An artists rendition of what a portion of a new oil response base in Nanaimo will look like. Crews have begun constructing the land portion of the project. The initiative will lead to  (Submitted)

By Ian Holmes

oil response

Construction starts for Nanaimo’s delayed oil response base

Nov 5, 2020 | 1:45 PM

NANAIMO — A long-planned oil response base in Nanaimo is at last being built following numerous setbacks.

Western Canada Marine Response Corporation communications director Michael Lowry said construction of the expansive base began in late September at the Port of Nanaimo’s assembly wharf. It will eventually include 15 vessels and 35-full-time staff across a head office and training centre.

The $10 million project in Nanaimo is part of a $150 million commitment funded by Trans Mountain to vastly bolster response capabilities to potential future west coast fuel spills.

“Its not just for a potential tanker spill, it’s any kind of spill that we respond to,” Lowry said. “People do understand this is an important asset for our coast and they’re looking forward to this being in place.”

Lowry said there are currently eight to nine active oil response vessels temporarily stored on Nanaimo’s waterfront.

Shorthanded

Clippers fall short hosting Bulldogs

5h ago

off the schedule

BC Ferries preemptively cancels early Saturday sailings

12h ago

firm handshake

B.C. NDP government, Greens reach 'shared priorities' agreement

14h ago

He said crews are also on site at five other south coast communities building their respective bases.

“They’re all roughly on the same time frame. The plan is to have all of these enhancements in place by the fall of 2022,” Lowry said.

Ian Marr, CEO of the Port of Nanaimo, said a local oil response base will provide continuous benefits to the community for many years to come.

“That’s how we evaluate various projects that we receive,” Marr said. “To have them here is obviously a very good thing for everybody in town,” Marr told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Construction of the Nanaimo base was projected to begin in 2018 and finish the following year.

However, delayed construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project stalled the Nanaimo initiative and others on the south coast.

Numerous court challenges, including a Federal Court of Appeal ruling citing inadequate public consultations, prevented the Trans Mountain project from proceeding earlier.

The Federal Government purchased the embattled once-private venture in 2018 for $4.5 billion.

Approval to build the expansion was granted in 2019.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes