English Bay Spill vs Kitsilano Coast Guard Station Update

English Bay Spill vs Kitsilano Coast Guard Station Update

May 13, 2015

English Bay Still Closed to Fishing
& Con MP’s Still Expecting us to Buy Their Fishy Story

More than a month now after the relatively small April 8th & 9th bunker C oil spill in English Bay was met with Canadian Coast Guard’s current definition of a “world class” response, English Bay is still closed to fishing, and something still smells really fishy here in Vancouver.

Beaches in West Vancouver along MP John Weston’s North Shore riding were particularly hard hit; one is still closed: yet, Mr. Weston and his BC PC colleagues are still trying to convince the people they represent, and all Canadians, that the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station was not equipped to respond to such spills and wouldn’t have made a difference, despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary.

Local PC MP Randy Kamp told the Canadian Parliament: “The Coast Guard Commissioner has confirmed that this station never provided these types of environmental response operations, and its presence would not have changed how the Coast Guard responded to this incident. Ranking BC PC MP James Moore recently wrote to a concerned Canadian* ” Experts have been crystal clear that Kitsilano was not equipped to handle the recent pollution incident in Vancouver Harbour,…”. Nobody else on the west coast of Canada is buying this fishy sea story gentlemen, why are you?

It should be obvious to any landlubber that when actual experts; the former Commander, officers and crew of the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station; say they had all of the equipment and training to provide the timely response required to keep spills such as the April 8th & 9th (it actually leaked over 2 dates) from polluting Vancouver’s shorelines, they are telling the truth. Throughout their careers these people went to work everyday prepared to put their lives on the line to save people in distress on the ocean, or to save the ocean itself – they are not the ones lying to Canadians.

There are 20 commercial anchorages in Vancouver’s outer harbour and 3,000 ships transit through First Narrows annually. Of course the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station, strategically located in Canada’s busiest port, would be equipped with a Pollution Response Vessel (shown in photo), enough floating boom to surround a leaking ship, and capable crews trained in rapid spill response. To say it wasn’t is a deplorable deception and bait only the most gullible flounder would swallow.

An hour to contain a leaking ship in Canada’s busiest port is the response capability the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station provided Canadians and is of vital importance to the people of Metro Vancouver. One hundred million dollars worth of ship borne Canadian commerce flows through Vancouver’s port each day. Closing our strategically located, equipped and crewed coast guard station to save $700K a year was a grossly misguided decision and an environmentally Titanic mistake.

Mr Weston, Mr. Moore, Mr. Kamp and all of your BC PC MP colleagues; there is very little time for you to steer your ship back on course.There are 5 months until the next federal election; your Liberal and NDP Parliamentary colleagues have all said they will re-open the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station if their parties are elected. If you have any influence at all in Ottawa, now is the time to show your leadership. As long as you keep on trying to sell us Canadian Coast Guard management’s fishy story that the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station did not have the spill response capability required to protect our treasured marine environment, we here at Vancouver sea level, who know that fishy smell all too well; will keep on taking the time to politely correct you.

We will continue to show these photos from 2012 of the dedicated Pollution Response Vessel based at the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station which disproves the Canadian Coast Guard Commissioner’ claim that the station had no environmental response cabability. Retired former base Commander Fred Moxey has stated the station was well equipped and responded to many spills over the decades he was stationed there. Retired Coast Guard Captain Tony Toxopeus trained many Coast Guard Crews in Environment Spill Response at Kits.

