March 30, 2004 Remaining Search and Rescue Hovercraft Out of Service OTTAWA - "Yesterday local fishermen photographed the sorry spectacle of the Coast Guard's only remaining hovercraft on the West Coast being towed back to base by a much smaller rigid hull inflatable," said John Cummins, M.P. (Delta-South Richmond). Early reports indicate serious mechanical problems with the hovercraft, which could put it out of service for a month or more. The problem may well not be new. An engineering report dated December 23, 2002 received under Access to Information indicates an ongoing problem with the drive system on the SIYAY. In June of last year the Commissioner of the Coast Guard denied there were corrosion problems when challenged by Cummins, claiming that repairs had already been made. Taking the hovercraft out of service for an extended period leaves a gaping hole in marine rescue capability, affecting not only mariners but also the Vancouver International Airport and the dive team. The emergency response plan for the airport requires two hovercraft to be available in the event of a large aircraft setting down on the tidal flats off the airport's runways. Currently the disabled SIYAY is the only hovercraft available and with its continued reliability in question, it is clearly aging more rapidly than was anticipated. For well over a year the Liberal government has maintained that the delivery of a second hovercraft to Vancouver was imminent. The last promised date for delivery was this past February. Internal documents now indicate that the replacement is not likely to be available before late June. This second vessel is even older than the SIYAY. It was constructed in 1984-85 and was designed and operated as a passenger ferry, not for the more demanding job of search and rescue. "Vancouver International Airport is the second busiest airport in Canada and the lower Strait of Georgia is the busiest waterway in Canada, yet the failing state of search and rescue in British Columbia continues to be ignored by the Martin and Chrétien governments," Cummins concluded. Contact: John Cummins, M.P.
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