B.C. First Nation chief renews call for 'super tug' emergency vessel as debris cleanup continues
The Chief of the Quatsino First Nation on Vancouver Island is renewing his calls for a "super tug" of some sort to be built and located on the west coast of the island to prevent future incidents like the one involving the Zim Kingston.
Chief Tom Nelson says he first met with numerous organizations, including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, more than a decade ago to have a tug on standby in B.C. coastal waters.
"Back then I could see that one day there was going to be a disaster but nobody seemed to pay attention," Nelson told CTV News on Tuesday.
He says a vessel like a "super tug" is needed to protect B.C.’s coastline. He believes the spill of more than 100 containers off the Zim Kingston could have been avoided during its journey from Korea to Vancouver if such a vessel was available.
"If there was a super tug out there they could have towed that boat in to safe haven, that way it’s not out there rocking and rolling in the bad weather," he said.
Nelson says he isn’t accepting the argument that building the tug would be too expensive.
"But they’re always thinking about how much money it’s going to cost," he said. "Look how much damage it’s done and doing to our B.C. coastal waters right now on Vancouver Island."
When asked for a statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Canadian Coast Guard said contracts were awarded to Atlantic Towing of Saint John New Brunswick back in August of 2018 to perform similar operations.
The agreement was for a three-year leasing – including seven one-year extension options – of two emergency offshore towing vessels (ETVs) as part of the "Oceans Protection Plan."
The ETV’s are the Atlantic Eagle and the Atlantic Raven.
The spokesperson says the Raven has been standing by near the Zim Kingston at Constance Bank while the Atlantic Eagle recently assisted the canola tanker, the Champion Concept, off of Haida Gwaii on Oct. 26.
"I still say they should build a super tug that is on standby out there because there’s a lot of these ships that come into Vancouver Harbour," Nelson said.
"If they can have a super tug out there that can intercept these boats that are broken down, dead in the water, then they can tow it behind an island somewhere (where) it’s safe," he said.
As for current cleanup efforts, Chief Nelson says some members of the Quatsino band have been hired to assist with removing debris off his nation’s beaches.
He understands the containers that have come ashore will be cut into pieces and then airlifted onto nearby trucks.
He says crews have temporarily suspended their efforts because of an incoming storm system, but they know that even more debris will be washed up upon their return.
Nelson believes with more than 100 containers in the water off of western Vancouver Island, the cleanup efforts will continue for years to come.
"There’s going to be no end to it," he said. "It will go on for the next 100 years."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.