*Concerned Canadian Sara Kalis Gilbert, daughter of a former Kitsilano Coast Guard Station Captain, has been championing a campaign to re-open the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station. Since last month’s spill she has started an on-line petition, has written to the Prime Minister as well as several MP’s and Senators. In a recent letter to the Coast Guard Commissioner refuting the Coast Guard’s assertion that the base was not equipped for environmental response, Sara included the following environmental response equipment and supply inventory as well as training details:

“-CG 701 49′ Oil pollution response vessel with 500′ Self inflating Boom, an oil skimmer and sorbents (which has been up on blocks since the base closure)
-The dock at Kitsilano had a large aluminum box at the end of her dock with 500′ of 24″ “Fence boom”
-the Custom built oil spill kit shipping container located at Kits Base (and every Lifeboat station on the west coast) had 500′ of 24″ fence boom, an T-Disk” oil skimmer, a power pack, 100′ of oil sorbent boom and bags and bags of sorbent pads.

The “M.V. Marathassa” is approximately 700′ long. There was enough equipment and material and trained personnel available to provide an effective response to this spill. Coast Guard “coxswains” self-task on a regular basis; they don’t wait for a call from the R.O.C. ( Regional Operations Center ). Sixteen hundred Western Region personnel were trained in Basic Oil Response. This is documented. Kitsilano Base hosted two of these courses and had more than twice the available equipment than any other lifeboat station on the West Coast. Incidentally, hovercrafts are of no use in oil spill situations.”

You can add your name to Sara’s online petition at Change.org

More next week…

Jericho Sailing Centre Etiquette

Common sense and consideration of fellow members help make the Jericho Sailing Centre a true community centre with a friendly salt water community atmosphere. Here are a few etiquette reminders to keep things sailing along smoothly: Do not leave your craft unattended on the shoreline for extended periods – share the shore. RAMPS, and the areas adjacent to launching ramps, are for craft launch/retrieval only. Do not rig, repair or otherwise loiter in this area.Do not leave or rig your craft in the rinsing areas adjacent to hosing stations.The Jericho Sailing Centre is a SMOKE/VAPE FREE facility. There is No Smoking/Vaping permitted in any Vancouver Park or beach area.Give pathway users the right of way and bear in mind they may be distracted and not aware that you are crossing the pathway with your craft or launch rope.Launch dollies are for launching/retrieval only (not for storage) and must be returned to the fence immediately after use.If you launch from your own dolly or trailer return it to your storage spot after launching.Do not use the winches unless you are familiar with their safe operation. Winch instruction is available from staff or Jericho Rescue Team members. Only members or registered guests may use winches & dollies.Only leashed, well behaved, non-barking/whining dogs are allowed in the compound. No dogs are allowed in the building or on the deck. Do not tie dogs to the base of stairwells or in other traffic areas. Do not leave your dog on shore while you are on the water. The City prohibits dogs on beaches. In consideration of other Jericho users please consider leaving your dog at home while visiting the Jericho Sailing Centre.Please coil hoses immediately after use and conserve water.Do not block aisle ways.Rinse racks are for rinsing not drying.Swimming is prohibited in front of the Jericho Sailing Centre.
Colder Conditions Require Appropriate Attire and Preparation

