Kelowna

-- Story provided by CKNW

The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees says the federal government is closing the boating safety office in Kelowna.

Pacific Region director Dave Clark says the office supplies safety courses, licences, and safe operation advice.

"Boating safety is actually going off to Ottawa. I guess this is one more of their bringing boating safety, bringing rescue centres to Ottawa off the ocean."

Sources say the Victoria office is also closing and the Vancouver office will be trimmed down, but Transport Canada hasn't confirmed that.

Clark says a handful of jobs are on the block.

"It is not a lot of jobs, it is about five, but they are being offered jobs from Ottawa."

But he says the Burrard Street office of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is also being whacked.

"We have all of the affected letters it all depends on ... different components."

in there so there is in the hundreds of affected letters in the actual building."

Clark says their could be hundreds getting letters and the union is opposing the cuts.
 
"We are disputing most of the cuts that are not realistic, we understand the mandate of this government is to do cuts, but we are calling into question when the cuts affect the actual public."

He says the government says they will offer the services of the boating safety offices through Internet.