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Grohman Creek residents pitch dock to Nelson council

Grohman Creek residents are asking for foreshore rights for a dock on the Nelson side of the lake.
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Steven Thomson

Residents of Grohman Creek asked Nelson council Monday for support in getting an improved landing dock on the Nelson side of the lake, but council members were reluctant to commit to anything until a planning process for the waterfront is complete.

“We are requesting that the City of Nelson consider a partnership which would grant foreshore for a dock for Grohman Creek residents,” Steven Thomson of the Grohman Creek Docking Society said. “The location of interest is the bay southwest of Cottonwood Creek near the old transfer station.”

The formal application for a foreshore dock location would have to be made by the city to the provincial and federal governments.

“We are a community that seems remote but the door-to-door access is quicker than Blewett, Bonnington, or Six Mile,” Thomson said. “The big difference is that our community uses boats to travel home.”

Thomson said a location close to the old transfer station would mean the shortest travel distance for the 20 permanent Grohman residents who travel to Nelson for work, shopping, entertainment, and recreation. He said the population of Grohman Creek sometimes reaches 60 in the summer. Residents currently dock their boats in a variety of inconvenient or restrictive places and there are related parking problems.

“Some residents park their boats on the beach, some use the Nelson city wharf by the Prestige and some are members of the Kootenay Launch Club. All options are very restrictive,. For example, from mid-March until mid-May boats cannot park at the launch club because of low water, which forces residents of the community to park at the small public dock or somewhere along the shoreline.”

Thomson also pointed out the dock would serve Baldface Lodge.

He told council the community recently built an $80,000 dock on the Grohman side with only $5,000 in grant funding from the Regional District of Central Kootenay and residents pay $300 per year for upkeep. He suggested a partnership with the city on a similar model for a dock on the Nelson side.

“We have other ideas that may help the city with this area,” Thomson said. “This includes a lakefront city campground with dock access and local walking trails. This would be popular for tourists, providing campers with an amazing location and direct access to the lake for recreation as well as to the community for food, shopping and entertainment. It could also provide the city with more public docking at a low cost as the city’s current dock is small, only allowing moorage for three small boats.”

Council’s response was that no decision can be made until the planning process for the waterfront is complete, and that depends on both the Regional District of Central Kootenay, which still needs to decide on the level of environmental remediation needed at the former landfill site, and the CPR that owns land in the area. Council offered no suggestions as to how long the planning process will take. The city is currently engaged in planning processes for Railtown and the bottom end of Hall St.

Thomson asked that when that planning eventually happens, the docking society be involved.

Mayor Deb Kozak said the society’s presentation would be passed on to planning staff but gave no clear indication of how or when it will be dealt with.

The docking society’s presentation to council along with maps and drawings are attached below.

Grohman Creek Dock



Bill Metcalfe

About the Author: Bill Metcalfe

I have lived in Nelson since 1994 and worked as a reporter at the Nelson Star since 2015.
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