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Editorial: Ferry choices

Powell River residents have to refresh their memories to recall all the information that was circulating in the community over seven years ago about a vessel and service strategy prepared by BC Ferries.

Powell River residents have to refresh their memories to recall all the information that was circulating in the community over seven years ago about a vessel and service strategy prepared by BC Ferries.

At the heart of the issue was the need to replace the aging vessels serving the Powell River-Comox and Powell River-Texada Island routes. BC Ferries did extensive consultation in 2005 during the process of preparing the Northern Sunshine Coast Vessel and Service Strategy. The company presented six options to the community, conducted surveys, held open houses and prepared a report, which it dutifully submitted to the provincial government. There it has sat ever since.

While the document has been gathering dust, the issue remains important for the community. Rob Clarke, BC Ferries chief financial officer, said at the last meeting with members of the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee that there needs to be a new ship in service on the Powell River-Comox route by April 1, 2016. He will be making an application to the BC Ferry Commissioner in the near future to start the process, which takes about three years.

Of the six options outlined in the report to government, the one with two smaller ships on both routes was the least expensive and had the greatest frequency of service, according to BC Ferries. Its recommendation to government was that more research should be done on that option.

However, that did not sit well with community leaders. The working group involved in the review, City of Powell River, Powell River Regional District and Powell River Regional Economic Development Society, all supported an option involving one large ferry for the route to Vancouver Island and a smaller ferry for the Texada Island route, similar to current service. All the groups also called for the vessel to Vancouver Island to be home-ported in Powell River.

During the meeting with the local ferry advisory group, Clarke reiterated BC Ferries is the business side of the ferry equation and the provincial government sets policy. The issue of service levels and vessel choice falls within transportation policy.

While BC Ferries has been made into a hybrid of an independent company, the provincial government retains the responsibility to provide access to communities who depend on ferry service to reach other parts of the province. Powell River’s ferry service is its highway to the rest of the province and the government does need to visit the community again to consult before it makes a decision on future service levels and vessel choice.