COUNT YOURSELF ON BOARD. WE KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
Numbers speak louder than words. We hope to help turn things around by gathering detailed data about what you think of BC Ferries and what might help to make it better. Take the surveys and have your say.
Blog Ahoy!
We have to start somewhere so we are starting below with the Sunshine Coast area.
Other specific areas will be coming soon.
Costs of ferry travel for coastal residents should be more in line with the funding of roads and highways. This is our highway route to the Sunshine Coast and the money that is not spent shoveling snow and filling pot holes should offset a larger portion of the ticket price we pay. Last time I traveled to Whistler I did not have to shell out for a ticket to do so. It feels somewhat discriminatory really. Residents that commute to Vancouver for work should not be regarded as profit centres and at the very least should be offered free reservation ability when they currently have no seniority in the line up during summer tourism volume. These people are BC Ferries bread and butter yet they do not benefit from seasonal tourism package deals that are so eagerly being promoted. In the private sector disregarding a loyal customer base like that is just bad business not to mention rather arrogant.
Based on last year’s municipal elections the Sunshine Coast saw economic stimulus issues rise to the forefront. We have some unique issues here. Where is the support from the Provincial Government for our economic stimulus plan? A foot passenger ferry to downtown Vancouver could be a key component to drive (excuse the pun) the benefits of such a plan. Yes it would certainly benefit residents in business, necessity, and recreational travel to Vancouver but it would open up the potential for more people to easily visit here. More people to come for the weekend or a holiday that would shop and dine and enjoy themselves and the experience. More people who might also move here and keep their current job in Vancouver if commuting was more feasible. This is a necessity for our community on so many levels. This can be made a reality if we all stand together and speak up. Fill out the surveys on this website and stand counted and we just might get somewhere.
Stephanie Clarke, Gibsons
I am writing to add my name to the growing list of individuals who live on the Sunshine Coast and wish to make their voices heard that yes, we need a passenger-only Ferry Service. If we really want it to, this could happen.
A passenger only ferry service to Vancouver would be far more economical to operate by not requiring fuel to move hundreds of tons of vehicles/trucks, also would eliminate the wait times involved because of vehicle/truck loading and offloading time involved, saving the union workers man-hours involved as well as huge overtime paid out. This would result in lower fares, which would increase passenger volumes and improve frequency of service, which would be beneficial to all Sunshine Coast residents.
Joanne E. Hudder, Gibsons (from Coast Reporter)
Two ferries running from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale nearly hourly, with a final sailing that departed Horseshoe Bay at 11pm. This was back in 1973 that is when I was a teenage lifeguard on Gambier Island, traveling back and forth to the coast the odd time. Since then the ferry service has degraded, not improved, and the coast is worse for it.
Andy Amanovich, Gibsons (from Coast Reporter)
The Third Crossing Society ( thirdcrosingsociety.com )advocates for an overland roadway to link highway 101 of the North Sunshine Coast with highway 99 near Squamish. This overland roadway would effectively give access to and from the Provinces interior to Mid Vancouver Island. It would also help to reduce the ferry congestion at Horse Shoe Bay and Langdale. We agree that ferry travel costs are a significant concern as is timely service. It appears that the concerns of South Sunshine Coast residents have concerns about costs and service as commuters. The North Sunshine Coast residents concerns are also with costs; however our commute is about 5 hours from Saltery Bay to Horse Shoe and Vancouver, so we are really travelers rather than commuters. The Third Crossing Society sees the need to diversify the economy of the province beyond just the Lower Mainland. By linking 170 km of existing logging roads with the construction of 30 km of new roadway a third access to and from Vancouver Island and the Interior would be created. This needed transportation corridor would benefit all communities along the route from Vancouver Island through the North Sunshine Coast to Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet, and beyond.
If you want to destroy the small town appeal of the Sunshine Coast, which most locals covet dearly, this road idea is the way to go. Not to mention the billions in design, engineering, and construction costs to make it happen. We have far bigger priorities/problems in this province. Absolutely horrible idea…. Get the ferries fixed. Promote tourism in the area and keep the Sunshine Coast the jewel as it presently stands.
An overland road will allow unfettered access between the North Sunshine Coast and the Interior along highway 99. It will reduce traffic of about 1600 vehicles a day moving between Langdale and Earls Cove. It will reduce the traffic at Horse Shoe Bay. Not to mention that lovely 2 sailing wait we often experience at those terminals on long week ends. So for all the commuters on the Sechelt Peninsula this is a win win for you, less traffic and better access. But this Overland Roadway we propose is not all about ferries. It is more about diversifying the provinces economy away from the Lower Mainland to the Interior and Vancouver Island through the North Sunshine Coast. In all areas beyond the Lower Mainland we have been experiencing higher costs from property taxes and general services we use, and the level of services have been depreciating. Businesses struggle. Tourism, the only industry which is growing in the province is not growing along the Sunshine Coast, yet Whistler appreciates 25% of all the provinces tourist activity. On one hand you want to limit access to your yard, and on the other you want it to be free for you!!!
The sunshine coast is no longer a ‘small town’. All due to Sechelt. Look at the rise in population for the past ten years. Trees just keep coming down and houses going up. Sechelt is now a city and it is affecting Gibsons. Mr. Carter my guess is you are wealthy. There are many of us who do not have the money to ride the ferry, along with the stress. The sunshine Coast needs politicians who can fix what needs to be fixed. 1. a second road. One for the people who can drive over 60km/h and the one we have now for those who can only make it to 60km/h. A lot of lives will be saved! 2. A BRIDGE! Sechelt has grown so much, it is now complete luck if you can make it home to pick up the kids on time. You have to have money to ride the ferry! If people wanted to keep the Coast a ‘small town’, they should have stopped all the trees from coming down years ago. It’s too late now!
The ‘Third Crossing Society’ reminds me a bit of ‘The Flat Earth Society.’ The pipe dream of building a road through the mountains is more Easter Island than Northwest Passage. Fuel prices are only going up and fuel is becoming more scarce, with regular supply interruptions on the horizon. Most of us will not be driving motor cars sooner than you think. A long winding road through the harsh Coast Mountain environment will be quite the burden to maintain. The wealth and capital to maintain a road is disappearing. The Third Crossing will be a pleasure to drive only for the very rich, and only for a limited time.
Forward thinking people understand that mass transit, and water borne travel will very soon be the only way to connect Powell River or Sechelt with the rest of the world. As fuel and capital become scarce, all the roads will fall in to disrepair. This is the time to ensure that a ferry system, owned by the people and run as a utility, not a wealth generator, is fortified not undermined.
Will these future ferries be powered by sail, or will we all man an oar Mr Third Eye?
well said!I like the coast the way I found it 30 years ago.Just leave it alone.Yes it has growing pains .let them get sorted of it’s own accord.
