It’s a small step, but Ladysmith is showing the direction coastal communities want to move when it comes to the disposal of derelict and abandoned vessels.
And if senior governments move in the same direction, much larger steps might be taken some day.
A few weeks ago the Ladysmith Maritime Society and the Town of Ladysmith, with the help of Saltair Marine and some volunteers, removed three abandoned boats from Ladysmith Harbour, then had them hauled to Coast Environmental Waste Management for disposal.
“It routinely happens that some abandoned vessels drift into our marina,” Rod Smith executive director of the LMS said. “We grabbed them and got some help from Saltair Marine getting them out of the water.”
Saltair Marine responded with its hoist boat to place the vessels in the marina parking lot.
Volunteers then loaded the boats onto a trailer and hauled them to Coast Environmental. The town ponied up $600 to pay the disposal fees.
“We don’t want to make this a permanent program.” Smith said. But as an example of what could – make that should – be done, it left everyone feeling pretty good.