Latest news with #LionelHall
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Family of child killed in boat crash brings inspirational message to B.C. track meet
A photo of Lionel Hall, who was killed last month in a boat crash, was displayed at a B.C. track meet where his parents and sister honoured his memory. The family of a 10-year-old boy who lost his life in a speed boat crash near Cates Park in North Vancouver took part in a ceremony to honour him at the BC Athletics Junior Development Track and Field Championships on Saturday. Lionel Hall died after being hit by the speed boat while tubing in Burrard Inlet in June. Another child, who was also tubing, was seriously injured. Lionel's sister Abigail took part in races at South Surrey Athletic Park and was happy the event allowed her family to honour her little brother's life. 'He was really funny. He had a great sense of humour,' Abigail told CTV News. Lionel's father, Jason said if not for the tragedy that took his life, his son would have been a competitor at the event. 'He just always wanted to be better, and he knew being at the championships was always a great marker to set for himself so he could always take that next step and improve,' Hall said. The family took time Saturday to address all the young athletes taking part in the track meet. 'We're just going to have a few moments in memory of Lionel's contribution here and hopefully inspire other kids to live big for Lionel,' said Shelley Klassen, Lionel's mom. The RCMP are investigating speed and alcohol as contributing factors in the boat crash that killed Lionel. The operator of the boat that crashed into the inner tube with the children on it was arrested at the scene but later released. So far, no charges have been laid.
CBC
09-07-2025
- CBC
First Nation proposes water guardian program after child's death in North Vancouver boat crash
Social Sharing The Tsleil-Waututh First Nation is proposing a water guardianship program to educate people in their traditional territory, a month after the death of a child in a speedboat crash in North Vancouver. Lionel Hall, 10, was killed on June 7 at Cates Park when a speedboat crashed into an inflatable tube carrying him and another child in the water near the park's boat launch. The other child was critically injured. Alcohol and speed are believed to be factors in the crash, according to RCMP, with the speedboat driver arrested on the scene. He is due in court in August. Deanna George, an elder and councillor with the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, said Hall's death hit her community hard. Cates Park, a popular park in North Vancouver's Deep Cove neighbourhood, is located in the nation's traditional territory and is known as Whey-ah-Wichen in their language. George says that the nation's council has passed a resolution and is talking to different levels of government to set up a water guardianship program and educate boaters in the region. "I know the open water just seems like, 'Woo hoo! Let's speed; let's do stuff,'" George said. "But if you don't know the waterways, if you don't know what's coming in and out, the traffic in this area, then yes, you are ignorant." WATCH | Child killed in boat crash at Cates Park: Child killed in boat crash at North Vancouver's Cates Park identified 29 days ago Duration 2:20 The child killed in a speedboat crash on Saturday while tubing off Cates Park in North Vancouver has been identified as 10-year-old Lionel Hall. CBC's Leanne Yu has more on what happened and the calls for change. George says the guardianship program would focus on educating boaters on rules that don't seem intuitive at first glance. They include respecting others in the area, knowing the locations of canoe and kayak tours, and the value of being on First Nations territory. "The idea ... is that this is to keep our face within the territory, educate people on who we are, and why we are guarding our lands and our waters," she said. "And hopefully that will build up the respect for it and [boaters] start abiding by rules that, like I said before, aren't really intuitive to people, like even littering." Shelley Klassen, Hall's mother, said the idea of having First Nation members out on the water as part of a water guardianship program was a "brilliant idea." Jason Hall, Lionel's dad, said that regulations haven't been keeping up with the number of boaters that are now out on the waters. "Clearly, had there been a presence to at least monitor and ensure that all users of the water are acting in a safe manner — you know, this type of accident would have been avoided there," he told CBC News. Longstanding concerns in area District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little said that there have been longstanding concerns about the boat traffic near Cates Park, which is among a select few public boat launches in the Lower Mainland. He said the district would work with the First Nation and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority on solutions to address the section of the Burrard Inlet around Cates Park. "Some way to separate the traffic, I think, would be a big advantage," he said. "People who aren't accessing the boat launch shouldn't be hanging out around the boat launch. "If there's faster traffic, it needs to be separated from some of the slower traffic," he added. "Larger boats need to be separated from the smaller boats. It's those interaction points [where] I think you see a lot of risk." Authorities in support A Transport Canada spokesperson said that the federal transport minister can designate local authorities to enforce rules if they make an application in writing. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority — which is responsible for boating traffic in the Burrard Inlet, the body of water where the crash happened — said it welcomed all efforts that contributed to improving safety on local waterways. "Building meaningful partnerships with First Nations, including Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and advancing our shared priorities is central to our work at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority," a spokesperson wrote. A spokesperson for the Canadian Coast Guard said that First Nations in B.C. have a long history of responding to marine emergencies and have extensive knowledge of the local waters. "Increasingly, the Canadian Coast Guard is benefiting from and integrating that knowledge and expertise into many of the ways we approach search and rescue," the spokesperson wrote. A Public Safety Ministry spokesperson noted that many First Nations throughout B.C. have programs established under the "guardian" term, which vary from nation to nation and may not be related to policing activities.
