Boat fire inflames Port de Grave fees issue

By Mark Squibb/March 17, 2023

A long smouldering concern was given new life in Bay Roberts council chambers this week following a vessel fire in Port de Grave that tied up Bay Roberts’ firefighting services for an entire day.

Councillor Dean Franey, himself a member of the Bay Roberts Volunteer Fire Department, raised the issue of fire protection fees following last week’s vessel fire.

The fire broke out around 6 a.m. on the morning of March 8, and volunteers from Bay Roberts and Port de Grave fire departments were quickly called to the scene.

Franey was among those who responded and said some firefighters were on the scene for a full 18 hours, with others called back numerous times to battle flare ups.

“My concern is the Port de Grave Harbor Authority and boat fire protection fee collection,” said Franey.

“This is not about the boat owners,” said Franey. “We were treated like kings and queens. There wasn’t a coffee, or a donut left in bay Roberts. There was coffee delivered, pizza delivered, coffee delivered… So, we were well appreciated.”

The problem is that not everyone in Port de Grave and nearby Bareneed are paying their fire protection bills.

The issue was first raised back in November 2021, when CAO Nigel Black informed council that the collection rate for that area was only about 72 percent. In addition, said Black, the Town did not have an accurate list of residential properties or fishing vessels in the area, so it was likely some residents were not even receiving a fire protection bill.

The issue apparently went unresolved, as council in November 2022 motioned to erect signage in the area asking residents to pay their fire protection bills.

At the time, council floated the idea of pulling services if more people didn’t comply.

Following this month’s blaze, the issue has been placed on the front burner once more.

“This was a very expensive fire,” said Franey. “We used our own foam, we used 10 barrels of foam… there were two trips made out to Long Harbour for two truck loads of foam. I think 50 containers of foam came from Long Harbour, on loan. So that has to be replaced… the Bay de Grave truck alone did 500 kilometres from that wharf to the hydrant, which is where they trucked water from. And that raises another point – treated water costs money. So, it all cost money.”

He added that according to what he heard from others, the Coast Guard forbade the use of pumping water from the port, likely due to sea ice, which is why water had to be trucked in.

All told, he estimates the fire cost about $10,000 to put out.

“In the past, it’s always been that we send individual boatowners the bill, and we hopefully collect,” said Franey. “But we’ve learned that we don’t know all the boats that are down there, we don’t know all the boat names, the boat owners, or how many are there even.”

“I think it’s time for some responsibility to be taken down there,” added Franey, who recommended that CAO Black arrange a meeting between the Town and the Harbour Authority. “I want a list of boats and boat owners from the Harbour Authority. They 100 percent have it, there’s no doubt about that. I know last year we tried to get it and they said ‘No.’”

Franey said that based on that list of vessels, the Town could send a bill to the Harbour Authority, and task it with going after boatowners for payment.

He said that boatowners already pay a fee to tie up in the harbour, and the Harbour Authority could tack the fire protection fee right on top of it.

He added that while Bay Roberts volunteers were battling the fire in Port de Grave, Spaniard’s Bay had to be on put on standby in case a fire broke out in Bay Roberts.

“This is enough of this,” said Franey. “This is what we want. And if it’s not going to happen, I think further discussions are going to have to happen… and I’m going to be honest with you, after being up there, and talking to the  firefighters that were up there and what it took, I’m not going to be very negotiable with the demands I’ve just made.”

Franey then put forward a motion that the Town arrange to meet with the Harbor Authority to discuss the matter.

Before the vote, councillor Silas Badcock noted that he is a member of the Harbour Authority, and councillor Ross Petten is the president. Badcock, who was also on the scene all day Thursday battling the blaze, mentioned how one boat owner scolded him last summer for supporting the motion to erect signage asking property owners to pay their fees.

Franey said if any property owners have an issue with the Town’s efforts to collect the fees, they can call him directly.

Adding to the confusion, as noted by Deputy Mayor Geoff Seymour, is the fact that besides boatowners, there are some residents in Port de Grave who have not been paying their fire protection fees.

“We have no way of knowing how many houses are down there,” said Seymour. “We’ve tried to find out, and we can’t find out. However, in this situation, the Harbour Authority has that information. So, there’s no reason not to share it. Absolutely zero. So, the meeting would be a first step.”

Seymour added that if folks won’t pay for the service, the Town should withdraw it.

Councillor Ross Petten suggested the Town may be able to collect through the boatowner’s insurance policy, and that that avenue is being looked into.

He added that it should be no trouble to arrange a meeting between the Town and the Harbour Authority.

Councillor Frank Deering applauded council’s approach to the matter, saying that dealing with one invoice would be easier than dealing with individual invoices for each boatowner.

Councillor Perry Bowering asked whether the Town had already met with the Harbor Authority, and if so how that meeting went.

CAO Nigel Black said the matter was being discussed, but that the recent fire has brought the matter back to the forefront.

Council voted unanimously in favour of meeting with the Harbor Authority.