The federal government failed to uphold its legal obligations when it did not consult with First Nations about a decision to destaff two lighthouses on the west coast of the Island, say the 12 MPs in the NDP’s B.C. caucus.
The MPs, including federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, said in a letter Monday to Fisheries and Oceans Minister Diane Lebouthillier that they are opposed to the Canadian Coast Guard’s plan to remove lightkeepers from Pachena Point and Carmanah Point lightstations.
“We have heard from First Nations leaders, local government representatives and other stakeholders who report not being adequately engaged prior to the decision. This is alarming and deeply disappointing.”
The plan to remove lightkeepers should be halted, meaningful dialogue with those involved should take place and a report on the condition of the stations’ land needs to be publicly released, they said.
In announcing its decision to remove lightkeepers, the coast guard said more than half the buildings at the two lightstations are on soil that does not meet federal safety criteria, although it told the Times Colonist no past issues have been reported, and no seismic improvements were undertaken.
The announcement at the end of July came as a surprise to the four affected lightkeepers, coastal residents and West Coast Trail hikers, who pass by the stations along the trail.
The Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada website says the federal government has a duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous groups when considering actions that might adversely impact potential or established Aboriginal or treaty rights.
The duty to consult includes regulatory project approvals, licensing and authorization of permits, operational decisions, policy development, negotiations and more, the site said.
The decision to remove lightkeepers seems to have been taken without the consultation clearly called for in the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans’ report on staffed lighthouses, called Seeing the Light, the MPs said.
The October 2011 report successfully argued that federal plans to destaff lighthouses be halted.
The MPs also expressed concern that the “department’s report on which the decision was based was not made publicly available.
“Both stakeholders and the general public deserve to know your government’s rationale for removing staff from the light stations,” they said.
If the deteriorating condition of light stations is the issue, it points to the need for adequate investment in the upkeep of these important assets, the MPs said.
Jim Abram, a former long-time lightkeeper, is one of those opposing the plan to destaff lightstations, saying lightkeepers are needed to help ensure mariners and hikers are safe on the island’s west coast, dubbed the Graveyard of the Pacific.
Lightkeepers watch out for boaters and environmental problems such as oil spills, he said.
Abram, an active opponent of the earlier plan to cut lightkeepers, is now working with First Nations, contacting current senators, MPs and more to rally support for maintaining keepers at the stations.
Moving preparations are already underway, however. Early this month, the coast guard brought in lumber for lightkeepers to assemble moving crates. All four have accepted jobs on other lightstations, it said.
