Oil cleanup complete in Nootka Sound

A ention now turns to testing aquatic life for toxic remains due to the vessel, which has leaked since December

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Nootka Sound, BC - With oil now removed from the MV Schiedyk, the remediation eff ort around the 52-yearold shipwreck now turns to examining aquatic life in the area. On Monday, July 12 Fisheries and Oceans Canada reported that the underwater pumping of bulk oil and diesel from the v essel was completed by the end of June. Over the span of two weeks, 60 tonnes of heavy oil and diesel was removed from the Schiedyk, which lies 120 metres underwater by Bligh Island in Nootka Sound. Another 48,511 kilograms of oil and oily waste was recovered from the surrounding environment since the leak was fi rst detected by a Fisheries and Oceans Canada surveillance fl ight early December. It took over half a century for a consistent stream of oil sheen to be noticeable above the shipwreck, which sank on Jan. 3, 1968 when the vessel hit a reef after leaving Gold River. Loaded with approximately 1,000 imperial tons of grain and pulp, the ship originally sank 33 metres down on the south side of Bligh Island, which is east of Nootka Island. Then approximately a decade ago the vessel slid further down the reef, rolling upside down to rest east of Bligh Island, according to a technical assessment conducted during the recent recovery eff ort. Chief Jerry Jack of the local Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation said the oil leak was unexpected. “It was a surprise for us for it to start leaking,” he said. “I lived here in ’68 and I don’t even recall my dad talking about a shipwreck that happened at Bligh Island.” Under the coordination of the Canadian Coast Guard, the seven-month containment and recovery eff ort involved multiple government departments and private companies, with federal, provincial and First Nation incident commands. “We set out directives for what the operation was going to do every day,” said

Photo supplied by Bligh Island Shipwreck Unifi ed Command Information Site Since a leak was spotted in early December, 48,511 kilograms of oil and oily waste were collected from the area around the 52-year old shipwreck. Jack, who serves as incident commander for the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation. “My assessment is that everything went well. The Coast Guard couldn’t do any more.” It’s unknown how much oil has leaked from the shipwreck since it sank in 1968, said Greg Walker, the eff ort’s federal incident commander, although a noticeably consistent stream was wasn’t detected until recently. “With the anecdotal information we have, every once in a while there were some small releases that were reported,” he said. “It wasn’t until December that we started to see a larger amount of release of upwelling on the surface… we went back and discovered the actual wreck itself.” Booms were quickly spread to contain the oily sheen as the departments involved determined how to stop the slow leak. In the spring holes in four fuel tanks were patched with rubber mats and magnets. With drainage valves and hoses secured to the tanks, in June hot water was injected to liquefy the heavy oil and allow it to be pumped to the coast guard’s Atlantic Condor ship on the surface. Oil was then removed from the water and taken to a regulated disposal facility. Jack said that this process was closely watched for environmental impacts. “Environment Canada would put recommendations to the Coast Guard on what to do,” he said. “They had these models of if there was a catastrophic release.” At a depth too deep for divers, the underwater draining was performed by remotely operated vehicles under a $5.7-milion contract with the Resolve Marine Group. The Florida-based company was selected due to the specialized expertise needed to perform the underwater tapping, said Walker. “We went out to look for a company that has a proven track record,” he said. “Resolve Marine Group was one of them.” Now a team will be taking samples of fi sh, barnacles and other food sources in the area to detect any levels of heavy oil. So far the Coast Guard has identifi ed just 23 animals aff ected by the leak, including a sea otter and various birds. Fortunately, herring didn’t spread their eggs near the shipwreck this spring, said Walker. “This year there was no spawning reported in Nootka Sound,” he said. “The spawning that was located was along the outside of the Hesquiaht Peninsula.” Jack saw a minimal amount of oil spread beyond the vicinity of the shipwreck. “There was very little oil on any rock or beach,” he said. “Between the contractors and the Coast Guard, they did a really good job.” The types of fuel that leaked from the Schiedyk will react to the surrounding ocean in diff erent ways, explained Walker. “Diesel is highly processed, so it dissipates quite quickly and a lot of it evaporates,” he said, adding that the heavier fuel oil can evaporate as well. “It does also clump. Depending on how much is released, it will stick to the surrounding rocks and things like that. But over time waves break it down. It is kind of an organic matter, so other organisms do break it down.” Sea life collected for sampling will be tested for toxins, with results going to government agencies. “That information will go out to Health Canada,” said Walker. “They’ll make the recommendations and look at what that means for the populations that live in the area.” Meanwhile it appears that the Schiedyk will remain on the ocean fl oor, as the 52-year-old shipwreck has become integrated into the natural environment. “You probably couldn’t move it now because it’s deteriorated to such a state,” said Walker. “If you try and manipulate the hull too much it’s just going to break up and cause even more damage. A lot of the area now is likely a habitat for other animals that are down there.”

