Powered by provincial and municipal funding, volunteers are set to clean up derelict boats off the shoreline of Cadboro Bay Beach this weekend.
Abandoned vessels have been a longstanding problem at the Oak Bay beach, where volunteers have been clearing them out for more than a year.
That job became much easier thanks to a group of concerned residents who lobbied local and provincial governments for funding to clean up the beach.
"We remained relentless to the point where MLA Weaver in print called me a 'royal pain in the butt,'" said Eric Dahli of the Cadboro Bay Residents Association.
"Between the provincial government and Oak Bay, we have secured funding and we're just in the final stages here of getting these boats ready to be hauled away."
Dahli said the boats will be transported to Point Hope, where they'll be stripped for valuable materials, then sent off to the Hartland Landfill.
"It's a good end to a long, long struggle," said Dahli.
He said crews had already removed some five tons of garbage and other junk from the vessels.
Derelict boats have also caught the attention of the federal government, with Ottawa announcing the new Abandoned Boats Program earlier this year.
The program provides $5.6-million for boat removal and disposal to provinces, local government and indigenous coastal communities across the country.
