Wreck Beach: Battle Lines Are Drawn
The battle lines are drawn, as Howard aptly notes below. Tower #1 (the burgandy tower in the images) has been completed and despite assurances from the university and promises made to the Greater Vancouver Recreation District (GVRD), which oversees activity in this area, the upper floors of the tower can be plainly seen from areas of Wreck Beach (see the images here).The GVRD has forcibly insisted that the next phase of construction would not impose any undue impact on the beach, including sight lines of the towers to impinge on the beauty of the area. However, these two towers will have an even greater unobstructed view of the beach below. (These two towers are the purple and pink buildings in the images, buildings 4 & 5).
The university is ignoring everyone, including the GVRD, in the hopes they can just ramrod this through as fate accompli' before the November elections. Now they have tipped off another goal . . . to do away with the clothing-optional beach entirely. We need to keep pushing back and let them know our voices will not be silenced. We need to prod and shame the GVRD into action. Write those emails and get everyone else you know involved. Do it now!
These two images were created in Google Earth using the information available in the university's student-tower site plans. If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, you can download the KMZ file that depicts these buildings here. Google Earth is free, though to do the 'tilting' of images you would need to upgrade to Google Earth Plus for a real reasonable annual subscription of $20. Rick
"Seems never ending, but we MUST make our voice heard. This is the first time that UBC has actually come out publically and said they do not like the nudity on Wreck Beach. Read the following and you can see their long term goals - to denude the cliffs below their residential towers, and then push for a re-interpretation of nudity on Wreck Beach by the Attorney General. So, the battle lines are drawn. Get those letters in to Judy as she requests . . .
. . . right now - the MOST important goal - is to stop UBC from building the next towers. While the UBC seems to be in a steam-roller mode, sooner or later, they must yield to public pressure. That pressure must stay focused on maintaining the established and agreed to viewscape for Wreck Beach, as well as the potential environmental damage to the cliffs and the forests on those cliffs.
While most of us may be primarily concerned about saving Wreck Beach as a legal clothing optional beach, the first step is to stop UBC dead in its tracks. And we should avoid even the mention of the nude use of Wreck Beach.
So, let's take heed of Judy's advice, get those letters to Judy, and keep focused on the goal - and refrain from the mention of nude use.
Howard (NWNaturist Group Posting)
URGENT MESSAGE TO ALL WRECK BEACH SUPPORTERS
Judy Williams, CHAIR, WBPS
October 12, 2005
Judy Williams, CHAIR, WBPS
October 12, 2005
We thank naturists and individual supporters (FCN, FQN, INF, TNS, NAC, SLUGS, W-CANR, AANR) from around the world, who wrote or sent donations orboth. Altogether, the unity of naturists helped us raise thousands of dollars. However, once again, our coffers are low.
Those of us in the vanguard in Vancouver, B.C., thank you all with gratitude, but we must ask you to step up to the plate one final time with either pen or computer in hand. We are launching a FINAL letter writing and petition signing campaign in our battle to preserve the beauty of Wreck Beach. In just three days, earlier this month, we got 50 + letters before the October 5 public meeting. WE ESPECIALLY THANK ALL THE SLUGS WHO WROTE RECENTLY AND/OR WHO SENT DONATIONS. BLESS YOU.
Tower #1 now shows at low tide from out along the Breakwater and UBC in its arrogance says no one likes to go out there anyway. The tower lights blaze at night enticing migrating birds off course. Visitors from around the world come just to admire the view from near the mouth of the Fraser River so that they may look back across the vast tidal flats to admire the unbroken skyline where verdant, forested cliffs touch the blueness of the skies, and where the eagles train their young to hunt and glide the thermals.At the October 5, 2005 Open House and Public Hearings, UBC unveiled plansfor the last two 18-storey towers which will be visible from low to hightide areas in contravention of a GVRD July 29, 2005 resolution.