A road might be possible for Powell River but no logging roads actually connect between Squamish and Langdale. People should take a look at a topographic map of the peninsula between Squamish and Gibsons, otherwise known as the Tantalus mountains. The high, steep ridges between Squamish and the old Wood Fibre mill prevented a road that short distance for generations. The distance between Wood Fibre and Port Mellon is cut by four or five deep valleys and steep ridges- extreme conditions for road building. Google it or go here: https://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=topographic+map+Howe+Sound&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x54865c9c0720a745:0x656f786b560ab778,Howe+Sound&gl=ca&t=p&ei=PrqVUIKGKeWjiAK80oDwAg&ved=0CB4Q8gEwAA
Almost 10 years ago now I used a mapping program that mapped out a possible route to Squamish from Port Melon Highway, I then compared it with the Sea to Sky Highway, and did a cross comparison for elevations up and down. What I discovered was that the Squamish – Port Melon is actually a lower, more elevated path than the Sea to Sky. Economics wise the Sea to Sky Highway was built for less population than a highway for the Lower Coast, so essentially the Lower Coast is just as deserving of a highway as those that live in Squamish, Pemberton or Whilster.
The cost of the ferries is beyond affordable. It makes everything we buy more expensive. I believe we should stop buying anything on the ferry or at the terminals. Can you imagine going up to the cafeteria and seeing everyone eating their own food, the gift shop empty, the vending machines unused? Maybe then the B.C. Ferry Corp. will see we are serious! I remember the last time the Sunshine Coast demonstrated. It made national news and we were given residence cards which gave us a discount. We are to complacent, its time for action!
I never buy anything on BC Ferries. Managing resident cards would be an astronomical expense that we would have to pay for in some way. We need access and choice in our manner of travel or commuting! My preferred access is by overland road. My choices then would not be limited by the schedules and costs of BC Ferries.
We all live on the Sunshine Coast because it its quite and secluded, thats the beauty of it. As soon as it is easily acsessable like a highway put through will we will lose that. Yes I agree that Coast residents should have priorty boarding in the busy peaks times and discounted fares. But a highway and a sailing every hour seems like it would put the cost of everything up not down.
The cost of BC Ferries operations continues to escalate, from the cost of fuel and wages and just the things that are associated with the costs of operating and maintaining one of the largest ferry systems in the world. The province does shove some of these costs onto the public of the Province; however the lions hare of the costs are borne by us the users. To me it’s apparent that the residents of the South Sunshine Coast have different concerns than those of the North Sunshine Coast. Our only common concern is cost of service. Yet we are advised that costs to users will go up next spring by another 8%. As a North Coast resident I favour an overland road as proposed by the Third Crossing Society. Then when I travel by ferry and I’m about to disembark and I hear the message “Thank you for sailing with BC Ferries” it will because I have made that choice, not because there was no other. In the end it’s all about ACCESS and CHOICES.
I feel I have to speak up.
Several people have commented suggesting the reason people live in regions like ours serviced by ferries is because we want to be isolated. I find this unfounded statement quite irritating. I grew up on Malcolm Island BC also Pt Alberni and now live in Powell River. Also over the years I have lived in the lower mainland, the interior and even Japan for a while.
What I know as a fact is people tend to live where they live because there’s work. Unless they are wealthy and or retired. Myself I own a business in Powell River. My immediate family live here. No I can’t just pack up and move. If I could I would be living near 100 mile house. A quite small town with road access. I assume some people live in communities like Sointula, Alert bay, Queen Charlotte Islands or even the Sunshine Coast (to name a few communities) because they are retired. Or perhaps may be looking for Isolation. But I’m pretty sure for most of us we live here because these communities offer us employment. I’m disheartened to hear that some people may want to impose this isolationist ideal on everyone else that is trying to find employment, raise a family build and pay for services for our communities! Like hospitals, libraries, roads and other necessities. I’m pretty sure the isolationist want to have and use those things too.
Lastly I am dumfounded by the statement that having roads into our communities would some how drastically change the way of life here in these communities. Having spent some time in places like Clinton, Cache Creek, Port McNiel (highway access came to this community while I lived in Sointula), Osoyoos, Pemberton, Princeton to name a few. I fail to see how road access has had an ill effect on these communities. But the argument for or against road access is not really what this particular web site is about. This site is all about access to our communities in my opinion.
Hourly ferry runs to the Southern Sunshine Coast would jump start the economy, especially the residential housing market. With the lowest real estate values in commutable distant to the Greater Vancouver employment pool, younger, first time home buyers would be very attracted to living here. In my opinion, it is not necessary to have the current vessel size serving the Sunshine Coast….I would prefer two of the new fuel efficient Washington State ferries as replacements to our ancient fleet.
As a former long time daily commuter for over 22 years I, like so many of my fellow commuters, have a unique relationship with BC Ferries. It was both a blessing and a curse. It got me to work and back home usually without incident and mostly on time. I was treated with respect by the terminal, deck and cabin staff, who being locals as well, understood the stresses and strain involved in daily usage of the ferry system. I have no beef with any of the staff.
In this time I have seen many movements to address the fare inequities come and go. Most of them are started by newcomers to the coast who suddenly realize that their little slice of “paradise” comes at a cost while the long timers just smile, shrug their shoulders and wait for the latest incarnation of the never ending line of ferry protest movements to whither and die.
However I support these movements because perhaps one day, one just might stick, hit a nerve and actually result in an effective change in policy.
For me my beef is with the Province of British Columbia which has abandoned the people of both the lower and upper Sunshine Coast to the not so tender mercy of a discriminatory and prejudicial fare system. This system enforces the belief held by most “mainlanders” that coasters are a pampered lot who chose to live on an “island” (sic) and as a consequence should just quit whining, shut up and pay the cost of the ferry fares as, after all, “we chose to live here and that is that”.
That, in a nutshell, also reflects the opinion of our provincial government be it NDP or Liberal or whatever will follow. We are seen politically as meaningless because 60,000 people on both coasts or 12,000 voters don’t make a difference to outcome of any election. As a consequence we are an electoral afterthought and all they will is do is smile, form another toothless committee to deflect criticism for a while and ultimately maintain the status quo.
That we coast residents see the ferry service differently from them, “mainlanders” and tourists never reaches their intellect. That we are isolated on both coasts from the mainstream life of the province, that we are dependent on a limited marine ferry service for almost everything we need, that we, unlike those on the mainland, cannot just get up and go, that we do not have have the highway infrastructure that accommodates freedom of movement and that we pay through the nose for the “privilege” of an unpredictable and high cost marine access – never ever reaches the understanding of government.
We cannot just sit and bitch about BC Ferry Corporation. Our real problem is with a government mindset that ignores our rights and needs and sees us as a meaningless aspect of the fabric of the province of BC. We need to get government’s attention not the ferry corporation. The ferry corporation is a creature of government policy and that policy can be changed.
