Base closure won’t compromise safety at sea, coast guard says

The Canadian Coast Guard says closing the Kitsilano search and rescue station will not put lives at risk because enough resources are available to respond to maritime emergencies around Vancouver.

But coast guard official Jody Thomas acknowledges the agency didn’t speak to anyone involved with those other resources, and the only consultation it conducted before announcing the closure last week was with the Department of National Defence.

“As search and rescue experts and as the partner accountable for search and rescue, we consulted with the Department of National Defence,” said Thomas, deputy commissioner of operations for the coast guard. “We are now making contact with provincial, municipal and local leaders to discuss how we’re going to implement this in the most efficient manner.”

When the closure announcement was made, the federal minister in charge of B. C., James Moore, told radio station CKNW that broad consultations had been conducted.

However, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he wasn’t consulted about a decision that could put lives at risk.

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, a volunteer organization, said it was also surprised by the announcement. Randy Strandt, an auxiliary spokesman, said he won’t know what the closure means for his organization until he has meetings with coast guard management.

“We don’t expect, definitely don’t expect, our members to take over the level of activity of a paid station,” he said.

While auxiliary members are highly trained, professional and proficient and take their jobs seriously, there are limits to the calls they can take and hours they can work because they are volunteers, he said.

“We’ll continue in service and help out where we can,” he said. “I definitely couldn’t say were going to replace them. Never would we say that.”

The union representing coast guard workers maintains the closure of the base means a 30- minute, potentially deadly, delay in responding to emergencies from the next- closest coast station, located in Richmond at Vancouver International Airport.