From: Moore, Rob - M.P. <Rob.Moore@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Marco Mendicino wanted somebody's head on a platter Why doesn't the Crown begin with his?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P. office. We appreciate the time you took to get in touch with our office.
If you did not already, please ensure to include your full contact details on your email and the appropriate staff will be able to action your request. We strive to ensure all constituent correspondence is responded to in a timely manner.
If your question or concern is time sensitive, please call our office: 506-832-4200.
Again, we thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal
From: Bernier, Claude (elle la she her) <Claude.Bernier@justice.gc.ca>
Date: Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Subject: Réponse automatique - Automatic reply - Réponse automatique : Marco Mendicino wanted somebody's head on a platter Why doesn't the Crown begin with his?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Merci de votre message. Je serai à l'extérieur du bureau du 5 août au 2 septembre inclusivement. Je communiquerai avec vous à mon retour. Pendant mon abasence, vous pouvez communiquer avec Kristen Ali, Kristen.Ali@justice.gc.ca.
Bonne journée!
Thank you for your message. I will be out of the office from August 5 to September 2 inclusively. I will follow-up with you upon my return. During my absence, please contact Kristen Ali, Kristen.Ali@justice.gc.ca.
Have a nice day!
Merci/Thanks
Date: Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice et procureur
général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
Date: Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Marco Mendicino wanted somebody's head on a platter Why doesn't the Crown begin with his?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
The
Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel. Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
---------- Original message ---------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Subject: Marco Mendicino wanted somebody's head on a platter Why doesn't the Crown begin with his?
To: John.Williamson <john.williamson@parl.gc.ca>, <vicki.hogarth@chco.tv>, news <news@chco.tv>, nouvelle <nouvelle@acadienouvelle.com>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, news-tips <news-tips@nytimes.com>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, Richard.Bragdon <Richard.Bragdon@parl.gc.ca>, rick.perkins <rick.perkins@parl.gc.ca>, <garnett.genuis@parl.gc.ca>, larry.brock <larry.brock@parl.gc.ca>, blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, dominic.leblanc <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>, Dominic.Cardy <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, kris.austin <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, <Steve.Outhouse@gnb.ca>, martin.gaudet <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, hugh.flemming <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, Katie.Telford <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, pierre.poilievre <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, Jason.Carrier <Jason.Carrier@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, jake.stewart <jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca>, Bill.Hogan <Bill.Hogan@gnb.ca>, Bill.Blair <Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, fin.minfinance-financemin.fin <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>, brian.masse <brian.masse@parl.gc.ca>, jagmeet.singh <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>, Jason Lavigne <jason@yellowhead.vote>
Cc: <parlvusupport@parl.gc.ca>, <smontreuil@pipsc.ca>, <Claude.Bernier@justice.gc.ca>
Whistleblower Diane Daly made headlines bravely spoke out on government corruption Public Accounts
this guy's garage From: Bernier, Claude <Claude.Bernier@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, Aug 14, 2024 at 3:34 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada has filed a bad faith bargaining complaint against the Canada Revenue Agency
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Please be advised that, effective end of day February 2, 2018, my CBSA email address will no longer be monitored and my active e-mail address will be changing to Claude.Bernier@justice.gc.ca. The Justice e-mail address is already effective so you may begin to use it immediately. If the information you send is Protected B, make sure to encrypt your email before sending it. Please update your contact information if necessary to reflect this change.
******************************
From: Johanne Fillion <jfillion@pipsc.ca>
Date: Wed, Aug 14, 2024 at 3:34 AM
Subject: Out of office on annual leave / En vacances Re: The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada has filed a bad faith bargaining complaint against the Canada Revenue Agency
To: <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
I am away until Tues Sept 3, 2024. If you are a media and you require immediate assistance, please contact PIPSC Public Affairs Director, Stéphanie Montreuil at smontreuil@pipsc.ca.
Johanne
Je suis absente jusqu'au 3 septembre. Toutefois, si vous êtes une ou un journaliste avec une demande pressante, prière SVP d'entrer en contact avec ma directrice, Stéphanie Montreuil à smontreuil@pipsc.ca.
Johanne
Canadian Ethics Commissioner Unearths Multiple Violations of Ethics Act in STDC's Cash Handling
this guy's garage Date: Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 5:34 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: More Interesting news about our greedy MPs N'esy Pas John Williamson?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
The
Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel. Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
From: Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada <mcu@justice.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 5:34 PM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice et procureur
général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 5:34 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: More Interesting news about our greedy MPs N'esy Pas John Williamson?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
If your matter pertains to newspaper delivery or you require technical support, please contact our Customer Service department
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From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 5:34 PM
Subject: More Interesting news about our greedy MPs N'esy Pas John Williamson?