As to the oft repeated mantra that without this isolation we would not be the Sunshine Coast and enjoy the benefits of our cultural environment and landscape, that is a red herring. Travel east on Hwy #1 and see how successfully the communities just east of the Fraser Valley prosper and function culturally and socially yet are well connected by a ribbon of pavement to metro.
As to the “build the bridge” or “build the highway” groups – get real. Highways in more conducive construction terrain cost anywhere around $3,000,000 – $5,000,000 a kilometer. Look at the terrain that exists from Squamish to Port Mellon and add in the costs associated with that. No government is prepared to contemplate a land route to the lower coast to service 35,000 people at the per capita costs associated with construction and maintenance there. As to the “bridge”, again that reality is that 35,000 on the lower coast (while the upper coast may also want their bridge as well) will never justify the capital cost, the land rights and acquisition cost nor the environmental costs associated with a bridge.
So its back to BC Ferries. Our quest is simple. Our ferry service is our highway. Fare costs should reflect that, not a user pay system we seem to be moving to and should be absorbed across the board by provincial revenues as is done by the complex and highly expensive transportation system that is provided in Metro. However good luck on selling that to the rest of BC and also to the new residents who have recently moved here, want us to slam the door on the rest of BC and keep our “quaint” and “unique” lifestyle now that they are here..
Well Said.
I wish I could express myself as well as you do!
I still however wish to see road access to both the north and south Sunshine Coast some day. I’m assuming that if they can build a road from Horshoe Bay to Wistler. Then Squamish to Port Melon would be a piece of cake. But then I’m no road engineer.
Lorne.
Well said!!
Brilliantly well stated! Any ideas on how to get the attention of the BC Government?
Well stated.
To add, I believe the 40% reservation system that our government has okayed BC ferries is too high a percent for the Sunshine Coast. It is a cash grab. I would agree to reservations for medical circumstances. The question I ask is what makes the time of those that can pay for reservations more valuable than those that cannot? I could pay, yet will not.
Eleanor Jenkins
I moved from Langley to the Sunshine Coast, because I wanted to eventually retire here, because it was affordable and because the commute from the valley was intolerable. The quiet lifestyle is derived from our distance and remoteness from Vancouver. Put in any kind of highway to Squamish and our beautiful coast will become another Surrey or Abbotsford. We cannot have it both ways. To stay the way we are, we must stay remote and that will always leave us behind economically.Our economy is based on small business and tourism. Remember, tourists won’t come here if we are just another Surrey, and I’m not just slaggin’ Surrey. We must attract more small businesses.
The first issue here is solely about a better ferry service, not a road alternative to ferry service. That better ferry service may include a passenger only ferry to downtown or more ferry sailings to the coast, either using passenger only ferries or the present ships.
The second issue is the high cost of the ferry service, and that is coast wide. Even the big routes to the island are way too expensive. Our ferry service is subsidized by the province and that subsidy has been effectively capped by the present government when they “privatized” the ferries. It was simply one of the cost cutting measures implemented by the Liberals. we need to lobby this and future governments to increase the subsidy and allow the rates to decrease, especially for frequent flyers.
Chris Langley, Roberts Creek, B.C.
I have lived on the Sunshine Coast for 40 years because I love it here. I rarely go to the mainland but when I do I just want to get there and home again with as little expense and hassle as possible. I don’t see the need for a boutique, video games, coffee shop and restaurant on a 45 minute trip. This is not a cruise ship, this is an extension of the highway to the mainland. Staff for all these amenities crank up the cost of the ferries and are not necessary to get us where we want to go. A smaller commuter ferry would make sense but those who have tried to supply that need have been squeezed out one way or another. I agree with the writer who suggested we boycott these ridiculous services and insist we want better schedules, lower prices to get us where we need to go, forget the money grabbing frills of yet another gift store filled with Made in China stuff. Let the tourists spend their money on the Sunshine Coast for souvenirs. Just do the job the highway on the water is meant to do, get us safely to the other side and home again.
I may be wrong here. But I believe there must be a minimum staff to rider level to facitate loading life rafts etc. So to keep these folks occupied they intalled caffetirias, book shops etc. Delete these things. But the staff must still be on the boat. Maybe scraping paint or removing Asbestos but they still need to be on the boat. Boy cotting these services that keep the ferry workers occupied does not make much sence.
Roger on that! The gal at the till has at least 6 months of training plus hours and hours of drills to keep you safe and Transport Canada demands she be there…wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you to whoever is putting this together.
“We are a community depending totally on ferries. The rates are killing us. The ferries are part of the highway system and should be funded in a similar manner. The govt. built the island highway from Victoria to Campbell River, the sea-to-sky highway to Whistler without collecting tolls. It maintains highways during snow removal, land slides, upkeep, etc. for the whole province. The ferry system should not be expected to be a profit-generating corporation.’ These statements and more are part of an article entitled “Waterways are our highways” written by Robert Matas for the Globe and Mail on May 5th. Google it. It is written about Powell River but you could easily interchange The Sunshine Coast.
I have lived in Gibsons now exactly 16 years and have watched the fares rise and the Town fall asleep. The number of people coming here have dwindled. It’s too expensive. A stones throw from Vancouver, yet kept behind by a ferry system that does not meet the communities needs. We are unable to attracting enough educated, smart young people to make this their home and give this place a rich, original vitality. They are not willing to risk themselves and their family & friends to the waste of time and money and inconvenience that B.C.Ferries dictates. Getting to and from our homes should not be governed by a business that is making a profit on us.
In a recent article in the Coast Reporter, Andy Amanovich wrote about the 1973 ferry system. I have been thinking that this is exactly what we need. A ferry leaving every hour from both Langdale & Horseshoe Bay, passing each other in the water, with a final sailing leaving around 11:00 pm. This would make so many more options available to us. Having dinner in Vancouver. Going to a movie, a game. Getting to a hospital, a cultural event. A normal life. A 9:15 deadline now makes all this, and more, impossible. A simpler boat without all the frills of fast food might make a more affordable second ferry. I find it interesting to note also, that the ferry from Bellingham to Whitbey Island costs around $14 for car and driver. The cost of a B.C.Ferries ticket is way out of control.
And why is a passenger in a vehicle charged extra when they are sitting in a car already paid for? They aren’t taking up any more space. If this wasn’t so, maybe people could get together and divide up the cost. They have us paralyzed.
I run a business on the Coast, others have families to get home to. We need a pass for locals that would put us in a separate lane ahead of tourists. Tourists have time to wait in line. Often, we do not. The reservation system is another scam.
I write this with the hope of organizing our thoughts, our ideas, & our actions to secure our need for a larger life here. What we are allowing to happen with our waterways highways by B.C.Ferries is not right.
