Skip to content

Sooke second on spill scene

Local fire rescue rushes to neighbour's aid
80776sookeprestige1
Prestigious Welcome A soft opening for the new Prestige Hotel and Convention Centre was held on April 15. A conference on emergency preparedness was being held in the convention centre along with a trade show. Bottom left

Sooke Fire Resuce personnel were involved with the Vancouver Island Emergency Preparedness conference being held from April 15-17. 

On the Saturday evening, about 6, a call came in of a crashed Columbia Fuels tanker truck on the Trans Canada Highway near Goldstream Park. 

Langford Fire Rescue was first on the scene, followed by Sooke Fire Rescue, who showed up with their Haz Mat Trailer.

Chief Steve Sorensen briefed the District of Sooke’s Committee of the Whole at its April 18 meeting.

“It started out with 60,000 litres, approximately 50 per cent of the cargo was spilled, almost all of it on initial impact.”

The fuel was spilled into the Goldstream River. Sorensen said his department was happy to respond as part of a mutual aid agreement, as outside help would certainly be appreciated if the tables were to be turned.

On the topic of the recently completed first function at the new Presitge Hotel and Conference Centre, Sorensen was most positive in his summary to the C.O.W.  

“First and foremost I have to thank Deputy Chief (Rick) McLeod who attended I don’t know how many meetings on his own time to help organizer this thing. 

There were 253 delegates registered for the conference. 

“The trade show on Friday evening was attended by somewhere between 350 and 400 people. 

“Quite a few local people came as well. 

We had six members of the Sooke ESS team attend.