Kitsilano Coast Guard base finally re-opens

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As reported by CKNW, Kitsilano Coast Guard Station re-opens Sunday, May 1. The base closure in 2013 was controversial, to say the least. The debate about the closure heated up immensely with the 2015 bunker fuel spill in English Bay.

There won’t be an official announcement, public open house, or ribbon cutting of any kind though, as Canadian Coast Guard spokesperson Dan Bate calls the re-opening of the Kitsilano Coast Guard Base a soft launch.

Bate says three vessels will be stationed, along with a small crew. According to CKNW, questions remain over capacity and capability of re-opened station

Bill Tieleman, who represents the Canadian Coast Guard workers (Union of Canadian Transportation Employees) who are going back to the job, says it won’t be running 24/7 like it was before.

“Our understanding is that the Kitsilano Coast Guard will have a couple of zodiac boats; one covered, the other uncovered. Crews will be working an eight hour shift with eight hours on the base. Then crews are on call for 16 hours, so we will not have 24/7, 365 days a year coverage.”

Tieleman says until the Kitsilano base is completely renovated and retrofitted, there won’t be 24/7 rescue capability.

Last modified: May 1, 2016

3 Responses to " Kitsilano Coast Guard base finally re-opens "

  1. Kitsilano says:

    An ugly building with an ugly fence blue caking the view. Not very inviting place. It should have been knocked down when it was closed.

  2. Kitsilano says:

    Why does it have to be open 24 hours?

  3. Lorne Whyte says:

    I am very sad to tell you this that the boating public of the City Of Vancouver there lives would be put into double jeopardy by the high placed individuals with in the Canadian Coast Guard that is due to the Search And Rescue boats that where sent to Kitslano Coast Guard are sub standard and that if the boating public of Vancouver is rescued by these boats there lives would be put into a double jeopardy of losing there lives while rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard. The 45 ft Moorhen a rubber rigid inflatable with twin horsepower engines and enclosed cabin cannot operate in 7 ft seas that is stationed at Kitslano Coast Guard Base. The US Coast Guard uses this 45 ft meduim response cutter cannot operate this cutter in 7ft seas that is due if they open up the throttle of the engines the vessel will flip over and intomb the people inside it. In January of this year the US Coast Guard was using this medium response cutter off the east coast and the cutter was responding to a Mayday call from a fishing vessel that was off New York City well en route to the maritime distress the cutter had experienced 7 ft seas and the coxswain in charge of the cutter opened up the throttled up the medium response cutter and he flipped the boat over and the four coastguardsmen where in tombed in the cabin and they had to do an underwater escape from the cabin. And the other rescue boat is an open 40 ft rigid inflatable with twin outboards and the survivors will be faced with the elements. I am sad to say that the boaters of Vancouver have fooled by the window dressing that the Canadian Coast Guard has been put up to show you that everything is ok in the waters around Vancouver but things are not ok they are smoke and mirrors that have been created to give you a false impression that is business is normal. And false impression to the boaters that things are ok but they are not sadly they are not and if they are rescued by any of the rescue boats at the Kitsilano Coast Guard Base there could be Vancouver Citizens losing there lives with in sight of the City Of Vancouver.