Gov’t doesn’t seem to be the way to accomplish this – or they would have done so already. Our problems are obvious. What can we do? How can we make this happen? Soon.
Mary Jean Brown
Gibsons
My parnter and I have been trying very hard to build a life on the Sunshine coast. A decision made a few years ago when the traffic and congestion, and panicked fools who keep buying bogusly inflated real estate in Vancouver started to just plain wear us out. Friends called us crazy, but having more beauty in your life is a good thing. And what do friends know – they think we are on an island. thankfully not – as I watch the Nanaimo bound folk losing their minds regularly at the HSB terminal. I could gripe about the ferry service for quite a long time. perhaps days. Air canada by sea. But i think in a site like this, its a given – we all already know what’s not to like. and i do feel like a hostage. Why do i have the choice of being stupidly early for work or stupidly late? why isnt there a ferry at 7:20 a.m.?
I recall that the Coast Distorter had a series of articles on a private commuter ferry that was trying to find a way to operate, except B C Ferries said “you cant use our dock or our parking lots”. The upper overflow parking lot is rarely used – saw it being used Sunday afternoon for the first time in a year. and thats because its summer, the car show and the drag races and the garlic fest and so on were all on. if 95% of the time the lot is available, what is the issue with using it? liability? so the company gets some insurance, not insurmountable. maybe BCF even charges a small fee – make some money off the lot. Commuters aren’t parked there on sundays in the summer anyways….
as for the berths at the dock – there are two. again, probably dont need to use it for commuters at the times that higher tourist runs are occurring. Is it a union thing? maybe the private company can hire union folk. dont need many to load a passenger-only ferry. So what is the real hold out? run it yourselves or get out of the way so someone else can, BCF. and if we are trying to be so environmental – why run that fat ferry with all the amenities when you can run a cleaner, leaner choice for the short trip? How much money does white spot make and b c ferries off of them (us)? The bowan island ferries dont have all that jazz and the trip is not that much shorter. Wouldnt it be something if the tourists arrived on the SC hungry and wanting to buy souvenirs? wow! what a concept. instead they arrive larded down and feeling sluggish. triple ohhhhhh. So what do we do to apply pressure ( yes i read above about the government – anyone a lobbyist out there?)
Karen … well put. I might add some pertinent background:
I am retired now, and live on the coast. My career was at BC Tel/Telus and in the early days of telecommunications competition the Federal Government forced the telephone monopolies to allow access to their infrastructure to facilitate competition, which was in the best interests of the general public. There was a “fair” charge applied to all competitors wishing to use existing facilities. This would make sense in an application like a ferry terminal, where private ferry operators would help cover BC Ferry overheads.
Unfortunately, this would probably be a Provincial Government call, and they will do anything to maintain their position of dominance in the industry, and not allow competitive prices to enter the market.
My time at BC Tel also saw the interference of the Provincial Government, when the passenger only services from Vancouver to Vancouver Island were attempting to operate. Endless amounts of “red tape” were created, new taxes levied, and new regulations (not applicable to BCF) were implemented, all in an effort to delay the competitors entry just beyond their financial capacities. It was a deplorable shame that the government was so vindictive towards competition.
Do you remember when long distance was $.25 to $.50 per minute? With competition it dropped to a nickle! Funny what competition will do!
If we see an NDP government next, there will never be ferry competition, as they will protect the existing union. Sorry … I think we are “hooped”! (sorry couldn’t think of a better word
I agree, however BC Ferries won’t let their ‘parking lots’ or ‘docks’ used because they know how they will loose A LOT of money if we got this other ferry. Money is all that matters to BC Ferries, nothing matters more. Whatever we try to do, BC Ferries will fight with everything they have to stop, because they don’t care about us and our needs, they just care about the money.
Then again, aren’t those ‘parking lots’ and ‘docks’ ours? Our tax dollars built them, our tax dollars keep them in shape and running. Where does BC Ferries, who are owned by an American, get the right to tell us we can’t use what belongs to us?
My beefs are around inequitable fares. A Smart car pays the same as a one ton truck, fully loaded.
Another complaint is treatment of foot passengers on the Bowen run, who must wait until cars are disgorged before unloading, if they are encumbered and cannot climb the stairs to the overhead walkway in Horseshoe Bay. Often, young moms with kids in tow and a stroller are left inhaling truck fumes as they unload 3 feet away. Really unsafe and unfair.
For those that complain about ferry costs and service levels ‘in general’, they should be reminded that geography rules. If one chooses to live on an island (or water accessible peninsula), do so because it is that, not despite it being so.
Too many people think that an expensive fixed link will fix the problem, but fares would be astronomical, or the tax burden unjustifiable. The discussions about the Confederation Bridge to PEI are worth looking at.
There will always be apposing points of views. Unfortunately no ferry service change whatsoever for the Sunshine Coast is really not a very realistic option. There are many positive possibilities in between doing nothing at all about the current system and opening the flood gates as wide as possible. Speaking from a Sunshine Coast point of view I think the majority of us have great respect for what makes this such a wonderful place to live or visit. Through this effort if we managed to get a later night sailing for example, or some fare reductions or discounts it would not negatively alter the way of life here we want to protect. Even if we were successful with a foot passenger only option that might improve commuter possibilities; that impact must be evaluated and endorsed by the community as a whole before it could become a reality. Yes calling us ‘ferry hostages’ may or may not been the most ideal way to describe the current situation but it did get your attention. Motivating people to speak up can be a difficult task. Let’s all understand there will be extremists on either end. As a caring community that does have some responsibility of planning for our future we should be able to use this movement. This is not a forum for rants. It is a tool to gather survey data; the community will be responsible for interpreting that and shaping it in a respectful direction which I personally have every faith it can do.
What a great forum. My attention was drawn to it by the signs posted along the highway and I was curious. I hope anyone considering moving to the Sunshine Coast reads the comments so they know what they are getting into if they move here. For me, a 54 year resident of the coast, I don’t feel like a hostage to the ferry service. I live here, shop here, recreate here, was raised here by parents who grew up here and have raised my family here. When I worked in the city, I lived in the city because commuting for me was impractical and not cost effective. I live here because I choose to. I travel to the city on occasion and for the most part am pretty happy with the ferry service. I am understanding of the fact that the number of staff on the ferry is directly related to the safety and well being of the passengers. In an emergency, it’s pretty impressive to see the cafeteria staff and deck crew turn into firefighters and rider aiders. These people are not just cooks and cashiers and they are all trained and certified in marine safety. I can live with the schedule as long as it’s consistent. Sure I’d like to see lower fares and would really like to have a later sailing so I could see a hockey game or go to a show but I accept that as part of the opportunity of living here. I fought for the 6:20 Sunday sailing when it was threatened and have a hard time with the 5min cutoff at Langdale and the 10 min cutoff in HS Bay but I’ve learned to live with it. If I had a suggestion for BC Ferries for the Langdale run it would be smaller boats more often and charge by deck space instead of by car and passenger. It would not be difficult to set up a system at the toll booth that would measure square footage of a vehicle and charge accordingly, giving the people with small cars the break they deserve for driving something fuel efficient and hitting the big rigs. Maybe we could be helping with the fossil fuel and global warming issues at the same time!