CBC
10-06-2025
- CBC
10-year-old child killed in North Vancouver boat crash identified
Social Sharing The 10-year-old victim of a speedboat crash in North Vancouver on Saturday evening has been identified as Lionel Hall. Hall and another child were on an inflatable tube and being towed by a boat when it was struck by a speedboat off the shore of Cates Park just before 6:30 p.m. PT on Saturday. Hall died on scene and the second child was airlifted to hospital in serious condition. Alcohol and speed are being investigated as factors in the fatal crash, and police arrested a North Vancouver man shortly after. He has not been named and hasn't been charged. Hall was identified as the victim by family friend Coreena Robertson, who said the 10-year-old's mother Shelley Klassen and father Jason Hall described their son as "larger than life itself." Robertson said family, loved ones and Hall's friends were supporting the Hall family in the aftermath of the tragedy. "The parents that I've seen come here with tears in their eyes ... really hard," she told CBC News. "It's also beautiful to see, you know, [where] the love that Lionel's heart, and just his light, reached." WATCH | Child dies in speedboat crash: 1 child dead in boat crash at North Vancouver's Cates Park 1 day ago Duration 2:47 A 10-year-old was killed and another is in critical condition after a speedboat hit an inflatable tube carrying two children at Cates Park in North Vancouver Saturday evening. As Leanne Yu reports, police say alcohol and speed may have been factors in the crash. Robertson said Hall was a budding athlete who enjoyed soccer, rugby, hurdles and track. She said his family deserves answers after the tragedy, and that police should look into why the speedboat driver was not stopped before the crash. "This should be a fun, enjoyable activity that kids and family members can enjoy and not feel like ... it's going to end in a tragedy," she said. RCMP confirmed the speedboat driver was released from custody Sunday. He has a court date set for Aug. 27. Hall and the other child on the inflatable tube were not related, according to police, but the 10-year-old was confirmed as a student of the Vancouver school district. A spokesperson for the Vancouver School Board said additional supports and counsellors had been made available to students at the victim's school. District to talk with port authority Cates Park is located at the eastern end of Dollarton Highway, along the Burrard Inlet shoreline. The popular boat launch at the park, which is also known as Whey-ah-Wichen, was closed Saturday while police investigated. It has since reopened. District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little said Monday that his staff would talk to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority about beefing up regulations around the popular park. The port authority is responsible for regulating traffic in the Burrard Inlet, the body of water where the fatal crash occurred, and police said Sunday that multiple speed regulations already exist in the area — which lies across from an oil terminal. "[The port] is the agency that's responsible for the navigable water's areas," Little told Michelle Eliot, host of CBC's BC Today. " And so [we'll] work with them, see if there's different speed limits that can be considered, or perhaps channels and lanes so that you have slow traffic separated from faster traffic."
