Nestled in the Fraser River, the vessel formerly known as the Queen of Sidney has been a concern for Mission residents for over a decade.
The ship was in service for BC Ferries from 1960 to 2000 before it was sold to Bob and Gerald Tapp in 2002. Under its new owners, the Queen of Sidney was renamed Bad Adventure.
The Canadian Coast Guard recently sent a task force of marine pollution response and hazardous vessel specialists to investigate pollution reports and potential hazards with the vessel.
The task force assessed the vessel as “continuing to pose a threat” under both the Canadian Shipping Act and the Wrecked Abandoned Hazardous Vessels Act in October. According to the Coast Guard, the team spent time evaluating factors such as threats to public safety, the environment, economic impact, infrastructure, and navigation.
The Coast Guard says the Bad Adventure was assessed as lower-risk and there are no signs of hydrocarbons entering the marine environment. The conclusion was based on the condition of the vessel, its location and how it’s secured.
“The Canadian Coast Guard understands the concerns of neighbours and community members living near the Bad Adventure,” a Coast Guard representative told the Mission Record.
The Coast Guard says the vessel does not require an immediate intervention at this time but it will continue to monitor the scene regularly and act if required.
Concerns about the condition of the vessel and its effect on the environment were raised at the Nov. 20 City of Mission council meeting.
Coun. Mark Davies motioned that staff send letters to Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada and the BC Ministry of Environment requesting each agency take action concerning the Queen of Sidney and other abandoned vessels moored in the Mission area. The letter was sent on Dec. 6.
“The removal and abatement of this is not the responsibility of the City of Mission but it is a concern to the residents. We do get asked about it frequently but we really need our provincial environmental partners and the Coast Guard to step up and really take ownership of addressing this problem,” Davies said.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy says the province is aware of the Queen of Sidney but the Canadian Coast Guard has jurisdictional lead.
Provincial environmental protection officers visited the site in September 2023 and observed no pollution entering the Fraser River.
Davies was stirred to take action on the issue after he watched an online video that showed new footage of the vessel.
“[The video] really highlighted the continued deterioration of that vessel in the waters and the fact that I think its owner has effectively just abandoned it to be what it is,” Davies said.
He says it’s evident that the vessel will continue to deteriorate and at some point lead to an environmental issue in the river.
“The challenges will be the cost of either moving or breaking the ship down. I’m not sure if British Columbia has facilities to properly break ships down — as well there’s obviously the associated environmental concerns that would come from people having a shipbreaking location near them.”
The City of Mission previously brought this issue to the attention of government agencies in 2007 and 2009.
Mission Mayor Paul Horn says it’s important from both an environmental and public image perspective.
“If our gateway to our community includes derelict boats, it’s not only bad for the environment, it’s not particularly good for our community. I think we’re trying to be leaders on things like environmental initiatives and those boats are artifacts that suggest we’re not getting where we want to be,” Horn said.
Horn says the first step is to see whether anything comes from the letter.
“We don’t know whether or not some things have changed in terms of the motivation of other levels of government to deal with this issue,” Horn said. “The tools and the resources we might have on our side have changed since the last time we went out to ask for this help. That’s what we’re hoping for. If not, then we would consider other types of approaches where we would work with communities that have consistently dealt with these same types of issues.”
According to the letter, the city believes the vessels potentially pose a significant environmental threat to the downstream reaches of the Fraser and Stave Rivers as their rate of decay increases.
“There is no logic in waiting until pollution occurs and having to react to a much worse situation with the potential for devastating effects,” Horn wrote.
Provincial environmental protection officers visited the site in September 2023 and observed no pollution entering the Fraser River. The province says officers will continue to monitor the situation while working with the vessel owner and Coast Guard to protect the environment.
The Canadian Coast Guard says the responsibility for any vessel ultimately lies with the owner.
“Under Canadian law, owners are responsible for the costs of addressing their problem vessel. This includes any hazard-related costs like cleanup or repairs, and any remediation action taken by the Canadian Coast Guard,” the Coast Guard said.
Members of the public who spot marine pollution in the vicinity are urged to call 1-800-889-8852.