Ferry schedules cause frustration
Ferries are part of our highway system, we are expected to pay for them [“Cancellations spike with matrix,” July 4]. The least they could do is run on coinciding ferry schedules and have food ready for passengers.
When switching over from winter/spring to summer schedule, wouldn’t you think it would be beneficial to have all BC Ferries’ switch schedule at the same time? We missed one ferry by seven minutes on our way home from Kelowna. The day before, June 25, there was an 11:30 am and a 1:35 pm ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale. On June 26 the schedule changed to a noon ferry and a 2:15 pm ferry. We ended up walking around Horseshoe Bay for an hour and a half.
We then needed to make the connecting ferry out of Earls Cove. If the ferries had both been running on the summer schedule the connecting ferry from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay would have left at 3:10 pm and 5:35 pm. However, because they were still running on winter/spring schedule we got to Earls Cove at 4:30 pm, and the ferry had just left at 4:25 pm. The next ferry would not be leaving until 6:25 pm.
We had now missed two ferries, had to sit and wait for four hours, with a four-year-old, after an already long drive, and after waiting in Earls Cove for two hours it was now supper time. The ferry only had two hot dogs ready for passengers, and because we wanted three we were expected to wait for another 10 minutes—really?
I contacted BC Ferries and received a reply explaining that the Horseshoe Bay/Langdale ferry and the Earls Cove/Saltery Bay ferry are not really connecting ferries. I was told it was my fault for not checking to see that there was a change in schedules. I maintain that it is kind of hard to tell when one ferry is on summer hours and the other is still on winter/spring hours. Also, I was told there was nothing BC Ferries could do, even after all we had been through, except forward my complaint to the scheduling department so that work can continue on getting actual connecting ferries.
Honest to God, is that what we call great customer service?
Paula Astrope
Victory Road
Public plantings a disgrace
I walked around town recently and was struck by the simply horrible condition of plantings around public buildings [“City and chamber team up to beautify,” March 20, 2011]. Both malls and all the buildings around Joyce Avenue are unkempt weed dumps and show that building owners simply don’t care what their property looks like.
In most communities, a little pride would be displayed, and if it was not, the city would force at least basic maintenance of street fronts. However, this would not be possible in Powell River because the worst offender is MacGregor Building (city hall). Plants around the building that were once beautiful and valuable are being choked to death by weeds and grass. It’s pretty clear no one gives a damn what our city hall looks like. Nothing says “invest in this community” like a grubby unkempt city hall.
City of Powell River council says it wants to attract business and industry. If I wanted to attract business, I would polish my place up, make it look like it had some value and I was proud of it. The current state of the public areas of Powell River shows a complete lack of any civic pride and desirable investors will stay away.
It’s a disgrace and you should be ashamed.
Gillian MacGregor
Westview Avenue
Lease versus mortgage
With reference to the City of Powell River council’s committee of the whole meeting, for once I agree with Councillor Chris McNaughton’s statement to consider the former Brick building for the new Powell River Public Library location [“Council circles library issue,” July 4].
Access and parking would not be an issue. After all, users are really not concerned with having an ocean view, they just want space and light. Perhaps lease costs for 30 years would be less than a 30-year mortgage on $9 million, which will probably rise to $12 million by the time this is approved and built.
Discussion on a new library has been going on for 20-plus years.
Nan Cornwall
Toba Street
Disrespectful action continues
I find it appalling and disrespectful that our elected City of Powell River Council is still encouraging this Powell River Public Library group to raise money for a waterfront library that is clearly not the will of the people in this town [“Council circles library issue,” July 4].
This land is one of our last pieces of waterfront and should only be used when and if there is a majority vote for whatever project does get done there. As our taxes have shown us recently, we need to generate income not spend what we clearly do not have. Spending money on a library does not generate income.
This town has been very vocal to this council and to have this go unnoticed is, as I’ve stated already, disrespectful. Council was elected by the people to listen to the people not a select few who belong to a library club. If our library is too small or old then renovate it. There is a huge parking lot there that is more than half empty, never mind the seating area out front, that I have yet to see anyone using.
Frankly we the town don’t care if the chief librarian’s office doesn’t have a view.
Sandy and David Timms
Marine Avenue
Take a bow
To all the 5,200 plus citizens who signed the largest petition in the history of Powell River, your “voices” have been heard loud and clear not only here, but indeed in Victoria and Ottawa.
In a perfect world we would have had a referendum now but a compromise was the order of the day at the last council meeting [“Council commits to library referendum,” July 11]. All the people will have the final say on the site of the new Powell River Public Library.
I appreciate City of Powell River council and Mayor Dave Formosa for putting this to rest for awhile. Kudos to Councillor Myrna Leishman for sticking to her guns from day one.
Good luck to the library board in its fundraising efforts. Just don’t expect a whole lot here in Powell River, unless you consider a change in location. That’s where the real compromise should have come from in the first place.
Cleve Hamilton
Willingdon Watch
