B.C. judge orders special costs against marine pilots who filed petition over COVID-19 suspensions

A judge has ordered special costs against three B.C. marine pilots who filed a court petition after they were suspended without pay for failing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Edward Rayner, Maciej Niksinski and Lance Schilka were suspended after B.C. Coast Pilots Ltd., a company in the business of providing licensed marine pilots to certain commercial and pleasure-craft vessels, issued its mandatory COVID vaccination policy in November 2021.

The three pilots, who each hold shares in the company and have been employees and shareholders of the company for a number of years, were informed that they would not receive their salary or differential payment effective Dec. 1, 2021.

The company’s position was that it had no choice but to comply with an interim order earlier made by the federal minister of transport obligating pilots to present proof of vaccination, or for an initial period of a negative COVID test, before boarding any Canadian vessel operated with 12 or more crew members.