Sanctuary signs

Visitors will soon find new signs in the Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary along with the usual footprints and bird calls.

Ducks Unlimited Canada has agreed to fund a new trail head sign, trail marker, and four interpretive signs that tell visitors about the ecological significance of the Delkatla Slough, its wildlife and waterfowl, the local tides and estuaries, and the history of how the sanctuary came together.

The new signs will be funded through a community grant provided by the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

Patrol boat re-float

A trio of Masset mariners went out in a dark, stormy southeaster on April 12 to re-float a DFO patrol boat beached at Yan.

Beached while assisting the RCMP in rough conditions, the two-year-old patrol boat suffered little damage.

Sheldon Braman, Sanne and Michael Koenig set out for Yan at 10 p.m. with a 23-foot aluminum boat and a small tender. All three joined in the re-floating of the Carmanah Light, a crab boat that ran aground on Rose Spit back in August.

Supporting them in the Northward were two volunteers with Masset Marine Rescue, who also lit the scene.

Over the next two hours, the group landed one dry-suited person at Yan using the tender and waited for the rising tide to re-float the beached patrol boat while keeping enough tension on the tow line so it didn’t get pushed further up by the breaking waves.

A depth sounder showed the swell was about five feet high near Yan, and even bigger standing waves were waiting for the group when they headed back home against the 35-knot winds.

DFO thanked the group for their efforts, noting that while the boat was inspected last week, it was clear they had prevented any major damage.

Lasting legacy

No matter where or when they meet from now on, directors on the North Coast Regional District will be in an inspiring place.

In a unanimous vote on Friday, the directors recognized their late colleague Nelson Kinney by renaming their boardroom the Nelson Kinney Committee Room.

Des Nobels, the acting chair, suggested the idea, noting that Kinney, a five-time city councillor, was well known, well liked, and provided significant insight to community issues. In fact, Kinney was at the regional district table, organizing a campaign for a new community health service the night before he passed away.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Barry Cunningham, a fellow director and city councillor. “It’s a nice legacy for Nelson.”