Winter conditions can be challenging. Some people look forward to winter ocean recreation as a way to keep enjoying the salt water sports that they love. Over the years, Jericho Rescue has rescued people in the initial stages of hypothermia at all times of year. In winter, this is a risk people should be mitigating with proper preparation. Tim Murphy sails on a blustery, chilly day in mid January. Note the smaller ILCA 6 rig, drysuit and toque. Tim also made sure to stay close to shore in case something went awry. Upgrade your attirePlay safe and dress for survival. Now that the air and water temperatures have become noticeably cooler, the wetsuit or thermally protective attire that may have been optional in the summer months are now mandatory. It depends on your activity. If you are sailing or windsurfing then a cold water wetsuit is in order. A full length 4/3mm or thicker wetsuit with a proper hood or hat would be a minimum (a 5/4mm or thicker suit would be even warmer). Wetsuit manufacturers also offer accessory thermal layers to add warmth as conditions get colder. This is a great way to extend the usefulness of your regular suit. Some folks prefer drysuits – this time of year it would be important to make sure you are wearing proper insulating layers beneath your drysuit. In either case, check to make sure your suit is in good condition with no holes and that the seals are functioning properly. Heat loss from your head and/or neck should be addressed with a hood, hat and/or a neck tube. Neoprene booties, gloves or mittens are also a good idea. If paddling or rowing, its a good idea to add insulating and/or wind-blocking layers to a dry bag in the bottom of your boat. This way you can layer up and down as you cycle through work and recovery intervals during your workout or if you end up getting wetter than expected. It’s important that these layers work well when wet and do not absorb water – wool and synthetics are recommended. Be smart about your activity patternsSailing, paddling or rowing in the cold means being smart about your route and preparation. Mitigate your chances of being caught out in the cold by doing more laps closer to home instead of forging further from shore. If windy, make your way upwind first to protect against getting caught downwind should something go wrong. Be conservative with your gear choices, skill and endurance levels. The cold combined with extra attire always makes activity a little more difficult and the consequences of gear or skill failure are more dangerous. Choose a smaller sail, or a more seaworthy kayak than you might choose in similar conditions during the summer. Resist the urge for “one more reach” and make sure you’re on shore before you get tired or before the cold reduces your ability to operate your craft competently. These UBC Sailing Club kayakers are well equipped for winter paddling. Note the safety gear on deck, drysuits, neoprene hoods, a calm day and a buddy to paddle with. If you do fall into ice cold water unprepared, your body will cool off more quickly than it can generate heat. The 1-10-1 rule states that after a minute of fast breathing and panic, you’ll only have about 10 minutes or so of coordinated gross motor strength and function and one hour of consciousness. Plan your route so that you can quickly return to shore should you get colder than expected during your activity. However, if you cannot manage to re-board your craft after a capsize, always stay with your craft – it is far easier to spot than a person in the water. Have a plan to call for help if you need it.The law requires a sound signalling device, but a whistle or horn is no good if no one is on the water to hear it. If you do venture further from shore be prepared with a way to call for help. A cell phone in a waterproof case or a VHF marine radio (as long as you are licensed to operate it) are good items to bring with you. Safety in numbersUse the Buddy System. Always sail, paddle, or row with someone else, especially in cold water conditions. Let a reliable friend or relative know when and where you are going and when you expect to return. Diligently contact them upon your safe return. For more information on cold water survival surf on over to Cold Water Bootcamp.
SAFETY is YOUR responsibility

On the ocean there are elements of risk that common sense and personal awareness can help reduce. Regardless of how you decide to use the ocean always show courtesy to others. Please adhere to the code listed below and share with others the responsibility for a safe ocean experience. It is every member’s responsibility to know and observe the rules of the road when on or near the water. Here are some key rules which every Jericho member must know and practice.0.5 IT IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO AVOID A COLLISION 1. Always wear your P.F.D. on the water.2. Sail powered craft have the right of way over power craft, paddle and rowing powered craft.3. All non-commercial vessels shall keep well clear of commercial vessels.4. It is illegal and extremely dangerous to pass between a tug and it’s tow.5. A port tack sailing vessel shall keep clear of a starboard tack vessel.6. A windward vessel shall keep clear of a leeward vessel.7. A vessel clear astern shall keep clear of a vessel ahead.8. Any vessel overtaking another shall keep clear.9. A vessel tacking or gybing shall keep clear of a vessel on a tack.10. The area south of the orange can buoys is for training or transiting only.11. Swimming or wading on the beach in front of the Centre is prohibited and is particularly dangerous for small children.12. It is unsafe to loiter or let children play near the bottom of launching ramps.13. Stay well clear of the end of the Jericho Pier as fishers cast lines as far as possible.14. Be cautious of pathway traffic when launching/retrieving.15. Do not leave your craft on the shoreline for extended periods of time. Common sense goes a long way toward maintaining a safe environment. Membership in the Jericho Sailing Centre Association is contingent on members knowing and observing the Safe Ocean Sailing rules.

English Bay Spill vs Kitsilano Coast Guard Station Update