To: John.Williamson <john.williamson@parl.gc.ca>, <vicki.hogarth@chco.tv>, news <news@chco.tv>, nouvelle <nouvelle@acadienouvelle.com>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, news-tips <news-tips@nytimes.com>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, Richard.Bragdon <Richard.Bragdon@parl.gc.ca>, rick.perkins <rick.perkins@parl.gc.ca>, <garnett.genuis@parl.gc.ca>, larry.brock <larry.brock@parl.gc.ca>, blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, dominic.leblanc <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>, Dominic.Cardy <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, kris.austin <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, <Steve.Outhouse@gnb.ca>, martin.gaudet <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, hugh.flemming <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, Katie.Telford <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, pierre.poilievre <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, Jason.Carrier <Jason.Carrier@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, jake.stewart <jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: Bill.Oliver <Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>, Bill.Hogan <Bill.Hogan@gnb.ca>, Bill.Blair <Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, fin.minfinance-financemin.fin <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>
Uncovering Conflicts of Interest: Ethics Commissioner Testifies at Public Accounts Committee
this guy's garage 
Thursday 2 May 2024
2 Tory politicians join forces to demand feds remove sunken sailboat from St. John River
Journey of once-sunken sailboat reaches end, volunteer salvor feels left high and dry
Mark Griffin shares ordeal since he helped raise and haul Not a Starship from St. John River last month
No good deed goes unpunished. That's how Mark Griffin is feeling after he volunteered for public safety reasons to help raise and haul away a sailboat that sat at the bottom of the St. John River near Browns Flat for months with only the tops of its two masts visible.
Griffin, a Canadian Coast Guard contractor, took on the venture last month with hobby diver David Grandy and says it's been an ordeal ever since.
He estimates he spent between $5,000 and $10,000 in time, fuel and equipment between July 5 and 7 — closer to $30,000 if it had been a paid job he bid on.
That doesn't include the roughly 12 days he spent "babysitting" the moored Not a Starship at his Belleisle Bay marina to ensure the 13-metre boat didn't sink again. He had to wait for word from the coast guard about how the agency wanted to deal with the disposal, he said.
The boat did actually start to sink again at one point, when a 3,000-gallon-an-hour pump, which Griffin used for keeping pace with the water the vessel was taking on, malfunctioned.
"It wasn't down that far, but it was going down," he said. "If I would have went away somewhere for a day or two, that boat would have been sitting at the bottom at my place."
Grandy estimated the operation cost him close to $2,000 in time, materials and drysuit repair.
Meanwhile, according to Griffin, they both sought legal advice when Grandy allegedly received a letter from the coast guard warning that he, having taken possession of the boat as the salvor when they hauled it — and therefore assumed ownership —could face up to $6 million in fines or three months in jail if he didn't see to its disposal.
"That really, like, floored us," said Griffin.
Salvor assumed ownership, liability, says coast guard
Grandy declined to comment on this, and coast guard spokesperson Megan Gallant did not confirm or deny when asked by CBC News. She did say, however, that "a salvage company claimed salvor's rights and, therefore, assumed ownership of the vessel."
"At the same time, the company became liable and responsible for all the costs of the removal under the [Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act]."
Gallant declined to clarify to whom she was referring as the "salvage company," citing privacy, but before the salvor "took on full ownership and liability, [the coast guard] informed the salvor of their obligations and responsibilities under [the act]," she said in an emailed statement.
The
sailboat was 'removed from the marine environment' on July 19,
according to Coast Guard — about five months after it started to sink. (Mark Griffin)
Under the act, a vessel's owner is responsible for using the boat safely, keeping it in good working order and properly disposing of it when it reaches the end of its life.
"This also includes being responsible for any response efforts that may need to be taken to eliminate threats of pollution or hazards posed by the vessel," said Gallant.
"[The coast guard] can direct vessel owners to take measures to prevent, reduce, or eliminate hazards. We can also take actions to address hazardous vessels and hold vessel owners liable for the costs of addressing cleanups and remediation action we take."
Non-profit stepped up to cover disposal costs
To add insult to injury, Griffin said, the coast guard was prepared to pay a local salvage company to haul the boat out of the water and dispose of it, and he wasn't given an opportunity to bid on it.
The coast guard did not issue a tender, according to the spokesperson, but did receive a quote for the work from a local salvage company. Gallant declined to divulge the name of the company or the value of the quote.
That company didn't end up doing the work anyway.
"The owner of the vessel (the local salvage company that claimed salvor rights) indicated it had already been partially removed from the marine environment and they would complete it," Gallant said.
Not
a Starship, which sat on the bottom of the St. John River after the
spring thaw, was eventually moored at Mark Griffin's property in Erb's
Cove for about two weeks last month. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
Griffin said he had already arranged for a local excavation company to do the job — partly because he was tired of being stuck with the boat tied up at his property in Erb's Cove, the former Belleisle Bay Marina, which he used to operate, while awaiting further direction from the coast guard.
"I have to go to work, I have to make a living too," he said.
He was also worried Grandy might get stuck with the coast guard contractor's bill, he said.
The longer that vessel was sitting at a dock … every day that was there, that was a moment of jeopardy.
