Lay off notices have been handed out to some of the staff at Kitsilano Coast Guard base ahead of the federal government closing it down this spring.
 
Retired base commander Fred Moxey says some senior staff have either recieved 120-day lay off notice or already been transferred out.

"Some of the crew have been given 120 days notice and they have already moved out one of the OIC's over to Vancouver Island and put him in an officers pool and they are pulling out some other staff in the New Year on January the seventh and they are going to be absorbed into the hovercraft base out at Sea Island."

Moxey says one of the station's two officers in charge is among transferred staff, with the other heading out the door on January seventh.

"I am getting quite concerned now that they are looking at perhaps closing this before the deadline of May the first and start running it like an IRB station. If they continue on the way they are now they just won't have a qualified captain to take out the main Coast Guard cutter."

Moxey says by transferring out senior members who require lay off notice the feds can quickly close the base as soon as they want.