UPDATED BC Ferries is open to providing free ferry travel for students and youth sports teams from this community but Powell River proponents will have to do some homework.
At the Wednesday, November 5, meeting of the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC), BC Ferries’ representatives, videoconferencing from Vancouver Island, heard criticism from a number of community representatives about fare disparity between the Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast terminals.
The furor arose last week when the October 30 edition of Coast Reporter newspaper revealed that BC Ferries had extended an existing free ferry program for students between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay to people younger than 18 participating in sports.
When City of Powell River Mayor Dave Formosa heard that Lower Sunshine Coast students and athletes were travelling free on the ferries, he phoned the office of Todd Stone, BC minister of transportation and infrastructure. His office disavowed knowledge of the program. Formosa spoke with Mike Corrigan, chief executive officer of BC Ferries, who confirmed that young people from the Lower Sunshine Coast were travelling free. Initially, in April 2010, a program was instituted to provide free fares for students, with the school district providing oversight to ensure the trips were genuine. There was a half per cent assessment on each ferry ticket between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay to cover the cost of young people travelling.
In the parlance of Corrine Storey, vice-president, customer services, who participated in the teleconference with the northern FAC, fare adjustments such as this to cover the travel must be “fare neutral.”
Formosa said, during his conversation with Corrigan, he was assured if there were any inequities, BC Ferries would take care of them.
“He gave me his word on that,” Formosa said. “He said the inequity would be fixed.”
Formosa said he then discussed the Powell River to Comox run, to apply an assessment on tickets sold to Vancouver Island to underwrite free travel for youth, where the majority of youth travel occurs.
“To entertain the fact that our students have to go above and beyond the others is not on in this community.”
FAC member Councillor Chris McNaughton said the free ferry fare issue is not new. He said the committee and city council have discussed it with several transportation ministers. “There’s good awareness among ministers and ministry staff,” he said.
Councillor Jim Palm, and teacher at Brooks Secondary School, said he had a prepared statement regarding the issue written on Brooks Secondary School letterhead.
“I am here to say we need free rides to Comox for our youth,” he said. “I understand we may have to pay a little more in the process.”
Committee member and Powell River Board of Education school trustee Doug Skinner said Powell River advocates have been fighting for years because student travel should be free for all kids in this community.
“We have to pay full fare all of the time,” he said. “We just look at it and say enough, it’s ridiculous. If you want to see a community galvanize, you should have seen what happened with that Coast Reporter report. It went around so fast. It really annoyed a lot of people.”
To further investigate the prospect of free travel for youth, BC Ferries representatives want an accounting of all of the students and athletes younger than 18 to determine the financial impact on the price of tickets for adult riders or youth travelling aside from school or sports.
Sports teams and students will be eligible for free ferry travel
Powell River youth will be able to travel free aboard BC Ferries for school and sporting events in the Lower Mainland.
Details still need to be worked out for children and youth travelling to Vancouver Island for school and sports-related activities, however.
City of Powell River Mayor Dave Formosa said at a recent meeting of the Southern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC), an announcement was made to extend its free student fare program to include children and youth travelling to participate in organized sports events in the Lower Mainland. Formosa said he received an email from Jay Yule, superintendent of schools for School District 47, with a link to the Coast Reporter newspaper in Sechelt story highlighting the announcement.
“I called Jay and asked him to come down to my office for a chat,” Formosa said. “I asked how come we weren’t involved?”
Formosa said he was perplexed by the story because Todd Stone, BC minister of transportation and infrastructure, had been asked about the prospect of school and sports travel at a recent Powell River Chamber of Commerce meeting, so the mayor thought an announcement would come from the minister.
Formosa said he wanted some answers from the minister and asked Yule to leave the matter with him. Formosa said he would make some phone calls to verify the story, and if it was true, would lobby for equivalency in Powell River.
Maggie Hathaway from Nicholas Simons, MLA, Powell River - Sunshine Coast's office, had also called Formosa about the issue she was receiving many phone calls. Formosa said they discussed the issue and exchanged notes.
The mayor made a call to Stone's office and spoke to George Gretes, Stone’s assistant, who informed him the ministry knew nothing about the free travel initiative on the Lower Sunshine Coast.
“He believed it was not true but he said he would get back to me,” Formosa said. “I reminded him of what the minister promised us at a chamber of commerce breakfast.”
Formosa called Gretes back and still received no further information regarding the free ferry fares.
Formosa’s final call was to Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries CEO. The mayor asked the CEO if he had read the story in the Coast Reporter. Corrigan told Formosa he hadn’t but confirmed that young people on the Lower Sunshine Coast were riding ferries free to Horseshoe Bay for sanctioned travel.
Corrigan told Formosa that in 2010-2011 representatives of his ministry met with the FAC regarding the cost for students travelling to Vancouver for school trips. Corrigan said to Formosa that BC Ferries told the FAC if they were agreeable to a half a per cent increase in ferry fares from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay, there could be provision for the free rides for students. Sanction was given and students have since been travelling free.
“Somebody on the committee after a while found there was still money in the pot that they could use to expand the program for sports teams,” Formosa said. “It was negotiated and they did it.”
Formosa told Corrigan that Powell River residents travelling to Vancouver were also paying the half a per cent assessment and not benefitting from it.
“I said some of that money is ours and I want it,” said Formosa. “[Corrigan] agreed Powell River is paying and there is an inequity.
“He said BC Ferries is having an FAC meeting in Powell River next week and will announce there that they will fix the inequity. Powell River kids travelling to Vancouver will be able to travel for free.”
Formosa said once the matter was cleared up with Corrigan, he called Hathaway and gave her the good news to pass along to Simons.
Formosa said Corrigan told him that the Powell River Kings receive $10,000 annually for ferry travel, which the lower coast doesn’t receive, so some Powell River travellers are receiving subsidy from BC Ferries.
The issue of travel to Vancouver Island was also raised in the conversation because the majority of Powell River sports teams are travelling on the Westview to Little River route rather than to the Lower Mainland
“I said I need the same deal for them.”
Formosa said Corrigan suggested that free ferry travel to Vancouver Island could be a topic for discussion at the FAC meeting in Powell River.
“I think that’s good news,” Formosa.
In terms of coordination between the upper and lower Sunshine Coast FACs, BC ferries has been an advocate for the two communities meeting periodically, Formosa said. "It was mentioned by Michael that the ferry corporation had asked that the two advisory committees meet together so things like this didn't fall through the cracks," he added. "He said this situation is the very reason the ferry corporation suggested the joint meetings, but the committees wanted to stay separate.
"Michael urged me to try and have our committee implement a joint meeting maybe every second meeting, or I suggested third, worst case, so that overviews of each group can be shared. I will attempt to try and make this happen from our end at his request, with this being evidence of why it is a good idea."
The Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, November 5, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Powell River Town Centre Hotel. The public is invited to attend.
Recent decision for sports teams spurs hope
Question of free rides on ferry advisory committee agenda
When Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee members meet with BC Ferries on Wednesday, November 5, they should expect the room to be full of representatives for sports teams.
A news report in the Coast Reporter, October 30, states that BC Ferries has agreed to allow sports teams a free ride on ferries when heading to and from the Lower Mainland. The story is available here.
In a brief correspondence with Kim Barton-Bridges, chair of the committee, she confirmed the subject is on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting. She said the committee will be strongly urging BC Ferries to resolve the issue for Powell River’s sports teams as well.
Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting. Anyone wishing to speak at the meeting must contact Barton-Bridges at 604.485.3931. Time will be limited to five minutes.
The meeting will be held from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Wednesday, November 5, at Town Centre Hotel.