- Dino Kubik, St. John River Society
The boat was ultimately hauled out, dragged up the beach, crushed, and disposed of in four dump truck loads at a "proper" undisclosed location on July 19, said Griffin. The St. John River Society, a local non-profit organization, stepped up to cover the costs.
"The society has a couple of main mandates and one of them is the wise, sustainable use of the river," said executive director Dino Kubik, before turning to what he called the environmental threat.
"And the longer that vessel was sitting at a dock … every day that was there, that was a moment of jeopardy.
"So anything we could have done to make sure that it came out in a timely manner and was disposed of correctly, that was within our mandate, and our directors in the Hatfield Point area … wanted to play that role," and ensure safe access to the river.
The total was in the "sub-$10,000 range," said Kubik.
'Didn't make a dime'
"I never got a dime of it," stressed Griffin. "Everybody's wondering how much money I made. I didn't make a dime doing this. Neither did Dave."
Griffin did salvage and keep one of the boat's two aluminum masts, which he previously told CBC could each be worth about $50,000 if the right buyer was found, but that could take years.
He said he'll probably "either cut it up for scrap, or if somebody wants a flagpole, come get it, cause it'll cost me that much to haul it to the dump."
Griffin said he kept one of the boat's aluminum masts but will give it
away to whoever wants it and can haul it away. (Denise Miller)
That's what he did with the other mast, he said. He gave it to the owner of the exacavation company handling the disposal to make a flagpole. An old wooden steering wheel went to the river society.
Griffin said the boat was stripped of contaminants, including the motor, fuel tanks and anything containing oil, before it was scrapped.
No word on consequences for original owner
As for Jordan Tatton, the original owner and person who let the boat sink in the first place, the coast guard did not respond to repeated questions from CBC News about what penalties or costs he has faced — if any.
Gallant said only that the original owner agreed to give salvor's rights and ownership under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to the local salvage company.
Tatton did not respond to a request for comment.
Not a Starship frozen into the ice on the St. John River near Browns Flat, as seen on Feb. 14. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
The boat, which slowly started to sink into the ice in February, wound up at the bottom of the river by April with an early breakup of the ice.
It sat more than 400 metres offshore from Browns Flat until Griffin and Grandy raised and hauled it.
'Nobody got hurt'
"No good deed goes unpunished," Griffin said. " That's exactly what everybody's saying. That's the funny part about it. 'Why would you do it?' I heard that so many times."
Still, the boat's gone now and "nobody got hurt," he said. "If somebody would have got hurt, [the coast guard] would have been in a lot of kaka."
"Would I do it again? Within a second. I wouldn't even think about it," said Griffin. "Would I do it differently? I would not get in touch with anybody to tell them I'm doing it."
Mark
Griffin says he had already arranged for a local excavation company to
dispose of the boat by the time the coast guard advised him July 18 that
a salvage company the agency received a quote from would be on site the
next day for removal. (Mark Griffin)
Grandy said he has no regrets either.
"I'm glad it's out. The hazard is gone," he said in a statement.
Asked what, if any environmental clean up was required, Gallant, at the coast guard, replied: "CCG was not involved in the removal, salvage or cleanup process of this vessel."
Griffin says all contaminants were removed from the boat and it was disposed of properly. (Mark Griffin)
She did not say which body would be responsible for ensuring a safe cleanup.
Gallant did say the coast guard conducted a pollution and hazards assessment Dec. 11, which concluded there was no risk "at that time."
The New Brunswick Department of Environment spokesperson Clarissa Andersen directed inquiries to the coast guard, as the lead agency.
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
Mia Urquhart · CBC News · Posted: May 02, 2024
Reply to Anna Knorr
Reply to MR Cain
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."
Almost a tanker a day sails in this area with Alberta bitumen.
You are worried about just one fairly small ship.
Pipeline Spills 290,000 Litres of Crude Oil Emulsion in Northern Alberta, 2018
The thing the non climate change believers don’t get is no one is saying no oil they are saying we need to use far, far less of it than we do. If we stop burning it would be the first and best thing. We will still use it for solvents, pints, lubricants, plastics etc. but far less of it.
You didn't read the comments, did you? James Nelson, on this thread, specifically stated "That oil pays the bills."
It is a common misconception among Albertans, and some other right wing people, that is often stated here, so no need to make it up.
How much will those multi billion dollar corporations building battery plants in Eastern Canada paying in royalties for the $20 billion tax dollars they are getting?
https://www.marinelink.com/news/crew-capsized-oil-tanker-off-oman-missing-515223
"A week later, an oil-storage vessel exploded off the coast of Nigeria. Within days, a Mauritian oil tanker had run aground off Reunión in the Indian Ocean. In Peru, workers are still cleaning up a spill that, according to some accounts, occurred when a tanker was rocked by tsunami waves. Experts are nervously watching another tanker off the coast of Yemen, which is slowly disintegrating in the midst of a war and an existing humanitarian crisis."
(The Atlantic, Feb. 2022)
Meanwhile the "authorities" fail to pursue the real owner and make them pay for the salvage.
Oh NO, it's much easier to threaten the volunteers with having to pay for doing a service to the public.
