By Spencer Sterritt

Grade 1 students show off helpful ways to solve Ladysmith’s sunken ship problem

May 14, 2018 | 6:36 PM

NANAIMO — Engineers can step aside in their efforts to raise sunken ships out of Ladysmith Harbour. A Grade 1 class has already solved the problem.

Students at Ecole North Oyster worked on finding environmentally-friendly ways to remove the ships and presented their solutions to Ladysmith mayor Aaron Stone on Monday.

Everything from dragging to boats out with a submarine to putting inflatable bags under the ships and filling them with oxygen were on the table.

Mayor Stone said he was thrilled to see how accurate the students were.

“When talking about pulling ships up with cranes or putting in bag and floating them up, those are exactly the kinds of things we do to remove derelict boats. They’re all 100 per cent bang on. It’s the principles I think that are the most important.”

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The project was also a lesson in how to protect the environment and clean up any waste or spills. The students’ designs focused on how to contain any oil spilled or debris washed away during boat removal.

“Them knowing it’s about preserving the habitat and the health of the ecosystem at a young age is awesome,” Stone said. “You’ll think they’ll be a little more conscious of what they do and the input they have on the environment.”

Student Leela Lemon said the biggest takeaway was making sure everyone ears are open about the project to hear new ideas.

“It might be a little hard sometimes but you should always take some time to figure out what you should do,” she said.

The class started the project after seeing a NanaimoNewsNOW video of a derelict vessel being torn apart on the shores of Ladysmith Harbour.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit