A former navy ship docked in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, may be the latest victim of this winter's extreme weather. It's been sitting on the bottom of the Lehave River on a 40 degree angle since Wednesday.
Neighbours like Margaret Schmeisser considered it an eyesore on the Bridgewater waterfront.
“I hope they can get it up there, I don't know what's causing it to go that way, they say it's the ice, but I don't know,” she says.
“My kids got to grow up in this stuff, and I don't want him to have to not be able to go into the water here, just because of pollutants," says Donnie Walker.
The ship’s troubles began a few weeks ago. The Coast Guard says ice and snow on the ship’s deck made her tilt 10 degrees. On Wednesday, water made its way into the hold and the ship began to sink. But for now the ship is stable.
"The vessel seems to be sitting on the bottom,” says Keith Laidlaw of the Canadian Coast Guard. “It hasn't moved through the tide cycles in the last couple of days, so we don't believe it will move any more. But that is speculation."
The ship began its life as an Italian fishing vessel, then it became HMCS Cormorant, a royal Canadian navy dive tender. It’s been sold a couple of times since and now it belongs to a group of creditors who hope to sell it to recover their losses.
Her mini-sub, which is still on board, was used to recover the bell from the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
But now there is the potential for pollution to spread into the Lehave River.
"There is less than two hundred litres of diesel fuel on board,” says Laidlaw. “The main fuel tanks, we are told, are empty and may be filled with water, just for ballast."
There is also some lubrication oil in the main engine crankcases along with some hydraulic fluids.
The present owners of the ship called in the Bridgewater fire department to clean ice and snow off the deck so the inspectors can get access to the hatches, and inspect the hold. It's expected divers will also be involved.
With files from CTV’s Ron Shaw
