BC Ferries delays Orca
Travellers waiting to sail on the Salish Orca, BC Ferries’ new, LNG-powered vessel to service Powell River and Comox, will have to wait a little longer, according to a company spokesperson.
BC Ferries public affairs executive director Deborah Marshall said that instead of the beginning of April, the corporation now expects the vessel to go into service in late April.
The company had planned to hold open houses for the new ferry, but have cancelled them because they would have added to the wait, said Marshall.
BC Ferries had to pull Queen of Burnaby out of service again for unplanned repairs in early February. The corporation recently decided to forego the open houses so they could get the new ship into service as soon as operationally possible, said Marshall.
“We’re trying to condense the implementation schedule to get the Salish Orca into service as soon as we can,” said Marshall.
City votes on former inn
Ordering the demolition of the deteriorating former Inn at Westview building is going to a vote this week.
City of Powell River clerk Chris Jackson presented a motion to council last month to order the teardown of the building. If council votes to support the demolition order at its meeting on Thursday, April 6, building owner Seaboard Hotels will have 15 days to apply for a city demolition permit and then 30 days from the day the permit is granted to tear the building down.
According to the motion, if the demolition is not completed within set time limits, the city may step in and complete it at the owner’s expense.
