PAT DEAKIN
PORT ALBERNI – The Coastal Restoration Society (CRS) started as a volunteer marine clean-up group and over eight years has grown into a multi-million-dollar non-profit employing hundreds of people retrieving ghost fishing gear, anthropogenic materials from abandoned aquaculture sites, capturing hundreds of pounds of the highly invasive European Green Crab daily and more.
They are a diverse group of scientists, logistics and operations professionals who have set the bar for every aspect of their vocation: partnerships with First Nations; training and employment of Indigenous people; holistic support of their staff; paying a living wage; and swift, safe action in response to conditions they encounter. They embrace industry and do not blame or judge as they go about their work. Their tag line is ‘Balancing Economy and Ecology in a Changing Climate’. They are an amazing organization and we are thrilled they have chosen Port Alberni as their new hub of operations.
Their work has created the opportunity to build an entire economic sector involving training, the primary processing of recovered materials, the advanced processing of some of those materials and the fabrication of specialized equipment and vessels. In future, if approved by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the harvest of the European Green Crab may lead to its processing for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical values.
The training they secure for their employees is first rate and has four primary streams. Environmental Remediation Technicians training includes Occupational First Aid, Small Vessel Operations, Small Domestic Vessel Basic Safety, Restricted (Marine) Radiotelephone Operator’s Certificate, WHMIS, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Wildsafe, Swiftwater Rescue, and Rigging & Slinging.
Technical Operations includes Occupational Diving, Surface Supplied Diving, Occupational Dive Tendering, ROV Piloting, Heavy Equipment Operational Certificates, Fork Lift and Zoom Boom certificates, 150T Masters Licence and Class 1, 3 and 4 commercial vehicles with Air Brakes endorsement, Certified plumbers, electricians, general contractors and welders. STEM Employment includes Biologists, Hydrologists, Environmental Scientists and Cultural Monitors. The Administration and Project Management stream includes Bookkeeping, Chartered Accounting, Health & Safety, Administrators and Project Managers.
All of these skills are transferable into other economic sectors and are especially suited to the Blue Economy.
The Port Alberni campus of North Island College is launching an Environmental Remediation Technicians Training Program for CRS June 6th. Interested individuals are invited to contact Joshua Charleson at jcharleson@coastrestore.com. Preference given to Indigenous applicants.
Pat Deakin is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Port Alberni and currently the President of the BCEDA. He can be reached at 250-720-2527 or Patrick_deakin@portalberni.ca