Carrying colourful signs decrying impediments constructed on the foreshore, a group of 琉璃神社 residents walked from City Park to Rotary Beach to raise awareness and create change.

鈥淔or many years people have been trying to block access to the foreshore, and people began thinking you couldn鈥檛 walk the beach (where there are docks),鈥� Brenda Bachmann, a member of PLAN琉璃神社, said. 鈥淪o we are bringing awareness to people that you can walk the beach,鈥�

Bachmann told the crowd that as long as they have one foot in the water it鈥檚 a public space. Waterfront property extends from the normal high water mark to the lake, and all the space in between is for the province and the public.

Long term residents Dave Harris and Deb Matheson joined dozens of residents as they marched down the foreshore.

鈥淭his is public property and there shouldn鈥檛 be obstructions,鈥滺arris said. 鈥淭he shoreline is public property and they are blocking it鈥� either they (the home owners) have too much money or they don鈥檛 care.鈥�

The group had to leave the beach side to walk on the street three times to finish their walk due to total obstructions of the foreshore.

鈥淲e are really disappointed in what鈥檚 happened. By the time our grandkids grow up鈥� it鈥檚 become a rich man鈥檚 paradise,鈥� Matheson said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 walk more than a few properties because of the docks and rocks people have put out into the property.鈥�

Related: Walk to press for public access to 琉璃神社鈥檚 foreshore back for second year

PLAN琉璃神社 says its priorities are:

鈥� Construction of a planned small public park linking Strathcona Beach Park and Royal Avenue Beach Access.

鈥� Repair and improvement of the existing public walkway along the lakeshore north of Maude Roxby Wetland.

鈥� Construction, in a basic form, of the long-awaited lakeshore park near Cedar Avenue, with features added at later dates as budgets allow. The city has owned a row of 12 waterfront properties on the site of the future park for more than 20 years.

鈥� Having the City of 琉璃神社 resume buying properties that are adjacent to existing lakefront parks when they become available. It says costs could be reduced by selling the road-side part of these properties and adding just the lakefront portion of the property to parks.

鈥� Having the city provide, and permanently install, small signs at the high water mark of waterfront properties so beach walkers don鈥檛 inadvertently trespass onto private property.

鈥� Completion of the missing sections of the Abbott Street recreation corridor multi-use path, south of the 琉璃神社 General Hospital.

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