Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson, the NDP government’s special advisor on marine debris and abandoned vessels, will be on the Sunshine Coast this week as part of a summer tour of coastal communities.
In an Aug. 25 release about the work of the Dead Boat Disposal Society, the ministry of the environment said Malcolmson is hoping to learn about “innovative solutions that address abandoned vessels and marine debris” as part of the province’s effort to find ways to prevent vessels from being abandoned in the first place and find recycling solutions to keep salvaged marine debris out of landfills.
Malcolmson, who was active on the derelict and abandoned vessels file during her time as the MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith, will meet with local governments, the shíshálh Nation and community groups and organizations Aug. 27 and Aug. 28.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board heard from the Dead Boat Disposal Society in July. The group is hoping to enter into an arrangement with the regional district and other local governments that would allow the society to assess, remove and dispose of abandoned boats and boat debris in the waters of the Sunshine Coast.
Malcolmson is expected to make recommendations for an action plan to eliminate the environmental threats caused by abandoned vessels, later this year.
Malcolmson’s visit comes as Freedom Diving Systems Ltd. of Gibsons is preparing to remove two derelict votes that have been a problem in Pender Harbour for several years.
The Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association announced Monday that it had awarded the contract for the removal of the Kwatna and Lulu Island, 75 per cent of which will be covered by a $75,675 grant from the federal government.
“Residents of Pender Harbour have been telling us for years that the proliferation of derelict vessels in our Harbour is a serious concern” said president Alan Stewart. “The process of getting the funding and the right to remove these first two vessels has been a long and complicated one, and we are looking forward to the successful completion of this project.”
The total cost of the removal is estimated at $84,551, and the residents association will cover the balance through contributions of labour from board members, existing funds, and other fundraising efforts, including a grant-in-aid from the Sunshine Coast Regional District.
“All of the investigation of the boats, work to write and submit grants to the Abandoned Boats Program, and various negotiations have been in the hands of Board members Eliza Kinley and Penny Harrison,” said Stewart. “It was a tremendous amount of work and they did an excellent job.”
