Another popular service on Parksville's famous beach is in danger of disappearing.
Kevin Forsythe of Windsurfing Parksville told city council on Monday night he has been asked to leave the location he's had for years, providing paddle boards, kayaks and windsurfing lessons. Forsythe was asking council for a spot somewhere in the park to continue his rental business after he said the owners of the boarded-up Parksville Beach Resort told him he must vacate their property just off the boardwalk.
This follows the closure of the concession in the park. Council has convened a special meeting for Tuesday (6 p.m. at city hall) to presumably make decisions around a request for proposals related to food trucks setting up in the park (see more on this below).
On Monday night, Forsythe told council he has been renting his equipment at the current location since 2008. He said 60 per cent of his business is done with tourists, the rest with locals. He also said he doesn't want any special favours from the city to operate on public land somewhere else in the park.
"I don't expect you guys to pick up the bill for anything," said Forsythe. "I'm not asking for anything other than permission to be there. I want to create a win-win situation for the city."
City councillors seemed amenable to the idea. "I think this is extremely important for Parksville," said Coun. Al Greir. "I think we need more entertainment, more things in the summer for tourists to do. We should make some changes to keep Kevin there."