By Daryl Major

Viki Lyne II One Step Closer to Leaving Ladysmith Harbour

Jul 20, 2016 | 4:31 PM

A boat that has been at the centre of the derelict vessel issue on the coast is one step closer to being removed from Ladysmith harbour.

The federal government has started the tender process for the removal of the Viki Lyne II and the disposal of all pollutants and debris.

Nanaimo-Ladysmith New Democrat MP Sheila Malcolmson has been lobbying to have the boat removed since being elected last October.

She had hoped it would be gone by August, but that time line has changed.

“They’ve lost a month on the tender process where they had to do a bit of extra environmental work. I hope that we’ll see this gone by the end of September, but the Feds really are the ones that have the control of the time line here,” said Malcolmson.

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The removal of the vessel ends a battle with Ottawa that began in 2012.

“We’ve been pushing hard for four years. Ever since the Feds towed Viki Lyne II into the harbour, we’ve been asking them to get it out. And just so happy that I got the federal government to agree to remove it. So we’ll really have a great party on the dock when the boat actually leaves the harbour in a month or two.”

Malcolmson says the four-year struggle to get the boat removed from the harbour highlights the importance of getting her derelict vessel bill passed.

That bill is expected to be debated in the House of Commons next year.