Transport Canada has announced funding to help coastal communities clear out abandoned boats and vessels that pose both as an eyesore and safety concern.
The department says $1.3 million is being made available to assess and remove abandoned boats from ports and harbours in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as to support an education campaign to deter the practice.
Transport Minister Marc Garneau was in Ladysmith on Monday to make the announcement, saying at least 21 vessels will be removed from harbours in Victoria, Vancouver, Ladysmith and Port Saunders, N.L.
The funding provided through the Abandoned Boats Program will go towards removing seven vessels in Ladysmith Harbour, including three that are grounded off of Slack Point.
Making the announcement at the Ladysmith Community Marina, Garneau said first phase of funding will 鈥済et the ball rolling鈥� in cleaning up the wrecks.
鈥淚n due course what we鈥檙e going to do is a complete inventory of all the abandoned vessels that exist in Canada - that鈥檚 never been done on all three coasts,鈥� he said.
鈥淥ne of the things we will be looking at is to create a fund that vessels owners contribute to, we do this in the oil business鈥�. and we鈥檙e thinking of creating a similar fund in the case of abandoned vessel so that there will be a pool of money.鈥�
Two vessels included in the Ladysmith鈥檚 original application were washed away in a recent storm.
Mayor Aaron Stone said the town is taking a phased approach to tackling the issue plaguing local waters.
鈥淭his is just an initial phase of some of the most egregious examples that we have in our harbour,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e taken a priority-based approach to this understanding that there is limited funding available. We are going to be making subsequent applications to move through that backlog but as we work through that we鈥檒l hopefully be able to get to it through the next few years but we understand also that there are other communities who are going to be vying for that funding.鈥�
The Capital Regional District of Victoria, the Pender Harbour Advisory Council, and the District of Sechelt will all split up to $90,000 to assess 26 abandoned boats and wrecks. Once completed, they will then be eligible to apply for federal funding to help in the removal of the boats.
CRD is also receiving $50,100 to deliver an outreach program to educate boat owners on recycling and disposal options in the hopes of addressing abandonment issues in the region. The not-for-profit Boating BC Association also will be provided with $150,000 for a campaign aimed at increasing awareness around owners of end of life boats.
As Transport Canada estimates there are possibly thousands of these abandoned vessels, Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Sheila Malcolmson said the funding was a 鈥渄rop in the bucket鈥� compared to what鈥檚 actually needed to address the issue.
