The Canadian Coast Guard is denying claims from the members union that Vancouver's Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre is short staffed.
In an email, Coast Guard assistant commissioner Denis Sing said the claim the MCTS centre is critically undermanned is untrue.
Sing also denies the centre is already half way shut down, two years before the feds will close it in 2015.
He admits safety position staff that monitor for distress signals from boats in Vancouver harbour have been moved to Victoria.
But Sing says this move has no negative impacts.
However, Sing does not address a union claim that the safety position staff have been cut, with some nights only person watching for boats in trouble.
Sing says due to the cuts announced a year ago by Ottawa; three MCTS centres will be closed.
This will leave just two centres monitoring the entire BC coast, and Vancouver - Canada’s busiest harbour.