Jack Adelaars view on this topic is very simplistic and misses the point entirely. The substantial opposition (> 1250) that has formed against the docks is not targeting the issues of privately owned, beach front properties, foreshore leases or private docks. The campaign against the docks is about the protection of the public good, a public good that is both non-excludable and non-rivalrous in that individuals cannot be effectively excluded from use and where use by one individual does not reduce availability to others. Under threat is the public good of Cape Roger Curtis’ coast line and the entire foreshore area spanning across all waterfront properties of the Cape on Bowen, including the untouched nature of this coastal range, the undisturbed marine flora and fauna, the unobstructed panoramic views, the drift wood, the sunsets, the intact beaches, the unimpeded access, the unique atmosphere, the tidal pools, the historic and spiritual dimension. Nowhere is the value of this public good better described than on the website of the “Cape on Bowen” protagonists: “A timeless island property…the Cape on Bowen is a very rare oceanfront property. Its beaches, trails, shorelines, and dense woods have been virtually untouched for more than 50 years. Best of all, it is only 20 minutes’ sail away from Vancouver.…sites are exceptionally private, and enjoy transcendent views of the ocean and neighboring islands…there is truly nothing like it.” There is truly nothing like it on Bowen Island and in the entire Howe Sound. This answers the question, why the planned docks on Cape Roger Curtis attract so much more attention than other areas on Bowen Island. There is truly nothing left like the Cape Roger Curtis and the intelligent, sensitive and informed people who have joined the campaign against the docks understand this. The value of this public good is under threat by the planned developments of docks, 4 approved and 2 under application with a potential other 12 to come. These docks – whether they’ll be 60m, 80m, 100m, 120m or longer - individually and jointly will destroy these irreplaceable values.
The docks are simply wrong! The docks have to be stopped!

It's amazing how out of step our mayor is with the feelings of Bowen Islanders. Over 1250 people have signed a petition and raised their voices against these docks - and that's more than a third of the population. And he seems to confuse our public beaches with private property, implying that anyone with waterfront property somehow has a right to plonk a giant dock over our shared public land. It was Bowen Council that made a great mistake in not clearly opposing these docks when the Province sought input during the approval process, as the Province looks to Council and not the public for its opinion. Since then Council has been trying to overcome this with a new bylaw, but it looks like it's too late for the Don Ho Dock to be prevented. Meanwhile, on TheCapeOnBowen.ca website, there is still ad copy proclaiming "the untouched shores" that make their development so rare and valuable. What hypocrisy.

As a nearly thirty year resident of Bowen I feel sickened by this absolute desecration of such a spectacularly beautiful area. What an absolute and total shame.

It's pretty worrying when the mayor doesn't understand the difference between public and private property, nor recognize his duty to protect the public interest.

It seems the owners could only make claims about the environment, not speak to the wisdom of their choices. I wonder how their neighbours feel about them ruining that gorgeous landscape that they push so hard on TheCapeOnBowen.ca website. Perhaps they will soon update those lovely photos with the new dystopian reality.

It is abominable that the Bowen Island Municipal Council acts in collusion with the developers of Cape Roger Curtis and in direct opposition to the public interest of Bowen Island. Council's failure to preserve the Cape foreshore as a publicly accessible domain unemcumberred by private structures is, in my opinioin, a clear case of duplicitous abuse of government.

Furthermore, the appearance of conflict of interest inherent in the presence of Wolfgang Dunst, who is known to have formally represented the developers in the past, has had an application for a dock turned down by past a council, and who would likely benefit financially from the development of the Cape through the provision of water from his private water facility on Cowan Point, is blatant.

This is one example of an appearance of conflict. There are others.

Developers Ho and Lee need to demonstrate the ability to erect docks without difficulty to sell the rest of the lots. Our opportunity here is to limit the size and density of docks. Their disregard for due process is apparent in the proceding with construction while the issue is still on the table.

At this point, given the council's conduct, I a m curious as to whether or not the RCMP has been asked to intervene and investigate the abuse of process and office, the many examples from the mayor's absence of comprehension of the concepts of private property versus public interest to councilors' conflicts?

The bottom line is people with waterfront will side with the pro-dock proponents, and those without will be against, as access to the waterfront - especially to excercise the public right to unimpeded walks along the foreshore - is dependent on an absence of industrial sized piers.

Council is evidently incapable of representing the vast majority who do now have waterfront, and it is my sincere hope that in the next election, such gross abuse of the democratic process will be remedied by the election of a council much more in tune with the natural character of Bowen Island, and not representative of the character of the developers pf the Cape on Bowen, which is elitist and not representative of democratic principles.

In 2011 a mayor was elected that knew little about Bowen and seemed to care even less. He speaks for a small group of libertarian citizens who somehow got him elected. But watching any of the video archives of Bowen Island Municipality meetings reveals how little tolerance he has for dissent, and how little homework he does. He frequently engages in tirades against other Councillors and citizens, he displays impatience, vitriol and outright hatred of folks like the live-aboards who live on boats in Mannion Bay. He is championing an initiative to withdraw our Island from the protection of the Islands Trust without even knowing what the Islands Trust is or how it works. Visit the BIM website and watch him in action. http://bimbc.ca/current_topics.php?nnid=831#831

The most relevant council meeting for these megadocks is not accessible on the site Chris Corrigan mentions, because it was an in camera meeting in which council reversed its decision to not recommend these dock applications to recommending them with a couple of feeble conditions.

The municipal staff saw all this crap coming -- the problems with the environmental impact, the issues over the huge size of these docks, the concerns about private interests trumping public interests -- and laid it out in a pretty clear report.

What the hell happened? I doubt we'll ever know in spite of all the FOI requests lodged by the struggling Stop The Docks group, but what I do know is I'm not voting for Jack Adelaar, and the rest of Bowen Island Municipal Council better get its act together on this issue or they're for the high jump, too. This is ON THE AGENDA, Jack.