Elevator repairs
BC Ferries’ Island Sky vessel, which sails between Saltery Bay and Earls Cove, will be removed from the route for six weeks starting on Monday, January 16 to overhaul the ship’s elevator.
The vessel’s elevator has been in and out, but mostly out, of service since May. BC Ferries stated in a press release that the overhaul will “address a number of warranty deficiencies that have impacted its functionality since the ship was delivered to BC Ferries.”
During that time the Bowen Queen will be filling in on the route. The Bowen has a reduced capacity, at 70 vehicles to the Island Sky’s 125 and 400 passengers to the Island Sky’s 462, but BC Ferries is expecting minimal overloads due to decreased ridership at that time of the year. The ship will sail on the regular schedule.
The Bowen Queen does not have an elevator but washroom facilities will be available on the car deck. The vessel will not have as many food options as the Island Sky.
Drug sting nets three arrests
Powell River RCMP have arrested and charged three residents for drug dealing related crimes after a 10-month undercover operation.
Joshua Charlton is facing three counts of trafficking in a controlled substance and one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking. Kelly Auclair has been charged with two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance. Michael White is charged with one count of trafficking in a controlled substance.
The arrests took place on Friday, December 16 and came as a result of a weekend undercover campaign by the RCMP. All three were arrested separately and the cases are not related. All were trafficking in cocaine. During the undercover operation those charged allegedly sold drugs to undercover officers.
“It only took four random weekends for police to gain enough evidence to lay the charges,” an RCMP press release stated, “which is a sign of how aggressive the drug trade is in Powell River.”
Those charged will appear in Powell River Provincial Court on January 18. Police said they will continue to focus on the drug trade in Powell River and these arrests should serve as a warning to others.
“You just never know when the person you’re selling to is an undercover police officer,” stated the press release.
Police arrest suspected vandal
A late evening vandalism spree that consisted of at least 20 broken windows ended with the arrest of a male suspect.
At 8:45 pm on Tuesday, December 20, police received a report of a man breaking windows in the area of Joyce Avenue and Glacier Street. When police arrived on scene, they heard the sound of glass being smashed. They located a man fitting the description holding a metal bar. He was arrested and taken back to the detachment.
Police believe the man is linked to an earlier rash of property damage which occurred on October 19. While the value of the damage is not known, it is estimated to be in the thousands of dollars. The 23-year-old man from Powell River will appear in Powell River Provincial Court on February 29 to face multiple counts of mischief.
The investigation is continuing and further charges may be laid.
