SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
For Immediate Release
VANCOUVER—The Conservative government’s reckless decision to shutter the Kitsilano Search and Rescue Station compromises the safety of people living, working, and boating in Canada’s busiest harbour, said Liberal Small Business and Tourism critic Joyce Murray. Murray was reacting to a new report from the City of Vancouver on the anticipated risks and costs of the Canadian Coast Guard Kitsilano Base closure.
“This comprehensive report confirms the many expert voices warning that closing Kitsilano will put people’s safety at risk,” said Ms. Murray. “The government’s plan to offload the work to the Sea Island base will significantly increase response times, and the City of Vancouver has neither the resources nor the mandate to fill the gap from the base’s closure.”
The Kitsilano base is one of the busiest in Canada and oversees a marine area considered the most congested in the country. To read a copy of the City of Vancouver’s report, visit http://www.mayorofvancouver.ca/kitscoastguard.
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Contact:
Jeff Guignard
Office of Joyce Murray
613-995-1640
