Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors want more information about working collectively to remove abandoned boats from coastal waters before jumping into an agreement with the Dead Boat Disposal Society.
“I’m not saying we’re not up for this, I’m just saying we need to be clear about how would we deal with this situation, given the overlapping jurisdictions,” said Sechelt director Darnelda Siegers at a Nov. 14 SCRD planning committee meeting where the idea was discussed.
Last June a representative from the non-profit pitched the idea of working with the SCRD to assess, remove and dispose of abandoned boats and debris on the Sunshine Coast.
A staff report for the Nov. 14 meeting provided a series of options for moving ahead with a partnership, as well as feedback from other regional districts that have worked with the society and “spoke favourably about the experience.”
Options included working with the society on an inventory of abandoned vessels or “vessels of concern,” as well as identifying areas of concern that would fit grant program specifications, such as the federal Abandoned Boats Program.
The report also outlined SCRD’s financial and legal limitations when it comes to boat removal – they aren’t equipped with the legal tools to remove boats and don’t have a dedicated service to do it.
During discussion, Mark Hiltz, director for West Howe Sound, floated one idea – creating a cross-boundary service that would address abandoned boats.
“What is the largest service that you could actually have? Could every regional district in the Salish Sea participate in a service?” he asked. “Could you have a service for the whole Salish Sea?”
Interim CAO Mark Brown confirmed service agreements with neighbouring regional districts are possible.
A similar idea was raised by Gibsons director Bill Beamish, while board chair Lori Pratt suggested bringing the idea to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities as well as Islands Trust.
At the end of the discussion, Siegers made a motion for local government leaders on the Sunshine Coast to convene to look at funding options and jurisdictional issues surrounding derelict and abandoned boats, including a potential partnership with the Dead Boat Disposal Society. The motion passed unanimously.
