Members of the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) are hoping a meeting with BC Ferries will help solve a summer scheduling problem.
Texada Transfer owner Gord Milne presented his concerns to the FAC on Wednesday, June 1. He said he is not against tourism, but the ferry schedule should not be a choice between one sector of the local economy over the other.
“BC Ferries should have the obligation to service all the requirements of Powell River, including the freight carriers, the people with medical appointments and tourism,” said Milne. “I don’t expect anyone to cater to me, but at least have a system that works for your largest users and your seasonal users.”
FAC chairperson Kim Barton-Bridges said she hears Milne’s concerns and that the committee supports the interests of local business and the tourism industry, which are sometimes one in the same.
“It’s really a balancing act,” said Barton-Bridges. “We’re told by BC Ferries that it’s either or.”
Barton-Bridges said there has been concern about the amount of afternoon tourist traffic that ends up waiting a sailing at Earls Cove ferry terminal during the summer.
Milne said BC Ferries cancelling the 5:30 am sailing from Saltery Bay and moving it to the mid-afternoon will reduce the amount of turnaround time the freight carrier, and anyone else has, going to Vancouver for the day.
He said while the mid-afternoon sailing from Earls Cove will help reduce the buildup of traffic going to Powell River, it will make it more difficult for his business.
“We need another sailing during the peak period to service Powell River properly,” said Milne. “I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request.”
If the ferry corporation cancels the early morning run, it will add expense to Milne’s business and make transporting freight more costly, he said.
BC Ferries is contracted to provide a certain number of sailings per year, so the plan is to meet with them to discuss shuffling sailings somewhat and add an extra sailing during the peak season, said Barton-Bridges.
She said that while it is possible for BC Ferries to reinstate a sailing, it takes ferry-advisory committees making strong business cases for the sailing’s financial success.
“The best-case scenario would be to sit down to see if we can move things around,” said Barton-Bridges, “and see if we can make it a little better.”
The June 1 FAC meeting also saw committee member Karen Skadsheim, who said she was ready to resign before the meeting, stay on with the committee.
Also, BC Ferries representatives announced at the meeting that the Salish Orca, which was to replace Queen of Burnaby on the Westview-Little River run in December, will be delayed by two months and will not begin service until February 2017.
