Rusting vessels to be tightly moored
Fears ships might be swept away
B.C. environment officials were on the scene of a boat graveyard moored in the fast-running Fraser River near Mission Wednesday after the government labelled the fleet of rusting boats and a decommissioned ferry an environmental emergency.
Ryan Fuller, an emergency response officer for the Ministry of the Environment standing guard over the scene, said officials planned to have contractors securely moor the ships in the next day or two to prevent them from being swept downstream.
“Something that size could cause a lot of damage,” Fuller said, looking out at the 3,127-tonne ruined hull of one of B.C.’ s first ferries, the Queen of Sidney. “Our primary concern at this time is just to make sure that it is secured.”
Bob and Gerald Tapp of Aldergrove own most of the dilapidated fleet at the foot of Cooper Avenue in Silverdale: the ferry, a barge, a fishing boat, two tugs and a 1920s-era U.S. ferry, the San Mateo.
Environment Minister Terry Lake said in an interview Wednesday the province had arranged for a tugboat to moor near the boats until flood waters recede to help ensure none break away. He said the government would work to recover the costs of the operation from the owners, and was looking into options to remove the vessels.
Experts are now hoping the bulging Fraser River might subside sooner, however.
“We’re expecting to see improved conditions with the drier weather coming,” said Dave Campbell of the River Forecasting Centre.
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist, “We [went] through the last hurdle [Tuesday] . . . that system has moved off now into the Prairies.”
He said the weather is turning to a more seasonal pattern. As a result, the Thompson River through to Kamloops has peaked and the North Thompson River is declining.
The Hope gauge is expected to peak late today or early Friday, with the Mission gauge peaking on Friday or Saturday.
Campbell also said the “bad areas” in Abbotsford and Chilliwack aren’t likely to see as much flooding as last weekend, with peaks falling by about 10 to 15 centimetres.
“Barring any really severe weather, we’ll be on a dropping trend,” he said.
But with evacuation alerts still active for residents in low-lying areas of the Fraser River, Emergency Management B.C. is maintaining precautionary measures.