The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) board this week directed staff to contact the federal and provincial governments to raise concerns about derelict boats in Howe Sound after the January sinking of the decommissioned Coast Guard cutter Ready near Britannia Beach.
Although the province is the current owner of the vessel, it has stated that it has no intention of raising the boat despite concerns from local environmentalists about oil and other potentially hazardous materials onboard spoiling the waters nearby.
The Coast Guard has also said that when it comes to sunken vessels, it deals only with fuel-related issues and that the amount of fuel leaked from the Ready was "negligible."
Electoral Area D director John Turner told SLRD board members at their monthly meeting on Monday (Feb. 28) in Pemberton that he's tired of seeing other levels of government "pass the buck" while the boat remains a problem.
"We have spent a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of effort trying to clean up around Brittania," he said. "This is not helping our situation.
"(The Province) should have got rid of it before it went under. They were aware of it and nothing has happened."
Turner suggested that the SLRD lobby the provincial and federal governments to take action on the vessel.
Turner showed sampling of before-and-after photos of the Ready, above and below the surface, with the 'after' photo drawing wide-eyed reaction from other directors.
Tower's proposed location opposed
Board members raised concerns about the proposed location of a 30-metre-high cell-phone communication tower just off Highway 99 near the entrance to the new Porteau Cove development on the grounds that it would be an eyesore for drivers and would not be appropriate "welcome" feature for the new neighbourhood.
The board gave its support to a resolution to seek relocation of the proposed Rogers Communications tower to a less-visibly-intrusive spot west of Highway 99 "subject to confirmation that no other viable location options exist," according to a staff report.
The SLRD is seeking to resolve the issue in discussions with Rogers and Concord Pacific Developments, which is partnering with the Squamish Nation on the development of a new, 1,000-unit residential community just south of Porteau Cove.
Paul Edgington, SLRD administrator, on Tuesday (March 1) said the board is onside with Concord Pacific officials in seeking the tower's relocation.
"We're guardedly optimistic that it can be put into a different location. It's quite noticeable when you're heading southbound," Edgington said.
"We have an interest in it from the visual impact standpoint, and the developer at Porteau Cove has their own concerns about it with respect to impact on the marketability of the neighbourhood."
The SLRD's authority over such facilities is limited. Communications towers are federally regulated, and if such towers are to be located on Crown land, local governments normally receive a referral seeking comment about their size and location.
However, in this instance the location is in a B.C. Ministry of Transportation highway right-of-way. Under the circumstances MOT is not required to refer such proposals to local government, the staff report stated.
In addition to seeking the tower's relocation, the SLRD is requesting "that the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure establish a referral process for applications involving telecommunications towers and other installations having potentially significant impacts." With files from David Burke, The Chief
