The District of Squamish has applied for a 30-year licence to install a public kayak dock on the Mamquam Blind Channel, marking the latest step in a waterfront access project approved by council two years ago.
The application, now open for public comment until January 23, seeks provincial approval under the Community and Institutional Crown Land Policy. The dock will provide residents with access to non-motorized water activities while protecting sensitive shoreline habitat from erosion caused by informal launching sites.
Developer-Built, District-Operated
Kingswood Crescent Developments, the proponents of Redbridge, will construct the facility as part of a land development agreement with the district. Once complete, the district will own and operate the dock, which will connect to a new waterfront park on the upland property.
Council approved the dock location in 2023 as a requirement of the developer’s agreement. The agreement has been submitted with the provincial application, along with a council resolution endorsing the project.
The installation will feature a 15-metre gangway ramp leading to a floating dock measuring 18 square metres. The dock will be anchored to four steel piles driven approximately 15 metres into the channel bed, with collars preventing the structure from grounding during low tides. A launch ramp centred on the floating dock will allow kayakers to launch independently.
Environmental Protection Cited
District officials say the designated access point will prevent trail braiding and trampling of riparian vegetation along the shoreline. By providing a single entry point to the channel, the dock aims to concentrate use and protect foreshore habitat degraded by multiple informal launch sites.
Construction will use prefabricated aluminum frames, polyethylene floats filled with EPS foam, and composite decking materials assembled off-site. Contractors will transport the components to the installation site.
Pile driving will require a small flat-bottomed barge positioned in the channel during mid-to-high tides. The barge will rest on the channel bottom at low tide while an excavator-mounted driver installs the four steel pipes through a PVC template for precise placement. The district expects the work to take no more than three days.
Access to the completed dock will be through the existing Scott Crescent Road and a new pedestrian walkway along the channel, both part of the Redbridge development.
The public comment period runs through January 23, 2026.
Please consult people with a disability for accessibility, not just someone with an accessibility certificate. We’re here, and happy to help. We don’t need accessibility to take up space, we want it integrated in a smart way which can only be done in the planning stages. This is so we can coexist, but it will also open up the amount of people able to use your projects, whether it be homes or docks.
Squamish watersports has a lift for disabled customers to be used with their kayaks.
How many parking spots are going to be designated to the kayakers that will be using this launch site ?
This project has a number of problems related to the “TIDE”. When the tide if out the entire blind channel is not water but “MUD” There is very little water in the channel at tide (out) time from before the 99 Bridge. If the so called kayak launching area is to be located as indicated you can launch at high tide but no able to launch or return at at low tide. Another question is the increase in traffic to launch and pick up the boats and the people. The street is public but the paths and some off street parking is common property to the Redbridge Development. Basically this is a dumb ides and will cause a change in the channel that could not be worse.
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This project has a number of problems related to the “TIDE”. When the tide if out the entire blind channel is not water but “MUD” There is very little water in the channel at tide (out) time from before the 99 Bridge. If the so called kayak launching area is to be located as indicated you can launch at high tide but no able to launch or return at at low tide. Another question is the increase in traffic to launch and pick up the boats and the people. The street is public but the paths and some off street parking is common property to the Redbridge Development. Basically this is a dumb ides and will cause a change in the channel that could not be worse.
Why would the district operate the site and not the strata of the Redbridge Development? Realistically, there will be next to no public parking in that area, which is definitely needed if you are bringing a watercraft there, so the site main users will be Redbridge residents. Just have them as the site operator and require that they maintain public access. The DoS should not have to pay for operating this site.