I’ve been reading these comments and have noticed many are missing some key factors. Bc ferries is a private business. They will continue to charge fares high enough to make profit. So what do we do about escalating costs… Not much as far as bc ferries is concerned.
I agree that a road is the best option. No, a road will not destroy the sunshine coast way of life. Remaining stagnant will. Right now we are part of a retirement and tourism based community. Problem is, With the us in the tank, tourism is slumping, and retirees, cannot support growth as the do not contribute directly to our tax pool. At least not to the extent of a working individual. While it is perfectly fine to have a large tourism trade and percentage of retirees, we also need businesses, youth, education etc., to remain a healthy community. Right now there is very little in the way of post secondary education, places To work that provide high enough wages to attract youth. Basically there is very little to continue to stimulate growth. If we were a healthy growing Community, nobody would be posting about ferry costs because we wouldn’t need to rely on them as we do. How many residents rely on taking a boat, then a bus just to get to work? Why are we traveling 3 to 6 hours a day to and from work? By the time your done paying for buses, ferries, lunch, parking, or whatever, you’re struggling to eke out a living. We need to be able to attract businesses, retain youth and provide some sense of vitality. A road can help achieve this.
So… We need 30 kilometers of road. Even if it costed 10 million a kilometer to build, it would only cost 300 million to build. Not really that high when you consider government expenditures, and infrastructure costs.
You say the province won’t dole out that kinda money for 30,000 people.
Here’s an idea…
We pay for it….
Amortized over 20 to 25 years it’ll cost about 400/yr in tax increases without subsidies or help from the province. If done properly, we could probably even get help from Squamish businesses as it will provide an immediate boost to their businesses. If we paid ourselves and lobbied the province to cover mainanence costs maybe they would seriously look at the proposal. Let’s face it, most of us already pay well over 400 a year to bc ferries anyway.
It’s an idea, and a plausible one I feel. One thing is for sure, if we stay status quo, bit by bit the coast will become a very unattractive place for families to live. There’s already little to do with youngsters unless you think kids enjoy arts and craft fairs etc. they don’t. We get a few things for the kids each year. It costs a fortune to buy new clothes unless you shop at the Sally-Ann. We need to get with the times and allow our communities to grow and be healthy.
This is an idea worth persueing. The regional of and around Powell River might be talked into sharing some of the cost as it would benifit us as well. Anouther option that could be considered would be for or regions to purchase and run our own ferries. Spreading the cost between tax’s and user fees.
But I still fail to see why our provincial or federal government won’t pick up the tab. Free or next to free ferries would mean so much to our economies. And healthy economies would mean higher tax yields would they not?
There is only approxiatemely 17 km of road that would be required to be built from Port Melon to Squamish. This route has land elevations less than the sea to sky and also has areas already with road development ie logging. The total length of time driving from Langdale to Squamish, down to Horseshoe Bay averages the same or slightly less than sitting at Langdale without any sailing delays. The average cost would be less in fuel than a fair on BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay and one could go anytime they wish. The only people that would be againts this are the ones that enjoy the isolation of the Sunshine Coast which is understandable, but I can not see people willing to drive up to Squamish and down to the Sunshine coast for a joy ride, if all else fails, toll the damn thing.
BTW, who are the owners/shareholders of BC Ferries now? Is it not an American, for-profit, corporation? Was it not the Gordon Campbell government that took BCF through a somewhat non-transparent privatization process?
BC Ferries is outright owned by the Province of BC, everything BC Ferries uses is leased to BC Ferry Corp from the Province including the land the terminals sit on, with the understanding that maintenance, upgrades, improvements are the responsibility of BC Ferries. When BC Ferries is no longer in need of, nor have a use for something leased to them from the Province, the Province sells the item on http://www.bcauction.ca. Kevin Falcon sits behind the false idea that he is beyond arms length of responsibility yet he holds the operational key for everything BC Ferries is, stands for and charges under the Coastal Act.
Just so there is an understanding that when I say when BC Ferries is owned by the province, and when things are sold through http://www.bcauction.ca, keep in mind, nothing and I mean absolutely nothing can be sold through bcauction unless it is owned by the BC Government.
I got a tip as to where Mr. Falcon was going to be, and when. This was when he was minister of transportation. The day before my husband and I worked our butts off collecting articles and letters showing the bad need for another road. I spoke to him for a while about it, and he took all our work stating he would go over it later and get back to me. Never heard back from him. No one in the government care for us.
Sarah Vatnsdal
Your paperwork you gave Mr Falcon is long gone, filed away and never seen again, trust me on that. For years BC Ferries played the Community Involvement Game, it went like this, each community had a group for the Ferry Committee, which met with BC Ferries once every 6 months. At those meetings questions would be asked, in Powell River case we dealt with Gord Nettleton, and his response was ” Well give me that information and we will get back to you with an answer at the next meeting”. Six months later, the question would be as again, Gord Nettleton’s response would always be ” We have not had enough time to find you an answer to that question, we should find that answer at the next meeting”. You can well imagine the next meetings answer 365 days after the first question was asked, delayed yet again.
BC Ferries Community Involvement was a way for the government (Kevin Falcon) and BC Ferries ( in Powell River’s Case Gord Nettleton) to delay things, but give the impression that they were communicating with the Communities.
In both cases Kevin Falcon, and Gord Nettleton were bald face liars, and in both cases no one really cares because really what can a small community do about it? nothing, nothing at all.
I say this with all ounces of conviction, nothing will ever change unless ALL, and I do mean ALL the affected communities serviced by BC Ferries join together, and collectively go at the BC Government, who ever party is sitting to either destroy, or remove the Coastal Act, or greatly modify it.
Kevin Falcons resigned today, my prediction is because of the recent annoucement from BC Ferries service cancellation is only the tip of the iceberg. My discussions within someone I know of that works internally at BC Ferries main office has told me that Langdale/Horseshoe bay will see 4 sailing cuts, SalteryBay/Earls Cove will see 2 sailing cuts, Westview/Blubber Bay will see 4 sailing cuts, Westview/Little River will see 2 sailing cuts, unless. and I loved this part, unless the areas receiving the specific cuts will agree to a 22% increase in fares. So imagine now your $55 car fare will now be about $67, and BC Ferries is calculating people will accept the fare increases rather than a loss of sailings, and I agree, the majority will favor the increase rather than lose the sailings.