We need new letters NOW of support against the heights and locations of those remaining two towers, even if you have written before. UBC must understand that the public will be heard. We appreciate that the architects dropped the height of the original 20-storey tower closest to the cliff edge, terracing it from 5 to 7 storeys leading eastward away from the cliff edge toward Lower Mall Avenue. We have 45,000 signatures on petitions, but WE NOW NEED YOUR E-MAILED or FAXED LETTERS AS WELL. If you have not yet signed our petition, go to “Towers” on the
In the winter months when there are less leaves on the deciduous trees, one will see Tower #1 from many many points along the beach. And, unfortunately, the proposed two towers will show even more than Tower #1 from various points along the beach because of increased visibility at the gully heads since they lie south of Tower #1. Bottom line is that simply because UBC continued building Tower #1 throughout our organized protests, that need not become the precedent for their forging ahead with the construction of Towers #4 and #5!
Bioengineering has already been suggested on the cliffs in order toprotect buildings that should never have been built there in the first place. Plus a consultant has already called for interceptor ditches paralleling the cliff edge that would kill the trees for lack of water. And, that would lead to opened-up views and a possible re-interpretation of the Attorney General toward nudity on the beach.
On June 20, UBC said at a Joint Committee meeting that they did not approve of the nudist lifestyle and behaviour at Wreck Beach. This was the first time in years where they openly criticized the nudity!
On October 8, in a Globe and Mail article, UBC Properties Trust announced that they would be “moving forward” with Phase II of the project … BEFORE all public and agency feedback is due by October 31, and before the GVRD Board has had a chance to vote on the issue. On October 6, one day after the public hearing, the Advisory Urban Design Panel voted unanimously to accept the designs presented on October 5. Puzzling indeed.
We thus have our work cut out for us, and with your support through letters, e-mails, and donations, we can continue to stand up for our Naturist rights and beliefs.
However, we do not have time for posted letters. You must send e-mails to ensure you make the October 31 deadline for public input. You can use your own words, or you can adapt the wording below to which you may add your own reasons for wanting the views preserved. You may want to talk about the importance of Wreck Beach and its drawing power for tourists from around the world. You may want to tell them that you visit the beach regularly and spend your tourist dollars locally, nationally and internationally to come here. You may want to talk about the healing nature of the beach and the benefits of getting away from urban concrete, glass and steel. That , of course, will be up to you. But, bottom line is that the Phase II towers must be lowered from 18 storeys.
SAMPLE WORDING AND FORMAT OF LETTER TO BE FAXED OR E-MAILED TO JUDY WILLIAMS AND PAULETTE VETLESON (YOU DO NOT NEED TO FAX OR E-MAIL TO ALL THOSE LISTED IN THE SALUTATIONS).
Your Return Address:
The Date:
Mr. Denis Pavlich, VP of External and Legal Affairs, UBC;
Mr. Johnny Carline, CAO, the Greater Vancouver Regional District;
Mr. Hugh Kellas, Manager, GVRD Policy and Planning;
Members, the GVRD-UBC Joint Committee;
Members, the GVRD Board of Directors;
Members, the UBC Board of Governors;
Mr. Ed Andrusiak, Manager GVRD Parks;
Mr. Mitch Sokalski, Manager, West Area Parks, and
GVRD Policy and Planning Department
Via e-mail,
c/o:
Via e-mail to:
Via Fax to Judy: 604-(604) 856-9598
Dear Decision Makers and Stewards of UBC and GVRD:
Re: Marine Residential Towers.
I strongly oppose the current proposal for this development. The level of housing is far too dense for the site and the towers will have a profoundly negative impact on viewscapes from the beach and Park, as well as on other Park values. I strongly recommend that UBC use an alternative location or design to reduce the impact of this development on the park and beach. The two 18-storey Phase II towers must be lowered on this site. These towers must not show from the beach because:
Signature and Phone Number/E-Mail:
Thank you again for all the previous donations and letters. The online petition is slightly different than the one you may have signed last year. You can access it online at
28616 Haverman Road,
Bradner,
B.C. V4X 2P3
but make them out to WBPS. CANADA
Bless you and thank you for standing united against oppression and greed.
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO COMMENT. WRITTEN COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL OCT. 31, BUT PLEASE E-MAIL AS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO MAIL.
Please copy us FOR EACH LETTER! We need a show of solidarity as never before. For additional details, call or e-mail Judy Williams at 604-856-9598 or at
Please pass this message and form letter on to all your naturist and environmental e-mail contacts across North America, Europe and elsewhere in the world.
Thank you!
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