The Prince Rupert Harbour Debris Society announced the successful completion of an extensive harbour cleanup, its second in as many years. The Harbour Debris Society was incorporated as a non-profit group in 1983, with the objective of controlling and reducing the dangers to navigation caused by debris and promoting safe use of the harbour.
In 2012, over 200 cubic metres of debris were collected and gathered at a specially designated site in Osbourne Cove. Logs, untreated wooden docks and floats, derelict fishing vessels and other safely combustible materials were sorted and burned by Wainwright Marine Services over a period of four days beginning October 1st.
“The past two years have been very good for the Society, with the first successful sanctioned burn to happen in over ten years in 2011, and excellent weather conditions for our cleanup efforts this year,” said Gary Paulson, President of the Harbour Debris Society. “We are also very fortunate in that Wainwright Marine has done us a big favour by giving a break on their cost to facilitate our burns and cleanups. I’m confident that we will see the Society becoming more and more important to Prince Rupert as the port continues to grow.”
Prior to last year’s cleanup, a total of 2,000 cubic metres of debris had been amassed at the booming grounds and burn site developed at Osbourne Cove in Tuck Inlet. “It’s great to have somewhere to put the debris,” said Dave Dalzell, owner of Wainwright Marine Services. Dalzell personally supervised this year’s four-day burn. “In the past, it’s floated up and down the harbour, and boats were all over beaches because there was nowhere to put them. I’ve been in Rupert 45 years, and it used to be horrendous. Now, I think [the Society] is doing a good job because there’s hardly any debris in the harbour.”
Funding for the Harbour Debris Society came from contributions by Small Crafts Harbour of Prince Rupert, Ridley Terminals Inc., Maher Terminals and Prince Rupert Port Authority.