work was done by volunteers. On November 15, 2019, Paul Grey, President of BC Marine Trails (BCMT) informed the SRD “the Hoskyn Channel Launch is steep and requires a four-wheel drive.”
Changed The Designation
In a subsequent letter, dated January 27, 2020, Grey informed the Board that the Hoskyn Channel Landing is “one of dozens of congested locations on the BC Coast used by multiple stakeholder groups … To work collegially with the SRD we changed the designation on our map to no longer refer to it as a launch site. We note on our map it is a difficult location due to the steepness of the hill and the congestion. The Landing is most ideal for quick access to Surge Narrows by kayak companies and individuals to access the rapids. This type of use is incidental to BCMT and does not represent our user group. This is worth noting as BCMT ultimately has very little to no influence on the overall congestion facing Hoskyn Channel Landing.”
No Room For A Launch Site
Director Charlie Cornfield said he has driven out to the site and confirms what Grey had said about the steepness of the road.
Regional Director Jim Abram added, “There is no room for anything, especially a launch site … We’re saying it is not a launch site for boats, but they are not saying you cannot go down there with a trailer and eight kayaks on it.”
The Electoral Areas Services Committee’s recommendation was that Mr Grey be advised that the SRD cannot support Hoskyn Channel Landing as a launch site, but it is willing to work as a cooperative partner in recreational use, planning, and management in the region.
Directors Abram and Leigh moved that this course of action be followed and the motion carried.
Top Photo Credit: Hoskyn Channel Landing from Discovery Islands-Mainland Inlets (Electoral Area C) Parks, courtesy SRD website