Gibsons Mayor Wayne Rowe says a newly formed working group on derelict vessels will have a lot of ground to cover.
The group of municipal officials was brought together recently by West Vancouver Sunshine Coast MP John Weston.
Rowe says one of the biggest obstacles to a solution is jurisdiction; there’s a mix of federal, provincial and local responsibility. And Rowe says not everyone is as fortunate as Gibsons.
Weston says they’re going to take a “targeted approach to find concrete solutions”.
The working group is also going to look at Nanaimo Cowichan MP Jean Crowder’s private members bill aimed at giving the Coast Guard more power to deal with derelict or abandoned boats.
Weston, a Conservative, says his NDP colleague’s bill would need some amendments before he can support it.
Crowder’s bill is expected to come up for debate in the Commons sometime next month.
The working group (shown above L-to-R) is: Mayor Wayne Rowe of Gibsons, Island Trust Trustee Kate-Louise Stamford, MP John Weston, Mayor Karl Buhr of Lions Bay, and Councillors Alice Lutes of the District of Sechelt and Alison Morse of Bowen Island.
