Hartley Bay to host expanded environmental response and search and rescue capacity

The latest addition to the Federal Government's Oceans Protection Plan is going to see a search and rescue lifeboat station established in the community of Hartley Bay, the announcement of the new marine response resource was made yesterday by the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Hartley Bay station will be one of  seven such stations to be created across the nation, with four of them destined for the British Columbia coastline.

The Hartley Bay station was chosen based on an identified gap in the Coast Guards maritime and rescue response capacity, as well as with the prospect of expanded marine traffic growth on the North Coast.

The final site selection for the station at Hartley Bay will be determined following an expanded site analysis that will include community consultation, it is anticipated that the construction of the new station will begin in the summer of 2018.

The three other stations to be installed will be in Victoria, Port Renfrew and Nootka.

Hartley Bay has been selected as a home for a new Canadian
Coast Guard lifeboat station set for 2018

Hartley Bay of course is no stranger to maritime incidents and the ability to provide a quick response, that community was instrumental in the rescue of passengers aboard the Queen of the North when that vessel sank in waters off of Gil Island in 2006.

Residents of the coastal community have also been involved with environmental clean up work in the past from other marine incidents from submerged vessels over the years.

In addition to the lifeboat stations, the Coast Guard will also be adding on to the response capacity of the Regional Operations Centre in Victoria, developing 24/7 capacity to monitor, assess and deliver response to marine pollution incidents and to better plan and coordinate response during an incident.

So far, the Coast Guard has not indicated that any expanded role will be put in place for its Prince Rupert assets at the Seal Cove Coast Guard base, or if the resources currently in use there will be increased as part of the Oceans Protection Plan.

The full outline for both initiatives can be found from from this press release from the Canadian Coast Guard.

More items related to Northwest Emergency Responders can be found on our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.