Change for the service of ferries between all communities does not reside with BC Ferries, any discussions between communities and BC Ferries should cease, and they should only be held with the sitting party of the Province of British Columbia after all, it is there that the Coastal Act sits, and can be abolished, changed, or modified.
As a owner of our struggling motel business in Madeira Park, I would welcome a new road system. We conduct follow up calls to our clientele asking if they enjoyed their stay and if there is anything we could do to improve on. We generally get the same feed back time after time that they loved our place but wasted too much time at the ferry terminals. They love the Sunshine Coast but look at trips to the interior for a less hassle and cheaper get away.
The cost of the ferry isn’t the only problem, there are some of us who can not take the chance of missing a ferry and not get home when we need to. Years ago I got a phone call that my father had a heart attack, I had to sit around waiting for the next day to catch a ferry. If we had the bridge, at times like this we could just go.
I did some research years ago and found a dirt road that we do have, it ends right across from Squamish. Pave that and build a little bridge. Make it a toll bridge, I would be more than happy to pay for that, then pay for a ferry. I would like to be free, be able to come and go when I want, not go when the ferry lets me come and go.
I would be jumping up and down at the idea of having people put in their own time and money to build it! I would join in. Then the toll booth goes to pay for the material spent to create our road and bridge. It’s very obvious we have a government who don’t give a damn about us. We are not just B.C. citizens, we are B.C. citizens that have to scream a hell of a lot louder then most others.
I find it very ODD that those on the LOWER SUNSHINE COAST only have to pay 1 way for the ferry, either to the south or to the north. Of course, going north is not a usual thing for Lowersunshinecoastians as they would have to pay to get home. However, they do only pay for one way.
Powell River, er, …. the NORTH SUNSHINE COAST, must pay both ways. Why is this?
I have heard ODD stories, such as, political reasons and some of the bigwigs actually living on the SSC that have orchestrated this. Perhaps not.
So, WE are the ones on the chopping block for LESS RUNS to save BC Ferries money? Where is fair play for ALL. We already pay both ways.
Ya, and then there is Kootenay Lake, a 45 minute run, not a short ferry ride. Free. Nice job.
For all reasons, when you purchase a ticket at Saltery Bay, or at HorseshoeBay for the Sunshine Coast, that fare is for the use of travelling on two ferries, so technically you could go either direction or back the way you came. Since BC Ferries knows you must leave eventually, they technically charge you for a second ferry ride whether you use it or not.
In all truthfulness the fare really should be 50% because not all people travel twice.
Even worse is the fact that we pay high taxes on Salt Spring Island but
receive little in the way of services.
In fact, the taxes paid on this Island would pay the entire provincial ferry
subsidy! Yet, BC Ferries can only talk about cutting routes!!
We are not allowed a municipality even though we were promised a study
of incorporation if we elected three politicians that support such. We did
this but still we have no movement towards using our tax funds for ourselves.
We continue to suffer from abuse of higher than proportionate fare increases
while we payProperty taxes out of the other pocket to Victoria. A ferry
service is our only benefit living here from Victoria!
Victoria region even takes our tax dollars out of our community and
establishes the Islands Trust and Gulf Island National Park headquarters
in the Victoria area.
The Gulf Islands are being used by our Government as a tax source
with no consideration given to the services it provides to us. It is
time service improvements were made by BC Ferries not route
cuts! BC Ferries is our only real service offered for our community.
Salt Spring, at least, is tired of subsidizing the ferry service for the
whole Province while paying more than anyone else for increases!!!
When we travel to and from the Lower Mainland from Powell River, here’s what really happens – At Saltery Bay you purchased a RETURN trip ticket from Saltery Bay to Earls Cove. When you got to Langdale, you technically were using the second half of the ticket you purchased some time previously in Horseshoe Bay for a RETURN trip ticket from Horeshoe Bay to Langdale. If you look at your receipts, you’d see that the two trips are actually different prices. It doesn’t cost the same to travel from Powell River to Horseshoe Bay as it does from Horseshoe Bay to Powell River!
Great site…wish it would help..but lets be realistic…
The gov’t DOES NOT CARE..
only hope is for some elitist game…Olympics etc to be held here.. then they would build highways, etc
as they did for the 10k or so people of Whistler…
disgusted…
moving away..
You are completely right!!!!
Every time I fly across the coast I am always surprised just how close Sechelt and Gibsons are to Squamish. Why there is no road just seems foolish. So many other much smaller communities on the mainland have road access and the Sunshine Coast could easily have it as well. I personally have taken a motorcycle from The upper Squamish through existing logging roads to a a point where I could look down into Sechelt Inlet. I have also explored from the Sunshine Coast side and come within a few KMs of getting through. During my lifetime I have watched the Sunshine Coast grow very considerably and is certainly big enough to warrant another few KMs of road to join it to it’s mainland neighbors. Even if there is a small charge for it’s use.
For so many years we have been held captive by the ferry corp
I think that the answer to the ferries situation is that we should look into the option of purchasing some hydrofoils. They operate efficiently in rough seas, in Europe and are low in maintenance costs. Most travel at 90 and if we had quite a few hydrofoils, they would be able to handle the traffic and get us where we want to be, in better timing than the boats, that we have now with the current vessels. We should look at lowering the cost of the ferry fares, have lots of hydrofoil sailings, and build bigger ships that would accommodate the vehicle traffic, with more frequent sailings, ending in late night sailings, that would allow the travelling public to see games, movies, etc in the city, without having to spend money on the cost of hotels or risking our lives, to catch the last sailing home. If the ferries were more affordable to the travelling public, then you would have residents and tourists utilizing more ferry travel and communities would see an increase in tourism, which would in turn, create more employment. This would in turn be good for the buisnesses. Families would be given the opportunity to see each other on a regular basis. Also, if you had bigger ferries running every two hours, this would be easier to manage the gas costs and allow the travelling public to arrive safely at the terminals. If the fares were made more affordable, the ferries would have lots of ridership and in turn more profit for the BC Ferries. Most of the time, our family just sits in the car because we cannot afford to go up and eat. The last time we did go up, we paid close to 20.00 for 3 hot dogs, muffin, and water! As for the ferry corporation, we are wasting our money on the high paying salaries and bonuses given to these individuals. The money is only benefiting their pocket books and they are not thinking about what is best for the ferry travelling public. Corporate greed at its finest hour here!
When I was little, I used to go at least once or twice a year to Victoria. This was like 15 years ago. Then, gradually we stopped visiting the Island. I’ve grown up now, married and have 2 kids. Last 2 years we have been wanting to go to these small towns in Victoria Island for vacations, but the price to cross to the other side is ridiculous. So, what we have done is that we go to Oregon. What costs to pay for ferry, and a family of 4 is what costs for 1.5 nights at a decent hotel in Oregon. Also, gas is much cheaper down there. So we have fallen in love with Oregon due to the ferries fares being too high. We’ll be traveling to other places until you lower the fares. Until then….
