On a day dominated by B.C.’s Provincial budget, Ottawa quietly and suddenly closed the Kits Coast Guard Station.
At 1 p.m. today the call came in to staff that the closure is effective immediately. The closure was originally slated for spring.
Three boats have been reassigned around the south coast.
Employees and those in opposition to the closure had a rally at 5 p.m.
The announcement the base would close first came down last year, and opposition to the idea has been high ever since.
Premier Christy Clark and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson have not shown support for the idea, saying it puts lives at risk.
The base is considered to be the biggest in Canada, responding to more than 350 calls a year.
Now the base has closed, calls will be handed primarily by the base at Sea Island in Richmond, but critics say response times to calls will increase dramatically due to the larger distance.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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