CRD directors rock the boat in meeting with Burnaby MP
Press for streamlined federal assistance to handle derelict and abandoned vessels
The federal government has to streamline the process to remove wrecks and abandoned boats that wash up on local breaches, Capital Regional District directors told Terry Beech, parliamentary secretary to Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, on July 19.
The special committee of the whole meeting was a rare chance for local officials to meet face-toface with a federal politician on marine issues. CRD directors told Beech, Liberal MP for Burnaby North-Seymour, that more has to be done on everything from derelicts and wrecks to fisheries and tanker traffic — issues bedevilling many B.C. municipalities.
CRD chairwoman Barb Desjardins said a major step forward would be streamlining the processes for federal assistance and co-operation with the province to create a small boat registry.
“Those two are critical,” Desjardins said, adding that work also has to be done to assist in recycling of fibreglass vessels, many of which are coming to the end of their serviceable life .
CRD directors expressed frustration with “the convoluted process” of trying to deal with wrecks and derelict vessels.
“As a former locally elected representative, you will know that the community isn’t interested in hearing it’s not in our bailiwick. We don’t have the resources. They just want the issue dealt with,” said Saanich Coun. Susan Brice.
“Jurisdictionally, we’re very much hamstrung. It’s turning into a cost for us to pull the boats off the beach, hiring crews and making it safe,” said Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell.
“It should just be like one-stop shopping, where you pick up the phone and it’s all properly handled through one department,” said Sidney Mayor Steve Price.
“We are, frankly, just fixing it with whatever funds we have, because the process with the federal government is too onerous,” said acting Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps agreed, saying the city has faced a long process in trying to remove derelicts from the Gorge Waterway.
“The public looks at those boats … and sees nothing happening, even though we’ve been working really hard for years to try to make something happen. Any assistance that you can give us in that regard would be very useful.”
In order to deal with derelicts on the Gorge, the city first had to get a licence of occupation, then rezone and then try to enforce their removal.
“Now we’re trying to get injunctions on every single boat,” Helps said.
She said when evaluating funding applications for derelict boats, it has to be remembered the CRD is 13 municipalities, three electoral areas and nine First Nations all working together to tackle the issue. “So I think our application is really strong,” Helps said.
Metchosin Coun. Bob Gramigna said that given existing and possibly increased tanker traffic, his municipality — with 48 kilometres of coastline — is interested in seeing the creation of a spill-control facility in conjunction with the Scia’new (Beecher Bay) First Nation.
Beech told directors his objective for the meeting was to listen.
He also pointed to a new federal Abandoned Boat Program that makes $5.6 million available over five years to support assessment, removal and disposal of high-priority abandoned and wrecked boats.
Under the program, the federal government will pay 100 per cent of the costs for boat-assessment projects and up to 75 per cent for boat removal and disposal projects.