Qualicum’s waterfront could leave us beach-less, if sea level rises live up to some scientific predictions.
The Town of Qualicum Beach is in year three of a waterfront master plan. Refurbishing the scenic waterfront into an interesting, safe and usable space for residents and tourists provides challenges and tremendous opportunities.
The challenges predicted include the effects of sea level rise, extreme storm surge, earthquake and/or tsunami.
Any one of these occurrences could dramatically alter the opportunities to relax on the Qualicum waterfront beach. Currently the sandy beach is only available for castle building and wriggling your toes during the few hours per day when the tide is low.
Several meters of cobble-rock of the backshore and foreshore has to be crossed to be able to enjoy this sand at low tide.
The Town of Qualicum Beach has access to a large quantity of clean sand at the pit on the south end of Qualicum Road. Twenty or 30 truckloads of sand strategically placed in suitable locations downslope from the concrete wall could provide a lot of playtime and toe wiggling pleasure this summer.
Perhaps the $150,000 dollars in the planning budget could include some sand to create a more accessible beach. I have uploaded more waterfront improvement ideas at: www.ouroceansidewater.com.
Trevor WicksQualicum Beach