Mission’s push to remove derelict vessels from the Fraser River continues.
Mission Mayor Paul Horn wrote to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, along with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard about the issue in December of last year.
“There is no logic in waiting until pollution occurs and having to react to a much worse situation with the potential for devastating effects,” Horn wrote.
The letter came after a motion from Coun. Mark Davies last year focused on the “Bad Adventure” – the former Queen of Sidney vessel moored in the Fraser River.
Responses to the letter were included in the agenda for the Sept. 3 council meeting. The letter was passed on to Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) deputy commissioner of programs Marc Mes, who responded on Aug. 21, 2024.
According to the letter from Mes, many of the derelict vessels of concern in Mission have been reported to the Government of Canada by the coast guard.
“The CCG recently completed an assessment of the MV Bad Adventure (ex-Queen of Sidney) vessel that is moored in the City of Mission. It was determined that this vessel was not posing a high risk that would require immediate action from the CCG,” the letter reads.
Mes wrote that each vessel reported to the coast guard is assessed to determine whether it presents a hazard to the coastline, shoreline, infrastructure, environment, cultural sensitivities, economic interests, or health and safety of citizens in the area.
It also determines the ownership of each vessel responsible for ensuring they do not pose hazards. Per the letter, the coast guard informed the ‘Bad Adventure’ owners of their responsibilities to properly maintain the vessel.
“If the vessel owner fails to address hazards posed by their vessel, the CCG may take compliance and enforcement action against the owner and may also take any measures necessary to mitigate the hazards associated with the vessel, as required,” Mes wrote.
Coun. Jag Gill wasn’t happy with the response.
“I'm actually discouraged about the deputy commissioner's approach to the high-risk hazardous vessel expectations. I think they're a bit different than what our community sees,” Gill said.
City of Mission chief administrative officer Mike Younie told council an important court case involving the owners of the former Queen of Sidney could have a significant impact on its future.
The ship was in service for BC Ferries from 1960 to 2000 before it was sold to Robert and Gerald Tapp in 2002 when it was renamed Bad Adventure.
The Tapps are currently involved in multiple civil cases related to the removal of assets, including the ferry, from a Mission property on Cooper Avenue where the boat is moored.
According to court documents, the Tapps previously owned the property before it was sold to a company owned by Robert’s son-in-law, Lothar Drews.
A notice of application from Drews filed on April 11 says he requested the Tapps remove the assets numerous times but was “ignored or refused”. He said reasonable access to the property was never denied.
The application requests orders that the Tapps remove their assets from the property, along with compensation.
An application response filed on June 11 from the Tapps consented to none of the orders sought.
The response alleges Drews and the company attempted to dispose of the assets for salvage, and prevented the Tapps from attending the property on several occasions in 2019 and 2021.
Per the court documents, the Tapps have sworn in affidavits “as to their attendance on the property and their fear that Mr. Drews or his agents would harm them”.
“[The owner’s] hands are kind of tied right now because of this court case. But … the Coast Guard and Environment Canada have said there's not a whole lot of polluting substances on that boat. It's been they've been pumped out. They're gone,” Younie said.
According to Younie, Matsqui First Nation also continues to monitor the situation with their Guardians program.
High-risk hazardous vessels are addressed by the coast guard while lower-risk cases of derelict and abandoned vessels are transferred to Transport Canada.
Horn’s letter was passed along to Transport Canada and the coast guard said it continues to to monitor the situation.Mission’s push to remove derelict vessels from the Fraser River continues.
