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Letter: Turkey Head just the first step in rethinking our waterfront plan

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I hope the incredibly selfish and uninspired viewpoint of the letter concerning the re-imagining of Turkey Head doesn’t reflect the greater community (and equal stakeholders) of Oak Bay.

At a time when cities across North America are razing warehouse districts and rerouting traffic corridors to maximize the potential of their modest waterfronts on rivers, lakes, or lucky few, the ocean, we absolutely need to rethink what these areas can be doing for our community. Our visitor and walking friendly city is woefully underserved by our waterfront. The City of Victoria has done an admirable job linking Ogden Point, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Inner Harbour and West Bay creating one of the finest urban marine walks in Canada.

Not Oak Bay. Need a revitalizing coffee or a snack between Ogden Point in the Inner Harbour and Oak Bay Beach Hotel? Nope. How about a simple public toilet stop for those endless streams of earnest walkers and their children between Gonzales Bay and the Oak Bay Marina. Nope again. Having a hot summer walk with your dog and need a drink of fresh water? Good luck. The only public fountain between Gonzales Bay and Oak Bay Marina is an unmarked tap with a spigot, on a lawn across from McNeill Bay thats not even near a sidewalk.

We deserve better than this, and as stakeholders in the future of this rare asset we will have these dialogues.

Nicholas Wemyss

Oak Bay