Dear Editor,

I believe your article regarding Roelof Reitel's construction of a boat shed on the South Alouette River [Pitt man ordered to demo new boat shed, Jan. 12, TIMES] is incomplete.

The article gave readers the impression that the City of Pitt Meadows was unduly harsh in the enforcement of its bylaws. I believe the bylaw enforcement was fair.

Your article indicates that Mr. Reitel is refusing to tear down his building, saying the City has no jurisdiction over the waterway shelter.

I investigated the possibility that Mr. Reitel was correct. I attended a regular meeting of Pitt Meadows council, and I obtained information on Google to confirm the proper authority in this issue.

The Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resources Operation has a website that provides the answer as follows: "This region has multiple local Governments with different zoning bylaws, some of which expressly forbid marine private moorages, docks, etc. Some bylaws may also have bearing on the design of the situation, which has to be investigated by the applicant prior to submitting an application. Please contact your local government or refer to the website for information pertaining to local zoning."

Regulations governing marine structures can be found on Google. It was Mr. Reitel's responsibility to obtain pertinent information prior to doing any construction.

Ken Harper, Pitt Meadows