New partnership aims to improve emergency care

By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

To improve emergency care for remote First Nations communities, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) partnered with the University of British Columbia’s department of emergency medicine to create Kwiis-hen-niip, meaning “change” in Nuu-chah-nulth. In collaboration with BC Emergency Health Services, the First Nations Health Authority, Island Health, among others, four Nuu-chah-nulth nations are involved in the project. Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations recently wrapped up the fi rst year of the four-year partnership funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, a federal agency for health research. Based on community-identifi ed needs, Kwiis-hen-niip aims to improve emergency care through enhanced support for fi rst responders, community readiness, patient transport and communications. Most recently, all four nations were tasked to appoint a fi rst responder coordinator that is responsible for supporting programming and training to bolster emergency response within their communities. Bernard Charleson is Hesquiaht’s fi rst responder coordinator and emergency operations coordinator (ECO). As the ECO, Charleson collaborates with other fi rst responder coordinators from the neighbouring nations involved with the project. She’s expected to participate in regular fi rst responder meetings, help to create a system for collecting information on fi rst responders call-outs, as well as identify equipment, supply and training needs. “We’re the kind of people that ask a lot of questions and bother a lot of people until we get an answer,” he said. Hesquiaht’s on-reserve community is located at Hot Springs Cove. It takes around two and a half hours for members to travel to Tofi no, he said. “We don’t have regular doctor visits,” said Charleson. “It is a little bit of work coordinating fl ights and emergencies and supplies.” While Charleson said the nation’s remote location helped to keep the community safe from COVID-19, it did pose other challenges, such as food supply shortages. Through the program, four working groups have been created to discuss target Hot Spring Cove is one of the remote communties set to benefi t from a program designed to improve emergency services. areas that need improving. Cultural safety and anti-racism, fi rst responders, primary care and community readiness, are some of the topics being examined, said Malcomson. The ECOs will advocate for their community’s specifi c needs to the working groups, which are comprised of medical students, professors, health directors, NTC management, along with doctors and nurses. Two more working groups for transportation and community will be created this fall, and the program also plans to develop a Nuu Chah Nulth-based educational video on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Those who wish to participate can contact Nicole Malcomson. Elmer Frank has been hired as the ECO for Tla-o-qui-aht and Elizabeth Jack was hired as the ECO for Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/ Che:k’tles7et’h’. Ahousaht has yet to appoint an ECO, said Malcomson. “We bring together western science and Nuu-chah-nulth knowledge and ways of knowing to ensure the best of both worlds,” read a release from Kwiis-henniip.

Member’s pledge to take back community ‘from all the abusers and drug dealers’ in the fi rst of many marches

By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tofi no, BC - Singing and drumming rang throughout the streets of Esowista and Ty-Histanis on Friday, July 16, as Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN) council representatives, community members and RCMP joined together for a march near Tofi no. “We’re taking back our community from all the abusers and drug dealers,” said Barb Audet. The topic of drugs and alcohol was a recurring theme during a leadership retreat for chief and council, said Anna Masso, TFN language coordinator. To confront it, Masso said the nation’s hereditary chiefs and elected chief and council planned the march on July 5, while formulating a 5-year strategic plan. It’s the fi rst of many, she said. “This is just the beginning,” she added. Before taking to the streets in Esowista, Hjalmer Wenstob opened the march with a prayer song he wrote with his brother, Timmy Masso. Afterwards, orange signs that youth from Tla-o-qui-aht’s summer camp made were passed out. The signs represented the youth’s vision for a healthy community and were decorated with phrases like, “keep the community clean,” and “break the cycle.” Onlookers watched from kitchen windows and balconies, as marchers waved at them to join. Truck horns blared in support, and as more people trickled in, the singing and drumming grew louder.

Photo by Melissa Renwick Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation council representatives, community members and RCMP joined together for a march through the streets of Esowista and Ty-Histanis. The march was created to raise awareness around drug and alcohol issues within the communities, near Tofi no, on July 16. Christina Howard, one of the camp’s summer students, carried a sign that read “TFN knows who you are.” The 13-year-old said she was participating because “there’s a lot of kids suff ering out there.” “It’s the drugs that are doing it,” she said. “They’re putting kids in foster homes.” Francis Howard, 17, echoed her sentiments by saying that too many community members are choosing to drink. “When they get a paycheck, they choose to buy liquor instead of saving it for their kids,” he said. “Their priority is marijuana and alcohol. Their priority isn’t their kids.” Masso, who has served on council for 12 years, said that anytime the community comes together on an issue, it makes her “heart so happy” “I see the youth smiling,” she said. “I see our leadership here, I see the RCMP here, I see our culture is here. There is strength here.” Although the RCMP were invited by the nation, some members expressed concern that their presence might deter people from participating. Others said they felt triggered and were reminded of the recent loss of Chantel Moore, who was fatally shot by a police offi cer during a wellness check in Edmunston, New Brunswick in June 2020. “It’s important for people to express their concerns because understanding other people’s perspective about us is the only way we’re going to be able to properly formulate a good relationship,” said Const. Mason Harrison. “It’s a community issue and we’re part of that community.” For council member Joe Martin, the march honoured future generations. “They deserve more respect from us,” he said. After walking through both communities, participants continued on to march in Tofi no and Opitsaht. In between drumming, Howard said that joining the march was his way of helping to support his community become healthy. “I want to see it change,” he said. “And know that I helped to change it.”