An investigation into the fire on the former Queen of Sidney ferry remains open, but RCMP says there鈥檚 no indication of criminality.
According to a statement on Tuesday (May 13), Mission RCMP are continuing to liaise with a fire investigator about any potential cause of the fire.
鈥淎t this time, the RCMP are not aware of any indication that the fire was intentionally set or that there was any other criminality related to the fire,鈥� the detachment said.
Police previously said a worker had been using a cutting torch on the vessel recently, and numerous vehicles and forklifts were aboard the ship.
The blaze on May 3 elicited a municipal, provincial and federal response. Mission Fire Rescue Service (MFRS), RCMP, the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks, Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard all responded to the incident in the hours and days after.
MFRS assistant chief Nick Rychkun updated council about the fire on May 5, saying no environmental damage was detected and that the fire department referred the matter to the Coast Guard and Transport Canada to look into further.
At the same meeting, council unanimously resolved to call on the federal government and responsible agencies to provide a plan for removing the Queen of Sidney and other derelict vessels.
The City of Mission said on Wednesday (May 14) that it continues to lobby federal agencies for the removal of the vessel. The city said it has had a call with the province, but the Coast Guard is the lead agency
The Mission Record asked the Coast Guard, Transport Canada and ministry about possible plans for removal and updates on the situation.
The Coast Guard said it is awaiting the conclusion of the RCMP investigation before updating. Transport Canada also said there was no update.
鈥淭he current response continues to be led by the RCMP and the B.C. Ministry of Environment,鈥� Transport Canada said. 鈥淪hould the file be transferred to Transport Canada, then we will conduct an assessment at that time under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act.鈥�
The Ministry of Environment and Parks said the federal government holds the primary responsibility.
鈥淯nder the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, vessel owners are liable for the costs of addressing hazardous vessels, and enforcement measures can be taken against them to ensure compliance,鈥� the ministry said.
鈥淏C Ministry of Environment and Parks remains in contact with our federal partners as well as the owner of the vessel to address any ongoing environmental impacts from the fire.鈥�
