2 Tory politicians join forces to demand feds remove sunken sailboat from St. John River
MP John Williamson and MLA Bill Oliver want immediate action from Ottawa
The April 30 deadline to remove a sunken sailboat from the St. John River has come and gone and the Not a Starship is still sitting on the bottom.
On Wednesday, the area's provincial and federal elected officials teamed up to call on Ottawa to "immediately remove the wrecked vessel."
MP John Williamson and MLA Bill Oliver specifically want Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard to remove the remains of the sailboat and, in a joint statement, criticized both for underestimating "the immediate risks posed by Not a Starship."
"Visible evidence of the vessel's diesel, generator fuel and battery fluid leaking into the river throughout the winter was not enough to convince federal officials that this wreck was abandoned," said the statement.
"Now, its 17-metre mast pierces the water from the river's bed, posing a clear risk to unsuspecting boaters. Likelihood of a collision has only heightened as nearby boat traffic increases with warmer weather."
Last month, an official with Transport Canada said if the boat wasn't removed by the owner by April 30, it would be "deemed as abandoned under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, and the owner could face enforcement actions, including monetary penalties."
This week, Transport Canada spokesperson Katherine Proulx said a department official made a visit Wednesday to Not a Starship to "assess the situation." She was asked for more details about the assessment but has not yet responded.
Oliver, a Progressive Conservative MLA, said people have environmental and safety concerns about the sunken boat.
"We need to have the boat removed immediately before boating activities increase, we've waited long enough, the time to act is now," he said.
MP
John Williamson and MLA Bill Oliver pose at Beulah Camp, with one of
the two masts of the sunken Not a Starship barely visible in the
background. (Bill Oliver/Facebook)
Both Oliver and Williams called on Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier to "overrule their departments and use the federal powers granted to them under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to remove this wreck immediately."
Williamson, a Conservative MP, said he has another worry, in addition to the environmental and navigational concerns.
"The third one is bureaucratic — that the boat might not be removed anytime soon and that's the primary reason that I joined Bill Oliver today in voicing our concerns — to focus attention on this problem, so it's not studied to death, but in fact, it is acted upon as quickly as possible."
In January, boat owner Jordan Tatton said he looked forward to returning to his boat and the hot tub. (Submitted by Jordan Tatton)
The boat's owner, Jordan Tatton, did not respond to interview requests.
In an interview in January, however, Tatton said his boat was definitely not abandoned. In fact, at that time, he had planned to spend the winter on it.
He also dismissed concerns about his boat, confident it would survive the winter.
By that time, local residents had been expressing concerns about the sailboat for months — even long before the river froze.
The Not a Starship as seen on Jan. 9, 2024, frozen into the ice of the St. John River near Browns Flat. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
They worried about the environmental damage should the boat sink, since it was equipped with a diesel engine, a generator, and the batteries necessary to operate the solar panels.
Even at the time the boat started to sink in February, the Coast Guard said it wasn't concerned about pollution.
Within days of it sinking, a spokesperson said there was a "minimal amount of non-persistent oils" on the vessel, meaning the type of fuel on board would have evaporated from the surface of the water within 48 hours.
Not a Starship frozen on Feb. 14 as it sank into the ice. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
Williamson said the boat's been on the bottom long enough.
"I understand that fuels do evaporate and they can have minimum impact on the environment," he said in an interview on Wednesday. "Having said that, I do not want this studied to death."
Williamson and Oliver both said they've received a lot of messages from concerned constituents.
Not a Starship on April 11 in front of Beulah Camp on the St. John River. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
"I've also received many emails from boaters — mostly sailors and power boaters — that use the river on a regular basis that would just like to see the boat gone," said Oliver.
He said there are already boats out on the river — and he expects the number to increase quickly as conditions improve. Most will not be on the lookout for large metal poles sticking out of the water, he said.
"These are just the tips of the masts that might not be visible — in the evening, they certainly wouldn't be," Oliver said. "So no, it's a concern, there's no question about it."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The oil tank barge, owned by JD Irving Ltd, sank of PEI 30 years ago.
It was lifted off the ocean floor in 1996 by the Canadian Coast Guard after concerns about a large-scale spill from the oil in the barge's hold.
The settlement was announced Monday and should end further legal battles over who should pay for the $42 million cleanup.
JD Irving has already paid approximately $4 million toward the recovery and cleanup of the Irving Whale."
I have no doubt they are waiting to see if they have the legal right to do so
"Both Oliver and Williams called on Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier to "overrule their departments and use the federal powers granted to them under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to remove this wreck immediately."
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We eat a lot of chicken and sit on a couch of blue and we wait for Ripper Rock to claim another Not a Starship ll. oh the lovely Not a Starship ll
- the boat is a hazard.
- its federal navigable waters.
- get it out and bill the last owner.
How long would they wring their hands if he abandoned his car in the middle of the road?
Companies exist in SJ that could do it in an afternoon. Or use the coast guard boats as a training exercise.
Sell it for costs. It should still have most of it's value. Even the electronics may have survived a dunking in mostly fresh water.
"Last month, an official with Transport Canada said if the boat wasn't removed by the owner by April 30, it would be "deemed as abandoned under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, and the owner could face enforcement actions, including monetary penalties."
This week, Transport Canada spokesperson Katherine Proulx said a department official made a visit Wednesday to Not a Starship to "assess the situation." She was asked for more details about the assessment but has not yet responded. "
I pay taxes, therefore I am connected?
The Trans minister means; we don't care, sounds like work.
Also Conservatives, when it comes to their boats: "Save the environment!"
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