A Transport Canada team will be returning to Porpoise Bay after conducting a formal inspection of one vessel during a visit to the Sunshine Coast last week.
Sunshine Coast RCMP members assisted the team from Transport Canada working in and around Porpoise Bay.
Spokespeople for Transport Canada told Coast Reporter this week that they were not in Sechelt to target derelict vessels in general and carried out just one inspection, on the former BC Ferries vessel R.J. Breadner, sister ship of the Nimpkish, which is still in service on the central coast.
The R.J. Breadner is now privately owned and has been at anchor in the Poise Island area. Transport Canada said they boarded the vessel to “review its compliance with the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.” Because it’s privately owned, the federal agency will not release the results of the inspection.
In a release Oct. 25, Sunshine Coast RCMP said Transport Canada representatives and Sechelt bylaw officers collected information on other vessels in the area and informed the owners who were available that Transport Canada will be returning in 30 days to reinspect the R.J. Breadner and other vessels in the area.
“Transport Canada, Sechelt Bylaw and RCMP want to ensure these vessels do not pose any safety or environmental risks,” the release said.
Problems with derelict and abandoned vessels in the Porpoise Bay area have been a concern for area residents and the District of Sechelt for several years. Local governments have been looking for ways to take advantage of a recently announced federal program offering funding for assessment and cleanup under the Oceans Protection Plan.
