New figures from the Government of Canada put a hefty price tag on the extensive and lengthy repairs for a Canadian Coast Guard vessel sabotaged in Nova Scotia in 2018.
“[The] Coast Guard’s intention is to return… CCGS Corporal McLaren M.M.V to service,” said Benoit Mayrand, a spokesperson for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in a statement.
In November 2018, the 42.8-metre patrol vessel was cut from its moorings at the Canadian Maritime Engineering dockyard in Sambro, N.S., where it was meant to undergo a month-long refit.
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The vessel slipped from its cradle, crashing into the ocean floor and coming to rest partially submerged in the icy water of Sambro Harbour.
Power cables were torn from the vessel as it slid into the water. Multiple compartments on the vessel were filled with icy seawater, damaging computer equipment and rendering wiring useless.
Everything that was damaged must now be replaced or refurbished before the vessel can return to service.
Officials were quick to determine the act was sabotage.
It’s unlikely that anyone will face criminal charges as a result of the sabotage.
No arrests have been made and Halifax Regional Police say their investigation into the incident has concluded as “all investigative avenues have been exhausted at this time.”
1:32 Few leads as sabotaged Canadian Coast Guard vessel remains unrepaired in Nova Scotia
Few leads as sabotaged Canadian Coast Guard vessel remains unrepaired in Nova Scotia
Could be years before vessel returns to service
CCGS Corporal McLaren — one of nine Hero-class vessels built for $227 million and launched from the Irving Shipyards in Halifax in 2013 — now rests at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.
The timeline to get the vessel back in service is still “being determined” according to the DFO.
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“The first phase of the vessel’s return to service is the removal of contaminated porous materials to allow for safe access to all spaces of the vessel by contractors and Government personnel,” said Mayrand.
Any work and repair that is required will be put to tender and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PPSC) has now issued a Request for Information for a statement of work.
Timothy Hiu-Tung Choi, a doctoral student at the University of Calgary’s Centre for Military and Strategic Studies specializing in maritime security and the Canadian navy, told Global News in Aug. 2019, that the repairs won’t be the final step in getting CCGS Corporal McLaren up and running again, adding that it’s more realistic to expect a “return to service in no less than two years.”
PPSC has confirmed that the repair contract with Canadian Maritime Engineering was “terminated for default” on Aug. 29, 2019.
They have also said they are looking at the possibility of claiming repair costs from the CME shipyard and strengthening security clauses in their repair contracts.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