Anyone else see something wrong with this?
It remains unanswered Art if the coast guard assessed any fines/penalties on the original owner and further, the article doesn’t specify how, if any, ownership of the vessel was assigned to the salvage company. Additionally, we don’t know if the vessel was insured or if so, if any insurance claim was filed or paid. We do know that a volunteer organization took it upon themselves to remedy the problem.
Seems the author of the article truly wanted to focus their attention on the benevolent behaviour of the volunteer organization rather that focus on legal or regulatory matters.
Same difference no matter WHO was the legal owner.
From: LeBlanc, Dominic - député <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
(English follows)
Bonjour,
Nous
accusons réception de votre courriel adressé à L’honorable Dominic
LeBlanc, cp, cr, député de Beauséjour et nous vous en remercions.
Veuillez noter que nous recevons actuellement un volume élevé de correspondances. Veuillez prévoir un délai dans nos réponses.
En ce qui concerne les courriels relativement à des enjeux particuliers de nos commettants de Beauséjour, nous allons nous assurer de bien réviser votre message et un employé de notre bureau de circonscription communiquera avec vous si nécessaire. Si vous avez des questions ou vous désirez des clarifications, vous pouvez toujours communiquer avec notre bureau au numéro de téléphone suivant : (506) 533-5700.
Si vous écrivez à propos de sujets relatifs aux fonctions de sécurité publique du
ministre LeBlanc, veuillez communiquer avec notre département de Sécurité publique à ps.ministerofpublicsafety-
Pour toutes demandes des médias, veuillez contacter Kelly Ouimet à Kelly.Ouimet@iga-aig.gc.ca
Merci et bonne journée.
Bureau de L’hon. Dominic LeBlanc, cp, cr, député
Député de Beauséjour
------------------------------
Hello,
We acknowledge receipt and thank you for your email addressed to the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P. for Beauséjour.
Please note that we are currently receiving a high volume of correspondence. This may mean a delay in our responding to you.
For emails related to specific issues from our constituents in Beauséjour, we will make sure to review your message and an employee from our constituency office will be in contact with you if necessary. If you have any questions or require clarification, you can always contact our office at the following phone number: (506) 533-5700.
If you are writing with respect to Minister LeBlanc's public safety duties, please
direct your correspondence to our Public Safety department at ps.ministerofpublicsafety-
Thank you and have a good day.
Office of the Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Beauséjour
From: Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada <mcu@justice.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice et procureur général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
From: Moore, Rob - M.P. <Rob.Moore@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P. office. We appreciate the time you took to get in touch with our office.
If you did not already, please ensure to include your full contact details on your email and the appropriate staff will be able to action your request. We strive to ensure all constituent correspondence is responded to in a timely manner.
If your question or concern is time sensitive, please call our office: 506-832-4200.
Again, we thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 4:16 PM
Subject: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: John.Williamson <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, <vicki.hogarth@chco.tv>, news <news@chco.tv>, nouvelle <nouvelle@acadienouvelle.com>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, news-tips <news-tips@nytimes.com>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, Richard.Bragdon <Richard.Bragdon@parl.gc.ca>, rick.perkins <rick.perkins@parl.gc.ca>, <garnett.genuis@parl.gc.ca>, larry.brock <larry.brock@parl.gc.ca>, blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, dominic.leblanc <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>, Dominic.Cardy <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, kris.austin <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, <Steve.Outhouse@gnb.ca>, martin.gaudet <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, hugh.flemming <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, Katie.Telford <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, pierre.poilievre <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, Jason.Carrier <Jason.Carrier@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, jake.stewart <jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: <jdoughart@gmail.com>, <AWaugh@postmedia.com>, <ahuras@postmedia.com>, jagmeet.singh <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>, Jason Lavigne <jason@yellowhead.vote>, Jacques.Poitras <Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, ragingdissident <ragingdissident@protonmail.com>, Susan.Holt <Susan.Holt@gnb.ca>, wayne.eyre <wayne.eyre@forces.gc.ca>, Wayne.Long <Wayne.Long@parl.gc.ca>, <ps.ministerofpublicsafety-ministredelasecuritepublique.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca>, Michelle.Boutin <Michelle.Boutin@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Michael.Duheme <Michael.Duheme@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>
https://davidraymondamos3.blog
Monday, 21 February 2022
Deployment of Emergencies Act expected to pass with support of the NDP because of Trudeau's predictable confidence vote EH?
Sponsored travel by MPs questioned amid foreign interference claims
There’s now calls for the commonplace practice to end
Dominic LeBlanc once took paid trips to Taiwan and Israel.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor had travel paid for by the government of Qatar.
More recently, John Williamson and a group of Conservative MPs grabbed headlines for their trip to London.
Williamson’s tab was paid for by a think tank in Hungary.
The sponsored travel accepted by New Brunswick MPs, and dozens of other politicians, is commonplace on Parliament Hill where it’s entirely within current parliamentary ethics rules for members to accept trips to destinations all over the world as long as the purpose, cost, and sponsor of the trip is publicly disclosed.
