Kits coast guard base to reopen with expanded role
The devil’s in the details. Or the lack of details.
That’s how New Democrat MP Fin Donnelly — a critic of the previous Conservative government’s decision to close the Kitsilano coast guard station — reacted to the Liberals’ federal budget announcement Tuesday that the reopened rescue station would be expanded to provide an emergency environmental response and to train local groups in emergency response.
Donnelly said that’s fine, but there’s still no definite word on when the station will reopen.
“The announcement is to reopen and the budget is in line with that, so that’s a good thing,” Donnelly said. “However, what’s the commitment? They’re talking about expanding it to include an environmental response capacity. Well they had an environmental response capacity prior (to the station’s 2013 closure by the Conservatives). Again, this sounds good, but you need to know what does it mean? Are they restoring it to (pre-2013) levels, which is 24/7, three shifts of four (people)?”
In December, Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo said the base would be a round-the-clock operation.
The closure of the station in 2013 as a cost-cutting measure was loudly criticized, especially when a grain ship spilled 2,800 litres of bunker fuel into Vancouver’s harbour last year.
B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak said in a statement Tuesday she and Premier Christy Clark are pleased the federal government is not only reopening the station, but improving its emergency response capacity.
“British Columbia has repeatedly demanded the original decision to close the station be reversed, for both human safety and environmental protection,” Polak said.
“Today’s announcement is a welcome signal from the federal government that it will help protect B.C.’s coastline and the people who ply our waters.”
Port Metro Vancouver spokeswoman Julia Ren said last year’s oil spill in Burrard Inlet highlighted the need for a “fully resourced” coast guard.
“So we are pleased to see Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s pledge to expand the Canadian Coast Guard station in Kitsilano.”