Leaders of 11 coastal regional districts and the Islands Trust, together representing 70 per cent of the British Columbian population, met with Premier Christy Clark and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstrom in Vancouver on Tuesday, September 27 to continue their collaborative work to improve the coastal ferry service.
“The meeting with the premier and Lekstrom was very positive and was an excellent example of the regional governments of coastal BC coming together in one voice to tell the premier that major improvements to the coastal ferry service are an imperative,” said Colin Palmer, chair of Powell River Regional District and chair of the coastal regional district chairs group. “We are confident that the premier heard that the coastal ferry service is our marine highway and that the three million British Columbians we represent need it fixed as soon as possible.”
Joe Stanhope, chair of the Regional District of Nanaimo, said the group is looking forward to the release of the ferry commissioner’s review of ferry fares and it appreciates the expansion of the commissioner’s mandate to now include ferry users, rather than just the economic viability of BC Ferries Corporation. “Our group considers this review, and our continuing commitment to represent the interests of the even larger group of all coastal residents and visitors, will assist the premier and Lekstrom in some tough, but critically important, decisions in the very near future.”
Jim Abram, vice-chair of Strathcona Regional District, was encouraged by the premier’s commitment to meet with the group again after the commissioner’s review is released. This is a major issue to local families and to the economic viability of all coastal communities in British Columbia. The premier is now even more aware of the absolute necessity to restore our marine highway to affordability in the provision of this critical public service.”
Participating coastal regional district and Islands Trust representatives include the following chairs in addition to Palmer, Stanhope and Abram: Edwin Grieve, Comox Valley Regional District; Al Huddlestan, Waddington Regional District; Christine Hyde, Central Coast Regional District; Lois Jackson, Metro Vancouver; Sheila Malcolmson, Islands Trust; Gary Nohr, Sunshine Coast Regional District; Glen Wong, Alberni-Clayquot Regional District; and Geoff Young, Capital Regional District.
