Posted: Jun. 5, 2024 6:28PMJade Resort on Quadra Island is a hillside waterfront getaway in beautiful Gowland Harbour.“Yeah, it’s hurting business,” said Jade Resort owner Holly Fink. “People want to be able to use the docks but they can’t use the docks because the house is there. We have an oceanfront resort property, people want to pull their boats up to the docks, they want to fish off the docks, launch their kayaks, and it’s impossible with that there.
The condition has deteriorated significantly since then, and it could cost as much as $300,000 to remove it, but no one is taking responsibility.Dean Mueller bought the property three years ago, and the barge sank the day after possession.“We’ve all been doing our part and doing our best to go out and retrieve pieces of it floating in the harbour. There are lots of kayakers around, and there’s lots of children kayaking from the kid’s camp next door. It’s really dangerous.
“I’ve offered to clean it up myself if I can but I’m not allowed to touch it. No one’s allowed to touch it, no one’s allowed to go around it,” Mueller said.Sign up for the CHEK Now daily email newsletter to get breaking news and the day's top stories sent to your email.In the meantime, the old floating lodge continues to fall apart piece by piece.
“This is an environmental crisis, and yes, we use biodegradable products, and we promote eco-conscious travelling, and then there’s this,” Stark said. “We’ve had paint cans and even a refrigerator float out of it.”In a statement to CHEK News, the Strathcona Regional District said, “The SRD was previously made aware of the floating lodge and investigated to determine what, if any, jurisdiction it had over its mooring.