But amid growing concerns of foreign interference in Canada’s elections and a bombshell report by a committee of parliamentarians that found some unnamed MPs are “witting or semi-witting” participants in foreign meddling, there’s now calls for it to end.
“Is there really a free lunch in politics?” Green Leader Elizabeth May said last week.
“I don’t see any reason that a member of Parliament should accept a free trip anywhere from a foreign government. I don’t think they offer free trips to visit their country without expecting that they’ve at least influenced the MP a bit.
“I just think it is bad practice and while we’re tightening up the rules and looking at foreign influence and foreign interference, I think they should not be allowed.”
May herself took a trip in 2018 that was sponsored by the Palestinian Authority to visit disputed territories.
She says she’s since reimbursed the costs of that trip.
Asked by Brunswick News about the value of sponsored travel and whether it should still be allowed, Williamson also suggested the rules should be tightened.
“Foreign interference is a problem for an unknown number of Trudeau Liberal MPs and if sponsored travel is enabling foreign agents to capture members it should be limited or ended,” Williamson said in an email.
The New Brunswick Southwest MP’s disclosure shows his travel to London last June was paid by the Danube Institute, based in Budapest.
He left Ottawa for London three days before the House of Commons adjourned for summer break to attend a meeting of the International Democrat Union, a global conservative political organization currently chaired by former prime minister Stephen Harper.
It also states that Williamson met on the topic of energy with the IDU and U.K. parliamentarians.
Roughly $4,000 in flight costs and $7,000 in hotels are listed.
That trip grabbed national headlines as Conservative MPs Stephen Ellis, Rosemarie Falk, Shannon Stubbs, Phillip Lawrence, along with Williamson, dined at high-end restaurants including the Savoy, Bentley’s, and the Guinea Grill.
The dinner at Bentley’s oyster bar came to $404.87 a person. The tab at Guinea Grill shows several expensive bottles of wine and champagne on the bill.
The sponsored travel registry shows Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP Ginette Petitpas Taylor was part of a delegation of Parliamentarians that travelled to Qatar’s capital city of Doha in 2016, paid for by the Qatar government.
Petitpas Taylor brought her husband, according to the documents.
Qatar covered $5,743 in flights and $1,000 for a hotel stay.
LeBlanc travelled with his wife to Taiwan in 2014 on a trip paid for by the Chinese International Economic Co-operation Association, a Taiwanese business organization.
That included $9,120 in flights and $2,128 for a hotel in Taipei.
LeBlanc, his wife, and stepson also had a trip to Israel paid for by the Canada-Israel Committee, now known as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
In disclosure documents, LeBlanc wrote that it was to “meet with Israeli government officials, parliamentarians, and defence forces.”
Roughly $15,000 in expenses were covered.
MPs racked up $840,000 in 2023 on travel bills paid for by lobby groups and foreign countries, nearly four times what was spent five years ago, according to analysis by Postmedia.
Politicians flew to 92 destinations, including places like London, Israel, Taiwan, Paris and Seoul.
That number is twice what it was in 2022, when MPs were given $412,332.86 worth of travel, and nearly four times what it was in 2019 when MPs were comped $221,627.76 in travel bills.
The pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 saw relatively little travel with only seven trips in either of those years.
Both LeBlanc and Petitpas Taylor’s offices declined requests to speak on the value of their trips.
Instead, both offered very similar statements.
“I suggest you address this request to the International Board of Economy, which is represented by all parties and makes its decisions by consensus,” Petitpas Taylor’s press secretary Isabelle Arseneau said.
Jean-Sébastien Comeau in LeBlanc’s office added: “It is preferable for this question to be dealt with by the Board of Internal Economy, which has representations from all parties and arrives at its decisions by consensus.”
A request for comment made to the board’s chair, Speaker Greg Fergus, wasn’t immediately returned.
Members of the Board of Internal Economy, which oversees the operation of the House of Commons and its spending, adopted a proposal last month made by Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen to examine exceptions to the rule that prohibit MPs from claiming expenses related to partisan events.
But that relates to how MPs can claim expenses for things like travel to a caucus meeting held at the same time and place as a party convention. It doesn’t directly deal with sponsored travel.
Last year, Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger banned any group that is federally registered to lobby from offering free trips to MPs.
Earlier this year, the House of Commons ethics committee passed a motion calling for the end of sponsored travel, with the idea to replace it with an expanded budget for MPs that allows for two international trips a year.
That moved the question of sponsored travel to the procedure and house affairs committee.
“Ultimately, I look at these trips as part of a perk that is not justifiable in the present economic context, nor is it accountable in terms of transparency and accountability,” said NDP MP Matthew Green, who put forward the original motion.
Williamson suggested the questions on sponsored travel come as Canadians want to know what MPs are helping foreign states.
The report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, known as NSICOP, cites “particularly concerning examples of behaviour by a few parliamentarian,” including “knowingly or through willful blindness” accepting funds or benefits from foreign governments.
