Rick Stiebel/B次元官网网址 staff
Every wreck removed from local waterways puts another smile on John RoeB次元官网网址檚 face.
B次元官网网址淭he dead boats are a blight on our waterways,B次元官网网址� said Roe, who launched the Dead Boat Disposal Society a year ago as part of the ongoing efforts of Veins of Life, a volunteer organization he helped found in 1995. B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 been an important issue on the coast for a long time. Abandoned boats on the shore or in the water could be a real environmental issue. ItB次元官网网址檚 actually fun getting rid of that crap.B次元官网网址�
The work, although limited in scope by a lack of funds, began in earnest in 1995 when Roe and a group of volunteers founded the Veins of Life Watershed Society, which is dedicated to the cleanup and restoration of the Gorge Waterway, Victoria Harbour watershed and the Salish Sea.
RELATED: 17 abandoned boats around Salt Spring Island to be removed with federal funding
Roe is pleased the federal government has stepped up after the announcement in November 2016 of $6.8 million in funding to assess, remove and dispose of abandoned vessels as part of $1.5 million Oceans Protection Plan.
B次元官网网址淚t took two years to get to this point,B次元官网网址� he noted. B次元官网网址淲e used to do the work with chainsaws, but weB次元官网网址檙e all getting older now. ItB次元官网网址檚 nice to see younger hands and better equipment.B次元官网网址�
Roe said he appreciates the efforts of Salish Sea Industrial Services and local First Nations in that regard. The Dead Boat Disposal Society is currently working with the Capital Regional District on removing boats in Sooke.
Salish Sea Industrial Services removed four boats from Victoria Harbour this summer. More recently, Salish Sea removed a 25-foot Bayliner that sank just north of the Selkirk Trestle on the Gorge Waterway.
It was an emergency situation that the company was able to respond to because they had the right equipment and a crew in the area, said project manager Rob Menzies.
RELATED:
The company is working on another proposal in conjunction with the Dead Boat Disposal Society as well.
The boats targeted have been abandoned by owners who just decided to walk away from them, which left the problem for the provincial and municipal governments to deal with, Menzies explained.
B次元官网网址淚t takes a serious effort and thereB次元官网网址檚 significant cost. Boats abandoned on the beach or in the water could be an environmental disaster. There seemed to be a lot of finger pointing but itB次元官网网址檚 feasible now that the federal government has stepped up. Menzies also credits having sister companies within the Ralmax Group of Companies and subcontractors available to deal with environmental assessment and disposal for making the process much easier.
The ongoing efforts are a collaboration involving a partnership between Ralmax, a major landowner on VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Harbour, and the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, who have always demonstrated a strong connection to their traditional territories, Menzies said. The Salish Sea Aboriginal Training Program currently provides applied learning, mentoring and apprenticeship opportunities for 23 members of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations throughout the Ralmax Group.
Robert Thomas, director of Salish Sea for Esquimalt Nation, said the protection and health of the Salish Sea is of paramount importance. B次元官网网址淭hese waters have sustained us with food and defined us as a people long before contact,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淲e are proud of this work and itB次元官网网址檚 heartening to see all levels of government and community coming together with critical funding to support this initiative,B次元官网网址� he noted.
Karen Tunkara, director of Salish Sea for Songhees Nation, said they are proud to be champions of the removal of abandoned vessels and the opportunity to earn a living on their traditional waters.
B次元官网网址淲e must all step forward to protect the health of these hardworking waters as they are essential to life itself,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址淪hared values unite us and we have the expertise through Salish Sea Industrial Services to play a leadership role.B次元官网网址�
Like us on and follow us on
