Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach is calling for the federal government to protect tugboat workers, on the anniversary of a tragic incident.
Bachrach was in Prince Rupert today to commemorate the second anniversary of the fatal sinking of the tugboat Ingenika on the west coast.
On this day in 2021, the overloaded Ingenika departed Kitimat, despite concerns voiced by crew members.
It would sink near the Gardner Canal the next morning, amid extreme winds and stormy waters, claiming the lives of crewmembers Troy Pearson and Charley Cragg.
Last week, 8 charges were approved against the boat’s operator Wainright Marine Services, in relation to the incident.
Today, Bachrach stood alongside union members, and the family of those lost, to call for a suite of regulatory changes.
Those include: mandatory inspections for commercial towing vessels under 15 tonnes, increased minimum crew requirements, and limits to the tug-to-tow size ratio.
Under the current company-friendly Small Vessel Compliance Program, participation is voluntary and just 77 of 1,340 vessels have been registered.
All photos courtesy of MP Taylor Bachrach’s team.
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