National

Water taxi crash in B.C. prompts report's caution

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Mar, 2023 01:11 PM

RICHMOND, B.C. - The Transportation Safety Board has issued a warning to small boat operators that they shouldn’t rely on a single electronic navigation aid, after a water taxi rammed a rock in thick fog off Tofino, B.C.

A report from the board says four of the five people aboard the Rocky Pass were injured when the boat came to an abrupt stop on the rocks on Jan. 25, 2022.

The operator, who had 20 years of experience captaining the taxi, was using GPS in very foggy conditions when the navigation device froze.

The board’s report says the operator was attempting to reset the device when he saw the rock directly in front of the vessel.

The taxi was on its way to the nearby First Nation reserve of Ahousaht and the report says Transport Canada reached out to the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council about occurrences around Tofino Harbour in 2021 and early 2022 to “better understand the Council’s perspectives about transportation safety in the Tofino area.”

The board’s safety message to vessel operators is to carefully assess their route, use a safe speed, consider the weather and not rely on a single electronic navigational aid, especially in restricted visibility.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Applications open for dental care benefits

The benefit, to be used toward dental services, is available for children under 12 in families that earn less than $90,000 a year and ranges from $260 to $650 per child depending on net income.

Applications open for dental care benefits

Canada gains on U.S. in permanent resident race

It's a record that will likely be beaten more than once in the coming years, as a Canadian federal immigration plan released earlier this month aims to admit 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023 and 500,000 a year by 2025, with a particular focus on bringing in people with needed skills and experience.

Canada gains on U.S. in permanent resident race

How $10-a-day child care is rolling out in Canada

British Columbia was the first to sign on, inking a $3.2-billion deal in July 2021 with plans to create 30,000 new child-care spaces within five years and 40,000 within seven years. B.C. started a $10-a-day program at select facilities in 2018 and plans to double those spaces to 12,500 this month.

How $10-a-day child care is rolling out in Canada

B.C. public school teachers ratify new contract

It boosts annual salaries for new teachers as much as $8,500 by the end of the third year while B.C.'s highest-paid educators will earn up to $13,500 more over the same period, which Johnston says pushes them above the $100,000-per-year threshold for the first time.

B.C. public school teachers ratify new contract

Arctic cold descends on parts of B.C.

Arctic outflow warnings have been posted for B.C.’s central and northern coasts, with the wind chill predicted at minus 20. Special weather statements are also up for most of Vancouver Island and the south coast, with icy conditions and wind chills near minus 10.

Arctic cold descends on parts of B.C.

Street drugs kill another 179 people in B.C.

The coroner says the October statistics show that illicit drugs caused the deaths of 1,827 people in B.C. in the first 10 months of this year. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says the increased toxicity and variability of street drugs has created an environment where everyone who uses substances is at risk.