It’s become a situation that needs to be resolved immediately.
In a recent letter to Delta council, the Canadian Lifeboat Institution (CLI), which operates the Delta Lifeboat Station, expressed “deep concern over the desperate need for dredging in Ladner Harbour.”
John Horton, OIC for the Delta Lifeboat Station headquartered on McNeeley's Way, noted silting has reached a point where the "Delta Lifeboat", along with commercial and native fishing vessels, are severely restricted in being able to exit the harbour.
“It was so bad over the Canada Day weekend that CLI was forced to anchor the lifeboat in Ladner Reach and ferry crew members out to conduct safety patrols in the Fraser River. If we had to land an injured person for transportation to hospital during low tide we would have had a serious challenge,” wrote Horton.
Adding dredging had been promised several years ago, he said it is imperative that work proceeds immediately.
A Delta staff response noted that the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority last September advised that proposed dredging of Ladner Harbour would be delayed until sometime in 2023, pending provincial approvals.
“VanPile has been contacted to undertake the work and an application was submitted to the Province in April 2022. There are significant permit processing delays – staff will seek an update from the Ministry and will advise the letter-writer accordingly,” the memo noted.
The lack of a dredging program the secondary river channels has been an ongoing and growing concern for the City of Delta and others, including float homeowners and businesses.
A town hall meeting for stakeholders and the public, organized by MLA Ian Paton in conjunction with MP Carla Qualtrough and Mayor George Harvie, will be held this Wednesday, July 12 at the Fishermen’s Hall in Ladner (4481 Savoy St.), from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information call 604-940-7930.
