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Ferry advisory committee asks for schedule changes

Community requires additional BC Ferries round trip across Jervis Inlet, say members
ferry advisory
SAILING SCHEDULE: Based on responses from local businesses and community members, Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee submitted proposed changes to BC Ferries for its Saltery Bay-Earls Cove route. The ferry corporation is analyzing the request. Contributed photo

A decision on increasing the number of roundtrips across Jervis Inlet is expected in the coming weeks after the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee submitted proposed schedule changes.

Ferry advisory committee chair Kim Barton-Bridges submitted the committee’s formal request for changes earlier this month.

The committee heard from commercial users, tourism operators and the community on issues they all have with the rotating schedule.

Commercial operators identified that moving the 5:35 am sailing out of Saltery Bay to the mid-afternoon during the summer schedule, to help with the increase in tourists, creates challenges for local businesses.

“It concerns all of us because we know how much of a problem that is,” said Barton-Bridges. “Any further costs attached to the transport of goods are borne by this community.”

Tourism operators said a four-hour mid-afternoon gap in service poses a challenge because it means overloads for sailings before the gap and possible long waits for travellers at Earls Cove, said Barton-Bridges.

Losing the early-morning or late-evening sailing also affects the ability of medical travellers going to Vancouver for afternoon appointments to return that evening, she added.

According to the committee’s proposal, it asks BC Ferries to consider maintaining the early morning sailing to help the commercial carriers and also adding the afternoon sailing to ensure tourists are not stuck waiting at Earls Cove.

Barton-Bridges said the committee examined traffic numbers from last summer to justify the request.

Ferry advisory committees do not have access to the ferry corporation’s financial data on where the break-even point is for trips.

BC Ferries is mandated by the province to provide a minimum of seven round trips per day. Changing the schedule to provide the mid-afternoon sailing would bump the number of round trips to eight.

BC Ferries spokesperson Darin Guenette confirmed the corporation had received the request and was analyzing it, looking at vessel operations, crewing implications, terminal operations and increased costs.

“BC Ferries can, at any time, operate more than the minimum service levels outlined in our contract with the province,” said Guenette. “We would have to finance all costs associated with this.”