Plane crash near Tahsis

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Tahsis, BC -An airplane crash in the Tahsis Inlet has claimed the lives of two aboard, according to early reports from the scene.

Emergency crews were alerted to the incident at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20 near the Village of Tahsis on northwest Vancouver Island. RCMP reported that the crash occurred near Mizona Point in the inlet that leads to the small village.

Four were aboard the small plane, which was headed from Masset on the northern coast of Haida Gwaii, to Tofino.

Tahsis Fire Chief Lisa Illes said that her crew was alerted to the incident in case it caused a forest fire that could encroach on the village.

“I got alerted about 2 o’clock yesterday [June 20] that there was smoke out in the inlet at Mazino Point,” said Illes, who coordinated with the Coastal Fire Centre and other agencies. “I just made my crew aware of it and they helped out with letting coastal gain access and the RCMP gain access to the forestry service roads.”

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and the Canadian Coast Guard responded to the crash, as did the Nootka Sound RCMP with a police boat.

On June 21 a team of investigators from the Transportation Safety Board headed to the scene to determine the cause of the cras. The aircraft involved is a privately owned Quest Kodiak 100 that is not operated by an airline company, said the TSB. It crashed on the land.

“The RCMP is working alongside the Transportation Safety Board and the BC Coroners Service to determine the cause of this incident,” stated the police. “We are asking anyone with information to contact the Nootka Sound RCMP at 250283-2227.”

Lilly Woodbury photo

This spring a dock with polystyrene floats washed up on a Vargas Island beach at Kelsmaht inAhousaht First Nation territory. Surfrider removed the dock and its pieces in late May. ington State recently passed a bill to ban the use of foam in Washington waters.

“The House has recognized that [expanded polystyrene] can have harmful effects on the marine environment, and it is critical we stop pollution at its source,” Blaney wrote. “Our nearest neighbours have taken action on removing foam from their waters, which raises the ques- tion of why Canada has not taken action and, further, has no intention of taking action.”

She went on to say that there are readily available Canadian products, including two sources in British Columbia, that could replace the foam-containing structures that are much safer for Canada’s waters.