Widow of man who died in tugboat sinking calls for more oversight after boat's owner fined $52K

The widow of one of the men who died when a tugboat sank near Kitimat, B.C., last year says the penalty issued to the boat's owners is not enough to trigger change in the industry.

Judy Carlick-Pearson is calling for more federal oversight on commercial vessel safety following a Transport Canada investigation into the sinking of the tugboat Ingenika in February 2021.

Last Thursday, the federal agency issued a $52,000 fine to Prince Rupert, B.C.-based Wainwright Marine Service, owner of the Ingenika, which was towing a large barge full of mining supplies and equipment when it went down in turbulent, frigid waters in the Gardner Canal near Kitimat.

Charley Cragg and Troy Pearson, Carlick-Pearson's husband, died when the tug sank.

Transport Canada says the investigation found Wainwright failed to ensure the vessel was staffed with a sufficient and competent crew, failed to ensure the person employed on board held a certificate for their position, and jeopardized the safety of the vessel and those on board.

Bates Properties Ltd., Wainwright's parent company, was also fined $10,000 for failing to ensure the vessel met regulatory requirements.

"You'd figure that a company that was found negligent would actually have to pay a fine no less than $250,000," said Carlick-Pearson.

"Anything else that's lower than that is not going to affect the company."

Calls for stricter regulation

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach agrees that the fine is not enough, and is also calling for stricter federal regulations on safety.

Currently, no certification is required for commercial vessels under 15 tons, no specific training is needed for crew members, and there's no limit on the size of barges that can be towed.

"This is a company that has million-dollar contracts and to think that $52,000 is going to change their behaviour, I think it is not going to happen," Bachrach told CBC News.

He said he has met with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra "several times" to push for action on tugboat safety and has raised it repeatedly in the House of Commons.

"Men and women are going to sea every single day in these vessels ... and we can't allow another incident like the Ingenika," Bachrach said.

The Transportation Safety Board says its investigation into the sinking of the tugboat is ongoing and a report will be published with findings on the changes that need to be made to ensure safety on these vessels.

Wainwright told CBC News that it plans to appeal the fine.