While the federal government has offered to sell Lasqueti Island’s False Bay public port facility, Powell River Regional District directors aren’t buying.
During their Thursday, June 11, committee of the whole meeting, directors reviewed correspondence from Transport Canada, stating that the port facility would be put up for sale this summer.
Colin Palmer, committee of the whole chair, told Merrick Anderson, Electoral Area E director from Lasqueti Island, that it was another attempt by the federal government to get rid of the island’s dock.
Palmer asked Anderson what he wanted to propose on behalf of Lasqueti Island. Anderson said he was going to propose that if the federal government insists on putting the False Bay public port facility up for sale, that a letter be sent saying “we are interested in purchasing it.”
Palmer asked when Anderson says “we,” did he mean Lasqueti Island? Anderson said Lasqueti Island through the Powell River Regional District.
“It’s a critical part of our infrastructure,” he said.
Stan Gisborne, Electoral Area B director, said he did not think an offer should be made to purchase the False Bay port. Gisborne said the islanders should wait and see if anyone is interested in purchasing it. If not, the federal government will divest the port.
“Then you can negotiate some funds from them to divest it,” Gisborne said.
Anderson said the correspondence from Transport Canada said the port would be offered for sale this summer. Gisborne said he could not see anyone offering to purchase it because he does not see a revenue stream. Anderson agreed that there isn’t.
Gisborne said he thinks the matter will turn over to divestiture sometime in the future.
“At that time we can negotiate rather than buying it now and paying for it,” he said.
Anderson said he did not want to pay for the dock but wondered if the regional district should correspond with the transport ministry just to show it’s interested.
Patrick Brabazon, Electoral Area A director and chair of the board, said these matters are like a poker game, so the regional board should call the government’s bluff.
“I would not rush out to make them feel good about divesting the dock,” he said.
Anderson said he thought the committee should receive the letter and let it ride. The committee carried a motion to that effect.
According to information from the federal transport ministry, the Ports Asset Transfer Program is a proactive, structured program that includes engagement, sales, and divestiture phases. Once the sales phase is launched this summer, port facilities will be first offered for purchase to other federal departments, the provinces, and municipalities, for public purpose. If there are no expressions of interest from any of these organizations, Transport Canada will then seek expressions of interest from other interested parties, including aboriginal communities, Canada Port Authorities, non-government organizations, the private sector and the general public. If there is no expression of interest in a sale, or if a negotiation for sale falls through, the port facility will be offered for divestiture.
