The Fight to save the Kitsilano Coast Guard base is attracting attention from Canada’s East coast.
35 year retired veteran with the recently shuttered St Johns rescue sub-centre in the Maritimes Merv Wiseman says it is an all too familiar scene playing out in Vancouver.
“The common thread is that the government has gone about this business in secret there has been no transparency, there has been no accountability, there has been no expert analysis, or any kind of analysis what so ever, no consultations with the stakeholders the users if you will.”
Wiseman says the reliance on volunteers to the fill the gap is degrading the marine search and rescue system.
“One of them to do with the kinds of moves now to look at a voluntary organization as opposed to a well structured organization that we have seen I don’t know how much of that we can tolerate before we lose the integrity of the system that was once the pride of this country.”
He says it all simply makes no sense as the closures aren’t saving the government much money
“The closure of the marine rescue sub-centre in St Johns was supposed to save about three quarter of a million dollars per year and I understand that these are the kind of figures that we are dealing with in MCTS cut backs in Vancouver and others places across the country when you weigh that against the public safety issues it makes no sense.”
Wiseman wonders if the Feds are simply targeting the union.
He says the cuts on both coasts were done in secret, with no transparency, and zero consultations with people on the water.
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