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Sidney's missed the boat

Sidney has completely missed the boat when it comes to the tourist traveller and the Anacortes ferry.

Sidney has completely missed the boat when it comes to the tourist traveller and the Anacortes ferry.

The town, in the last few years, has spent hundreds of thousands of our dollars negotiating with Washington State Ferries with no benefit for Sidney business.

All the tourist traffic turns left and left again at Fifth Street and heads straight for Victoria. The main culprit is the one way Beacon Avenue; it is completely dysfunctional from the waterfront heading west.

Anacortes tourists cannot be encouraged to travel down First Street and then up Beacon, because Beacon does not allow for west bound traffic.

Our front door is closed.

And the town’s attitude toward tourism is even worse.

Potential tourist traffic was worsened again a few months ago when electected officials voted to close the only visitors bureau that catered to the Anacortes traveler, and the temporary tourist bureau that was put in place at the terminal can only cater to walk off passengers who are already coming to Sidney.

The vote was four to three in favour of removing the visitor centre. This vote was taken at the last possible minute after the visitor centre had been included in the official plan for the redevelopment of the park throughout the fall and all of the public consultation processes. The decision was, therefore, as surprising as it was unwelcome by the business community.

It is very discouraging to see tourism business pass Sidney uninvited and unwelcomed.

Denis Paquette,

Sidney