The Labrador Affairs Minister and the minister responsible for Emergency Measures are planning a trip to Ottawa with Jeannette Russell to lobby for greater search and rescue response in Labrador.
Russell, the mother of Marc Russell – who along with Island Lady crewmate, Joey Jenkins – were lost and never found after leaving Mary’s Harbour on a fishing trip last year, spoke to a Safety in Fish Harvesting Industry conference in St. John’s this week.
Russell made seven recommendations to improve search and rescue response and capability in Labrador.
The Opposition’s Chris Tibbs questioned Labrador Affairs Minister Lisa Dempster on the progress being made on Russell’s recommendations.
Tibbs questioned whether the Premier supports Russell’s call to elevate 5 Wing Goose Bay to a primary search and rescue unit. Dempster indicated that when she found out that the Island Lady was missing, she called the Premier who, within ten minutes, had directed all available search and rescue resources to the search. She will be joining Russell and Justice Minister John Hogan on a trip to Ottawa to lobby the federal government for greater SAR resources on the coast of Labrador.