It further alleges these Canadian officials worked to “improperly influence parliamentary colleagues or parliamentary business” at the direction of foreign actors.
The report was heavily redacted, not naming the MPs or which party they belong to or whether they are still sitting in the House of Commons.
“The Trudeau government should reveal the parliamentarians who have helped our adversaries and enemies so they could explain themselves and be accountable,” Williamson said.
LeBlanc, the Trudeau government’s Public Safety minister, has maintained that it is up to the RCMP to investigate and lay charges if warranted, while maintaining that intelligence reports often contain “uncorroborated or unverified” information.
MPs have since voted to see an ongoing inquiry into foreign interference investigate.
Parliament Hill Office Contact Information
Phone Number: 613-995-5550
Fax Number: 613-995-5226
E-mail Address: John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca
Constituency Contact Information
St. Stephen Constituency Office
Phone Number (local): 506-466-3928
Phone Number (toll-free): 1-888-350-4734
Fax Number: 506-466-2813
Address:
69 Milltown Blvd
St. Stephen, New Brunswick
E3L 1G5
From: Moore, Rob - M.P. <Rob.Moore@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sat, Jul 6, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P. office. We appreciate the time you took to get in touch with our office.
If you did not already, please ensure to include your full contact details on your email and the appropriate staff will be able to action your request. We strive to ensure all constituent correspondence is responded to in a timely manner.
If your question or concern is time sensitive, please call our office: 506-832-4200.
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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal
Date: Sat, Jul 6, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
(English follows)
Bonjour,
Nous
accusons réception de votre courriel adressé à L’honorable Dominic
LeBlanc, cp, cr, député de Beauséjour et nous vous en remercions.
Veuillez noter que nous recevons actuellement un volume élevé de correspondances. Veuillez prévoir un délai dans nos réponses.
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Pour toutes demandes des médias, veuillez contacter Kelly Ouimet à Kelly.Ouimet@iga-aig.gc.ca
Merci et bonne journée.
Bureau de L’hon. Dominic LeBlanc, cp, cr, député
Député de Beauséjour
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Office of the Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Beauséjour
Date: Sat, Jul 6, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
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Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice et procureur général du Canada.
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From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 6, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Subject: Re: Interesting news about our greedy MPs EH?
To: John.Williamson <John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, <vicki.hogarth@chco.tv>, news <news@chco.tv>, nouvelle <nouvelle@acadienouvelle.com>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, news-tips <news-tips@nytimes.com>, rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, Richard.Bragdon <Richard.Bragdon@parl.gc.ca>, rick.perkins <rick.perkins@parl.gc.ca>, <garnett.genuis@parl.gc.ca>, larry.brock <larry.brock@parl.gc.ca>, blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, dominic.leblanc <dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca>, Dominic.Cardy <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, kris.austin <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, <Steve.Outhouse@gnb.ca>, martin.gaudet <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, hugh.flemming <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, Katie.Telford <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, pierre.poilievre <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, Jason.Carrier <Jason.Carrier@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, jake.stewart <jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca>
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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."
Reply to Wilbur Ross
Reply to Wilbur Ross
Reply to Wilbur Ross
Reply to Wilbur Ross
Reply to Wilbur Ross
Reply to Wilbur Ross
Reply to Lou Bell
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!"
- 'Pothole vigilante' of Saint John, N.B. ordered to unfix the road craters he fixed
Sailboat still sitting at bottom of St. John River, two months after removal deadline
Owner of Not a Starship was given until April 30 to take vessel away
With boating season in full swing, it's high time to remove a sunken sailboat from the St. John River, says one Greenwich resident.
"It's beyond time," said Rob Thom, calling it a marine hazard.
"Stop using it as a re-election tactic and publicity stunt. Get it out."
The owner has had more than enough time to remove the boat, he said.
"Some governing body should step up and make sure it happens," said Thom on Thursday.
Until that happens, he said, the vessel will continue to present a danger to other boaters.
The visibility of the two masts — which are all that remain above the water's surface — is highly dependent on lighting conditions, he said. On some days even those who know the boat is there have trouble spotting the masts, he said.
"And of course nothing is [visible] at night," he said.
Residents on both sides of the St. John River have been watching the sailboat since last fall. As winter approached, many wondered why the double-masted vessel remained moored in the water.
Rob
Thom says the visibility of the two masts is highly dependent on light
conditions. This photo was taken on a good viewing day. On others, he
said the masts are barely visible. (Submitted by Rob Thom)
By January, ice had formed around the boat. But its owner, Jordan Tatton, dismissed concerns about the ice, saying he was confident the sturdy vessel could survive the winter.
On Feb. 13, Thom noticed the boat slowly starting to sink into the ice. Before long, with an early breakup of the ice, it was sitting on the bottom.
Thom
said it's time for some government agency to step up and remove the
sunken sailboat, the mast of which is barely visible in the water to the
right in this photo. (Graham Thompson/CBC)
Transport Canada gave Tatton until April 30 to remove it.
