WHEREAS the sixty-five year old tugboat, Florence Filberg, British Columbia, became grounded in November 2007 within the Sooke harbour after breaking loose from its mooring and being abandoned by its owner; AND WHEREAS the District of Sooke has requested assistance from the provincial and federal governments with regards to the safe and efficient removal of the Florence Filberg, British Columbia with no success; AND WHEREAS the Florence Filberg, British Columbia was the target of arsonists on the evening of Friday July 3, 2009 causing it to burn fiercely, thus causing potential air quality and environmental issues and causing a further navigational hazard; AND WHEREAS the estimates to remove what remains of the Florence Filberg, British Columbia from the Sooke harbour are approximately 120,000; AND WHEREAS there are approximately twenty abandoned derelict vessels in the Sooke harbour and basin and other coastal communities in Canada can be or have been faced with the same predicament such as the Florence Filberg, British Columbia: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia negotiate directly with the Government of Canada to determine which of those two orders of government has appropriate jurisdiction in these matters; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities negotiate with the Province of British Columbia to continue to work with the federal government in addressing this outstanding issue affecting all coastal communities in BC; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the removal of derelict vessels be at no cost to local government.