Sunshine Coast riders get Experience Card savings in the order of 22% while major routes get nothing. Why does this Experience Card Savings not apply evenly to all routes? In fact, if they just dropped the fares 22% on all routes they could get rid of the Experience Card and all of it’s costs.
Personally I think the ferry costs have risen at least 30% too much since the corporation was established in 2003 but I would be happy with a 22% reduction immediately. Time for Christy to start doing something useful for the people of BC and take back ICBC under government control..
I think BC Ferries should be restored as our highway system. I have been a hostage on Vancouver Island for more than a decade. Never mind “BC Ferries Vacations”, advertising is a waste of resources, and corporate boxes at sporting venues! The CEO alone is making 5 times the salary of his counterpart in Washington State.
Every taxpaying citizen of BC is subsidizing the toll free, Sea to Sky Highway so that the elites can get to Whistler, yet the citizens in coastal communities, the average working class person is held hostage. It’s a political fix, in my opinion.
I’m sorry, but you can’t complain compared to us. You have more than one road. You have a great University! You have an airport. You have everything we don’t and we need need.
Are there any stats on about how many commuters travel from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay? How many commute with cars? How many would use a passenger-only link to downtown Vancouver?
I was very skeptical about the idea of a fixed link from Port Mellon to Squamish until I did some background reading. It is not that far, although the terrain is challenging. It does not sound much worse than Sea-to-Sky, and frankly if it were done as a toll road it could be cheaper than the ferry, I suspect.
You could then keep the Langdale terminal as a passenger-only terminal, or for infrequent heavy-vehicle only traffic.
Just wondering.
Your questions aren’t that easy to answer. There is a number, but there is a bigger number that is people who want to and can’t due to costs.
With your research, you should look and you’ll find a dirt road (logging road) that goes along and ends right across from Squamish. Put a bridge there and that will be our escape route! lol Due to the cost, emotionally and physically, the ferry has done to me and my family, I don’t think I will ever ride a ferry again after getting out of here.
I think BC ferries has become a company that has made a lot of people furious with, and ready to kick to the ground.
I am currently visiting the Sunshine Coast from Victoria, and so far it has cost me $156.00 in ferry fees to get here. What does this mean? I spend less on tourist activities, restaurant meals, accomodation, gifts, etc.
Most of the previous comments focus in on ferry tarifs, and for good reason. They simply are wrong. There needs to be valid price points to encourage more travel.
However, I do disagree with many comments that blame BC Ferries for the high prices. The most significant factor has been the rise in the cost of a barrel of oil. This cost has risen by 122% in the past decade. In looking at the recent BC Ferries annual reports, their fuel bill in 2004 was $50 million dollars a year. In fiscal 2012 it was $121 million dollars – a huge increase in fuel costs in this timeframe.
So how to get the pricing right? The government should subsidize the fuel costs compared to a fixed cost of a barrel of oil. So as an example, fix the price of a barrel of oil at $75.00 per barrel. Any cost per barrel over this would be paid for by the provincial government.
Why would they do this? Because it is politically expedient to do so. The million plus people who use the ferry system each year would have more money to spend in communities being visited, thus helping the economy in tight times, and the provincial party in power would look good in the eyes of voters. They should be able to get every provincial department to support this initiative, as lower ferry tarrifs bebefits millions of people.
Now that we have the pricing fixed, how do we get more people to travel. As a frequent trarvller, my experience is that the BC Ferry system is now a cost efficient, well run organization.
They need to create demand to fill those empty seats – more volume – lower costs.
BC Ferries has recently cut back on their marketing expenses. Wrong move. They need to boost their marketing expenses in order to create more demand for the ptoduct – marketing has done this for a 100 years, and is known to be successful for creating demand for products and services.
Get rid of some of the operations people, and replace them with marketing folks.
So there you have it – an acceptable pricing scheme, and lots of full boats all year long!
Until recently I had lived on the Sunshine Coast.I hasd lived or vacationed on the Coast since the 1970′s. I no longer live there, nor will I return because of the cost and inconvienence of the ferry system. I had lived there long enought to see the economic stagnation caused by the ever increasing ferry costs and the devastation it has caused to our community. It is time to advocate for road link for all the reasons that others have so elegantly stated. In addition, the citizens of the coast remain vulnerable as there is no way to evacuate the coast in the event of a natural disaster. The ferry system is likely to be the first causualty of a disaster and there is no plan B. Build the road, and pay for it by selling the crown land made newly accessable by its very construction. The sky will not fall and the good things about living on the Sunshine Coast will still be there.
Bring back the “marine bus” bussiness model and ditch the “luxury yacht, cruise ship’ model.The old “v” class vessels were the most economical to run considering crew size, passenger count and fuel costs,
BTW the coastal ferry act made it illegal to raise fares to pay for crew wage increases so over the last 9 years no fare increase was the “fault” of the workers.
ON TIME PERFORMANCE:
This may be a little off topic regarding the frequency of BC Ferry service, however I thought you might like to share an observation regarding “On-Time” performance.
I live on Gambier Island, and have a direct view of the Langdale Terminal. I have always questioned how a ferry can be 10 minutes late (25% of the voyage time) and still be classed as “on-time”. I would assume a flight to London that left two hours late would not be considered on time!
My interest was piqued the other day when I noticed the extraordinary number of times the ferry was documented as being 9 minutes late in leaving. This raises the question of at what stage is the ferry “departing”? I have seen the red lights flash, and seen the documented forward motion on Marinetraffic.com (which are roughly one minute apart) and I have noticed that the published departure time on the BC Ferries website is usually in alignment with the exception of the 9 minute late departures.
Is this a slight “tweak” to keep the statistics looking good, or an element of employee bonus? There is no question that the 9 minute delay is observed frequently, and the 10 minute almost never. Has anyone any feedback on this issue?
In Powell River more than 7 years ago the On-Time Performance was questioned, and even the Ferry Commissioner Martin Crilly agreed that under the terms of the Coastal Act, BC Ferries is permitted a 10 Minute delay after scheduled sailing to be considered On-Time.
Living on Gambier Island, the 10 minute ferry ride would be considered “late” if it left 10 minutes after the scheduled time! I believe it is relative, the Mainland – Vancouver Island runs are long enough that ten minutes is an allowable delay, I don’t think it should apply to a forty minute run.
My comments were more concerned with the famous “nine minute” delay (that is usually closer to eleven).