When that deadline came and went — and with the owner making some attempts to lift the boat — Transport Canada said it "remains engaged with the owner to ensure the removal of the vessel."
On May 1, officers "assessed" the boat "and confirmed the owner has taken initial steps to remove the vessel with the installation of lift bags."
Thom
snapped these images recently of a personal watercraft and a boat
travelling close to the sunken sailboat in the St. John River at Browns
Flat. (Submitted by Rob Thom)
When asked for an update earlier this week, a spokesperson for Transport Canada said they had been informed that the Canadian Coast Guard plans "to address the Not a Starship as a hazard under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act.
"Transport Canada will continue to collaborate with the Canadian Coast Guard and provide any expertise, guidance, or information needed as it works to have the vessel removed," Katherine Proulx said in the emailed statement.
She referred all other requests to the Canadian Coast Guard, which hasn't yet provided a requested update to CBC News.
Tatton did not respond to repeated interview requests.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sunken sailboat near Browns Flat towed closer to shore, says coast guard
Removal operation to continue next week as Not a Starship sits 100 metres offshore
The sunken sailboat in the St. John River near Browns Flat, N.B., has finally moved, but it's not out of the water just yet.
While it's still sitting on the bottom, the Not a Starship was dragged about 300 metres closer to shore on Friday. By the end of the day, it was sitting about 100 metres offshore.
"It's a step in the right direction," said local resident Rob Thom, watching the operation from the shore.
"It's far enough from the main channel to reduce the risk of collision, but it still needs to come out."
For months, the boat had been sitting on the bottom more than 400 metres offshore, with only the top portion of its two masts visible to other vessels.
By the end of Friday, Not a Starship was left about 100 metres offshore. (Mia Urquhart/CBC)
On Friday morning, two men arrived in a barge — one diver and one operating the boat. For several hours, the diver worked above and below the surface while the barge often repositioned itself around the sunken boat.
For hours, it was difficult to tell from shore what the game plan was. At one point, they managed to position the masts — which had been tilting up river — straight up before they tipped and rested pointing down river.
Then, at 3:15 p.m. AT, the barge suddenly started to drag the boat along the bottom toward shore. After a series of pulls and some repositioning, they hauled the boat to within about 100 metres of the shore.
By 5 p.m., they again managed to pull the masts to a vertical position, before it tipped over once again.
Around 5:30, they left the sailboat and motored away up river.
Partway through Friday's salvage operation, the sailboat was pulled upright about 400 metres offshore. (Mia Urquhart/CBC)
Residents around Browns Flat have been keeping an eye on the sailboat since last fall. As winter approached, the sailboat was still moored in the river.
By January, ice had formed around the boat. But its owner, Jordan Tatton, dismissed concerns about the ice, saying he was confident the sturdy vessel could survive the winter.
On Feb. 13, the boat slowly started to sink into the ice. Before long, with an early breakup of the ice, it was sitting on the bottom.
Initially, Transport Canada was the lead agency in the case and it gave the owner until April 30 to remove the boat, but with some efforts made by the owner, they gave him extra time.
According to the coast guard, the salvage operation will continue next week. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
However, the file was transferred to the Canadian Coast Guard on June 11, according to an emailed response to CBC News.
On July 3, the coast guard ordered the owner to mark the vessel with a clear and visible buoy. As well, they ordered that a removal plan for the Not a Starship be provided by July 8.
The coast guard said a local salvage company assumed ownership and liability of the vessel on July 4. It said the salvor provided a removal plan for the vessel.
The email also said the salvage company began the removal process on Friday, which will continue next week.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Saga of sunken sailboat in St. John River nears end thanks to 2 volunteers
Mark Griffin and David Grandy decided to lift and haul Not a Starship for public safety
The saga of the sunken sailboat in the lower St. John River is over — almost.
For months, the Not a Starship sat on the bottom of the river more than 400 metres offshore from Browns Flat, with only the top portion of its two masts visible.
But Mark Griffin, a Canadian Coast Guard contractor, and David Grandy, a hobby diver, volunteered their time, gear and expertise over the weekend to lift and haul the 13-metre boat.
Today, she's tied up at the former Belleisle Bay Marina, which Griffin used to operate.
"We got 'er done," he said. "It was time to come out."
With the boating season underway, they worried that another boat might hit it, and also heard that some youths were out climbing the masts.
"I'm a boater," Grandy said. "I have friends that are boaters, and so we just want to make sure that the area is safe to use and enjoy."
Month in the making
Grandy, who had worked with Griffin before, placing new chains on moorings, called him to discuss the idea about a month ago, after he unsuccessfully tried to help owner Jordan Tatton, an acquaintance, using some inflatable subsea lift bags.
Mark Griffin and David Grandy worked Friday through Sunday to lift and haul Not a Starship. (Denise Miller)
"I felt bad for the guy. I certainly hope that if I'm ever in a situation like that, that there's someone around to lend you a hand."
Griffin, who has raised several vessels before, including a 33-footer that sunk in a hurricane, and two float planes, agreed. Together, they came up with a plan.
