History buffs protest ship stern's demise

A group of heritage advocates is protesting the City of North Vancouver's decision to scrap the Flamborough Head.

Council voted behind closed doors in September to spend up to $250,000 to decontaminate and remove ship stern from Lot 5.

"It's a major artifact in the city. It actually represents all the victory ships that were built - all the men and women in the community that built them, right here on our waterfront, and to commemorate all those that sailed in them and never returned," said Ivan Leonard, protest organizer.

The North Shore Heritage Preservation Society and North Shore Historical Society are joining in the protest.

"We're just going to put pressure on council to reconsider their decision," Leonard said.

But it is likely too little too late. The city only acquired the Flamborough Head to make it the centerpiece of the nowabandoned maritime museum project.

"When the funding fell through for the National Maritime Centre, it spelled the beginning of the end for the Flamborough Head," said Mayor Darrell Mussatto. "It's unfortunate. I feel bad for it. We had higher hopes."

But the city is now pursuing a new vision of the waterfront, he added.

"We heard it loud and clear that people want public open space on Lot 5 and (the stern) wasn't going to work."

Many artifacts from the shipbuilding days are being incorporated into the waterfront, Mussatto added.

Because of the ship's aging cradle, it had become a safety and liability issue so council had no choice but to make the decision in camera, Mussatto said.

The protesters plan to meet at the stern on Saturday at 11 a.m.