On the eve of coast guard station reopening, many questions remain

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As we told you a few weeks ago, the Kitsilano Coast Guard station is scheduled to re-open on Sunday.

But it’s still not clear how extensive its services will be.

The federal Liberals have effectively fulfilled a promise to reopen the station that was closed under the previous government in 2013.

But Fin Donnelly, the NDP critic for the coast guard, says they’ve asked the government for details but none have been forthcoming.

“They claim that it will be staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week. They claim the vessels will be there. But they are light on the timeline details. When will it be fully staffed?”

The former commander of the station, Fred Moxey, told NEWS 1130 earlier this month that the station will simply be inheriting a rubber boat and its single eight-hour crew which are now stationed at Discovery Island at Stanley Park.

“We’ve asked the minister. We’ve asked coast guard officials for details. They keep telling us the details are coming but we have yet to hear what those details are,” says Donnelly.

Donnelly says it’s important to have the station operating at full capacity, since Vancouver is the busiest port in Canada.

The station was closed as a cost-saving measure, despite outcry from mariners, the city and the public.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today