Texada Island residents displayed dignity and passion during a meeting designed to ask them how they feel about proposed ferry reductions. Though clearly frustrated and at times angry, residents controlled their emotions and presented organized, detailed and compelling reasons for maintaining an acceptable and affordable level of ferry service.
Anyone listening to the speakers at the meeting on Monday, November 25 couldn’t help but be struck by how important ferry service is to all aspects of their lives. From youth to business owners to community leaders to seniors, speaker after speaker addressed the negative economic, social and cultural impacts of the proposed cuts.
The government plans to reduce Texada’s service by 22.9 per cent, the highest percentage of any route south of Port Hardy. Texada will be losing 834 round trips a year, including two daily—the 7:40 pm and 10:10 pm—and one each on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
It was apparent during the meeting that there is a massive disconnect between the people who depend on the ferry service and those who run it, provincial and BC Ferries staff. While speakers explained their needs and the crucial role ferries play in all aspects of their lives, officials talked about the cost of running the service and the need to find savings.
To determine service reductions, the ministry of transportation and infrastructure and BC Ferries looked at routes that had significant annual shortfalls and low roundtrip utilization, which they described as less than 20 per cent vehicle utilization.
Residents had a few comments about those parameters. First and foremost, speaker after speaker maintained the ferry system was the marine highway for coastal communities and therefore a public service that shouldn’t be reduced. Does the province barricade highways that are underutilized, they asked?
Secondly, utilization calculations are arbitrary and meaningless. For example, residents pointed out the original vessel on the Texada route was the Tachek, which has a much lower vehicle capacity than the North Island Princess (NIP), the vessel that currently provides service on the route. No one asked or consulted with island residents when the NIP was put on the route, but now it is being used in calculations designed to show low usage. If the Tachek had been used instead, utilization rates would be much higher.
This is a serious issue for coastal community residents and it is incumbent on the government to maintain reliable service that meets their needs. But after many years of consultation, followed by higher fares and reduced service, residents wonder, who is listening?
