Sea cadets stage a full poppy blitz

• The Admiral Yannow Navy League Cadets and the HMCS Esquimalt Sea Cadets aren’t kidding around in their efforts to raise money for veterans and their families.

The groups are slated to conduct a Poppy Fund blitz for the Parksville Legion on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Oceanside residents who want to get a jump on purchasing a poppy should look for them outside numerous businesses around Parksville.

As well, the 893 Beaufort Squadron Air Cadets will conduct a similar Poppy Fund blitz for the Parksville Legion on Saturday, Nov. 7.

They will also be located at numerous businesses around Parksville.

• The explosions and fire that rocked Nanaimo’s Palm Harbourside Marina Thursday brought back memories for Clair Davies, and they weren’t pleasant ones.

Davies, the assistant wharfinger at the Fairwinds Marina in Schooner Cove said the explosion, which destroyed three boats, damaged eight and burned several boat sheds, reminded him of a similar incident at his facility in the mid-1990s.

“When we heard about these explosions and fires in Nanaimo we were shuddering, because we know what it’s like,” Davies said. “This guy came in, drunk as a skunk and was filling and filling and filling his boat at the pump. He was blaming us for not having our fuel pumps properly calibrated, because he had never needed this much fuel before.”

In fact however, the skipper wasn’t filling his fuel tank with gasoline, but rather, his bilge.

“Alarm bells were going off in his boat and when he threw the switch to turn on the fan, it caused a spark and there was an explosion that threw him forward and broke his leg. His boat burned to the water line and then the fuel dock caught fire and then the boat on the other side caught fire.”

Fortunately, the personnel at the CFMETR base on Winchelsea Island saw the fire and raced over with some of their firefighting equipment.

“Those base firemen saved the whole place,” he said.

• Passengers on the Spirit of British Columbia were left cooling their heels Tuesday when the ship unexpectedly dropped anchor.

The ferry had just navigated through Active Pass on the run from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen at 7 a.m. when it suddenly shuddered and, after completing one 360 degree turn, came to a stop. After remaining in place for an hour in rough seas, the ferry continued on to its destination.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, but the sailing was late and other ferry schedules were also impacted.

BC Ferries is looking into why the anchor deployed.

news@pqbnews.com

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