They advised various government agencies and departments, including the coast guard and Transport Canada, then set out on a barge last Friday.
'We were pretty determined'
First, they marked the vessel with a large orange buoy to ensure it was visible — so large that two people couldn't wrap their arms around it, said Griffin. Until then, only a 12-inch yellow buoy marked the boat.
Then the men set about getting the boat upright. Plan A was to just hook onto the boat and drag it sideways to shore, said Griffin. Grandy dove down to tie some large straps around so the crane could pull it, but that didn't work. There was too much mud.
"The suction of the river wanted it more than we did," said Griffin. "It was not a good feeling."
Undeterred, they they came up with a Plan B.
"There was certainly some frustrating things, you know, when something didn't go to plan, but we just kept adapting," said Grandy, whose wetsuit sustained a few tears in the process.
Grandy says it 'feels pretty good' seeing the boat floating again. (Mark Griffin)
"We didn't really stop to think about if we were going to get it or not. It really wasn't a question. We were just, 'It's coming out.' We were pretty determined to get it.'"
They hooked onto the front of the boat, raised it up with the boom and put the power to it, said Griffin.
"We sat there for quite a while and all of a sudden we started to move, like, 'Oh, wow, like OK. We're getting something done.'"
They hauled the boat to within about 100 metres off shore and called it a day, knowing it would at least be away from boat traffic.
Slept on the barge
On Saturday, they managed to hold the boat straight by tying the two masts to moorings, and lift the rear of the boat to pump out the water, using a dike system of oil-absorbent socks to catch as much waste as possible.
"We pumped a lot of water, but eventually we overcame the amount of water coming in and the boat began to float," said Grandy.
At one point, when the wind picked up, pushing waves onto the boat, they detached a large square solar panel from the back deck and installed it through the cabin to block the waves.
They sealed and repaired what they could and spent the night on the barge, to continue pumping and ensure the boat didn't sink again.
Around noon on Sunday, they arrived at the former marina, Griffin's home, where he continued to "babysit" the boat Monday, as a 3,000-gallon-per-hour pump kept pace with the amount of water it's been taking on.
Structurally, the boat's "not in bad shape," said Griffin, and now that the cabin has started to dry out, the stench isn't as overwhelming.
While a full hull inspection would be required to say with certainty, both men believe an engine cooling system failure is what caused it to sink.
A line sucks cool water in through a plastic filter, which froze and split, said Grandy.
"When it warmed up, the ice plug would have melted and then the bilge pumps wouldn't have been able to keep up."
Boaters grateful
A steady stream of curious and thankful area residents and boaters has been stopping by to greet the men and take photos.
Boating enthusiast Denise Miller, who is also the director of communications for the Saint John Power Boat Club, has been among them.
She began following the case of Not a Starship last fall, and contacted the coast guard in December when ice started to form. She was told the department was aware and the owner had an on-board de-icing system, she said.
Denise
Miller documented Griffin and Grandy's progress raising and hauling Not
a Starship, and she commended them for their efforts. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
On Feb. 13, the boat slowly started to sink into the ice. Before long, with an early breakup of the ice, it was sitting on the bottom.
When Miller heard Griffin was involved, she was confident it would be "corrected soon and done right," she said, noting he routinely removes wayward logs, known as deadheads, from the river at no charge.
"I'm glad to see it's gone," she said. "It's in a safe place now. It's not a danger to boaters anymore. And that's the main thing.
"We welcome a lot of boaters from the United States, from other parts of the river system that aren't familiar with these waterways and that wouldn't be on a chart. And it definitely could have caused some accidents."
Who pays thousands for disposal?
Griffin said he's waiting now to hear who's going to pay to dispose of the boat.
He technically assumed ownership when he volunteered to salvage it, but he hopes he doesn't get stuck with the bill, which he estimates could be $3,000 to $5,000, he said.
Even
if Griffin has to foot the bill to dispose of the vessel, he says, he
has no regrets because the river is safer for everyone now. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
Although he could refurbish the boat, he contends he could buy a new one for less. And while he could sell the parts, with the roughly 30- and 50-foot aluminum masts alone being worth about $50,000 each, he contends he could end up stuck with it for years if he doesn't find the right buyer.
"Next steps for removal and disposal are being analyzed," said Canadian Coast Guard spokesperson Megan Gallant
Under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act the coast guard can take action to address hazardous vessels and hold vessel owners liable for the costs of addressing cleanups and remediation action, she said in an emailed statement.
Butter tarts
- It is ridiculous that it took volunteers to get after this. Safety cannot be claimed a priority by the federal govt. (Transport Canada) and the provincial govt., to the extent their involvement was required. How many days of opportunity for a mishap to have happened have passed! They are "johnny-on-the-spot" when someone else shows up to take action - likely out of fear of some liability.
Reply to V P
Reply to Wilbur Ross
Being employed by the government do you think you have time to complete the analysis before the sun turns into a red giant in about 5 billion years.
Sounds like an interesting project.
And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.
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