TRANSPORT CANADA MESSED UP ON THE ORLOVA

 

Lyubov Petrovna Orlova, was the first recognized star of the Soviet silver screen. Who would have ever envisioned the drama that a Russian research vessel named in her honour would create.

Imagine the reaction in Canada if a European country cut the lines of a derelict ship and let it drift into our waters.

I imagine there would be outrage! They stole our fish, now they are dumping their garbage in our waters. The hue and cry would be huge.

For some reason, our government decided that it would better to cut it’s losses and let the Lyubov Orlova float across the pond like a note in a bottle. 

Not our pig, not our farm!

Let her be some other nation's problem.

However, the Department of Transportation created this mess. 

It allowed an under-powered little tug to leave the most north-easterly major port in North America with the abandoned cruise ship in the month of January. 

Folks in the salvage and tow business took wagers on how long until the Lyubov Orlova broke free. It was a bit of a joke.

The little tug was supposed to tow the hulk to Caribbean where it would have been scrapped. The St. John’s Port Authority just wanted the eye-sore gone. Well, considering the plan for the fence, it might be more appropriate to suggest they wanted to free the space the boat was using for paying customers.

I suggest the Lyubov Orlova could have been towed into another port or even scuttled.  The navy could have used it for practice, a live fire demonstration of our navy’s ability. Perhaps one of those British submarines could have torpedoed the Orlova.

Washing ones hands of responsibility by letting it drift into international waters to become a shipping hazard stinks.

This stupid action impacts our reputation as a responsible Maritime nation.