Our local MP, Kennedy Stewart, said something rather alarming about tankers at a June 27 meeting hosted by Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion. In Burrard Inlet, Port Metro Vancouver is responsible for overseeing the passage of tankers, which are pulled by tug boats to make the journey safer.
At the meeting, Stewart told the audience that his office has received reports of tankers travelling in the Burrard Inlet with no tug escorts.
I called Port Metro Vancouver to check, and they confirmed that it's sometimes true - when the tankers are empty.
Tug escorts are only used for tankers after they are filled with crude at Kinder Morgan's Westridge Marine Terminal in north Burnaby.
I also asked the port how people on shore can tell the difference between a tanker and a ship transporting grain, for example, and I was told unless you have a trained eye and can clearly see the apparatus on the ship, it's very difficult to tell. That's when Port Metro Vancouver mentioned this very handy interactive map on their website. The map shows which ships are in the inlet and what they are doing.
You have to download an application to use the map, which doesn't take long. The map shows blue icons for the various ships in and around the Vancouver harbour, and if you hover over the icons, you can see what kind of vessel it is. To check out the map, go the Port Metro Vancouver website.
Tracking wildlife
Speaking of interactive maps, I came across another interesting one, this time to monitor wildlife. We've been receiving a lot of calls about bear sightings and, in some cases, droppings (I'll spare you the details).
Conservation officer Dave Cox told me about Wild Safe B.C.'s Wildlife Alert Reporting Program, which also has a map showing all the latest wildlife sightings.
The icons are in the shapes of animals - bears, coyotes and cougars, for example - and they are colour-coded, with red being the most recent sighting.
The map only lists sighting that are reported to the conservation officers, so make sure you call 1-877-952-7277, and not some random wildlife organization, to report a sighting.
The conservation officers are concerned about wildlife behaving aggressively. They are not that interested in animals minding their own business when they are not causing trouble. To check out the wildlife map, go to www.wildsafebc.com/ WARP.
Got talent?
Burnaby's Nikkei Centre has tons of fun things happening this summer. From July 7 to 21, the centre is holding auditions for Nikkei's Got Talent, a contest showcasing the community's best singers, dancers and instrumentalists. To register, call 604-777-2122. For more information, go to the centre's website at www.nikkeiplace.org.
Green team
The Lower Mainland Green Team has been at it again.
The crew of volunteers descended on Deer Lake on June 23, removing policemen's helmet in the park. Policemen's helmet is an invasive species, which can choke out native plants and overrun natural habitat.
Thirty volunteers removed 1.8 cubic metres of the weed. The Lower Mainland Green Team is a collection of volunteers, organized by Lyda Salatian through Meetup. com.
They regularly get together to help improve the local environment by removing invasive plants, restoring shoreline habitat, preparing and harvesting vegetable beds on community farms, planting native plants and trees and picking up litter.
To get involved, go to www.meetup.com/the -lower-mainland-green -team.
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