My cousin was a pilot for United, the GPS registered when the aircraft left, these numbers were used for pilot bonuses and published as the “on-time” departure percentage. It would be interesting to see what the numbers would show if the GPS did the tracking on BC Ferries
I had a conversation with the Minister of Highways about a land route from the lower mainland to the Sunshine Coast. He assured me that a road from Squamish to Port Mellon was in the works, to be completed within a decade.
However, before anyone gets their hopes too high, I should point out that I was talking to SoCred Highways Minister Phil Gagliardi (Flying Phil). The year was 1967.
The funny thing is, when I did research on a second road and a bridge, I found out it was planned back in the 60′s. I spoke to a man whose grandfather was part of the planning group. I also discovered that every government has been trained to say, ‘we are looking at that now’. They say that to not be bothered by it, but they don’t mean a word of it. I’ve been fighting this for years and most people I’ve fought with, have actually believed it and back off to just sit and wait. It will take a very big fight to even get heard, we don’t mean a thing to the government, they really don’t care for us.
In a response to an email of things I wrote from this site I gave a reply that if anything is to change with BC Ferries, or even a road to Vancouver Island via Sunshine Coast or just a road to the Sunshine Coast, it will not be the people themselves that will need to band together, it will be every single mayor, councillor, and regional district elect to band together from the tip to tip of Vancouver Island, the Southern and Northern Gulf Islands, and the entire Lower and Upper Sunshine Coast. This will be a feat in itself and I put the odds of this alone at 5%, so the bottom line is this, if you cannot get your local elected governments to work together on something they all claim to be of vital importance to their communities, I rather doubt you will succeed in getting 400,000 people together themselves to even make your voice heard.
DocOldFart: I think you are absolutely correct, the BC Ferries have a monopoly (I really don’t care what they call it, or try to present it, it IS a monopoly) and little will change with “citizen” input. I commend this website for trying, but unless the UBCM gets on board, we really have no hope. How does one go about that? Politicians love votes (unfortunately most only care about votes, not voters) is there a way to get a few Municipal politicians on board, and start a review of the Ferry Corp’s influence on ferry-dependent communities, and make it an issue?
Thats a simple thing to start, attend your Regional District Meetings, attend your Municipal or City Council Meeting, and at those meetings request that they join forces and create a joint task force during their Meetings of Municipalities, which they all attend once a year. If they decline then you know they dont care, then you can chose to elect them or not during the next election, thats your power
For anyone who reads this, if you go to city hall and talk ask Mr. Tang to see the map with the start of the second road, you can see the second road that was planned back in the 60′s. Our previous Mayor, Mr. Inkster, and Council started to get it put through to our aeroport. Made it clear how we just need some of the road there, and the rest will start to follow. Mr. Henderson and his Council have no interest in continuing putting it in. I’m getting copies of all the maps, from Sechelt to Langdale, to have set up and show what has been planned for over 40 years. If anyone wants copies, please contact me and I will email or mail them to you.
Years back the head office was closed for three weeks after a fire.
No ship missed a sailing.
Interesting to hear both the out going transportation minister (Blair Lekstrom) and the new one(Mary Plloack), talking about the tolls on the new bridge say ” The toll is only on bridges where people have a free alternative to taking the toll bridge”
These politicians are also the ferry minister so……
Say WHAT.
‘Rumour’ has it that there is a lot that goes on behind closed doors with the government and BC Ferries. There is room under and now above the door that causes some ‘rumours’ to air out, but we need to get enough people to pull the doors open. One event that may help is an election, didn’t work last time, but there is a lot more fighters this time.
In the last 2 weeks both the outgoing and current Transportation ministers Blair lekstrom and Mary Pollock have said the tolls on the new Port Mann are ok because” people have a free alternative route”.
So given both these folk are/were the minister responsible for ferries I’d like them to explain the difference between the bridge and the ferry.
For me, I say ‘toll bridge’ meaning I’m willing to pay the government to set me free. I would go so far as to help build a bridge! When you are held hostage and not see family and friends for years due to not being in the ‘upper class’, it’s amazing how far you are willing to go. I say ‘me’, but what gets me into fighting more and more is meeting and knowing so many others who are in the same position as me, some worse.
Make them affordable or build an accessible road.Unfortunately as long as the powers that be have all the control they will make all the decisions,which won’t be based on the needs of the people.
Interesting comment from Susie Goodall. A lot of people have forgotten that the BC Liberals put in place the Coastal Ferries Act soon after they first came to power. It was their first step in offloading infrastructure services onto users. Prior to this legislation, the ferry service was considered part of the highways system. Since this legislative change, the government is able to distance themselves from the operational issues, complaints about service levels, rising costs and red ink in the financial statements. There’s no doubt about it, needs of the coastal communities were sacrificed to bring in the current business model for BC ferries.
The buck ultimately stops with the consumer. Either “I’m willing to pay this” or “This is too expensive”. Quit being a bunch of whiners. If you think BC Ferries is too expensive, then don’t use their service. Have family across the water? Need to travel for work? Then move closer to your family, or find a different job if the fares are too much for you. Ridership on BC Ferries is a privilege, not a right!
“This is not a cruise ship”. Thank-you for stating that little bit of obviousity (sic). Yes something has to be done about the ferries! My opinion?
1) Cut on-board services like the cafeterias, wifi, etc… They’re so busy trying to make it a value added trip that they forget that we just want to get to the city and back.
2) Cut jobs. I’m not one for laying people off and I’m truly sorry for the ones that would lose their good paying jobs but really, $20+/hr for all those people, especially on the Langdale side where the toll booth isn’t even needed. Utilize technology, lay off unneeded personnel and cut costs.
3) Identify coasters by their license numbers (technology again) and equalize our highway connection by paying for some of it by taxing the rest of the province. Our taxes go to their snow removal and crack repair, some of theirs should go to our ferries.
4) A foot passenger only route to downtown makes sense. There are undoubtedly many commuters who would rather leave their auto at home.
What does it take?
That is always a question for anything, but this is a question about those that live in coastal towns, and Vancouver Island, and is about BC Ferries. Just what does it take to motivate people? With the recent 12% fare hike (small routes could be higher) and less service, just what does it take?
What does it take to motivate all the City Councils, the Regional District chairs to actually have serious talks with the government? To band together, to join forces and show the citizens themselves they are not in this fight alone?
The BC Ferry Commissioners travelled around, asked all the communities serviced by BC Ferries questions, it was a farce, it was a joke, it was just to steer the attention away from the real problem, the Coastal Act, and the government that put it in place. Our Premier announced literally millions of dollars to widen the roads into the Province, into Vancouver, but offers nothing to those that go past it, nothing but allowing fare increases.
I sit here just thinking, Just what does it take? Obviously not enough, enjoy your fare increase’s people.
What a bunch of complainers on here, and a bunch of people who feel entitled to priveleges that they do not want to pay for. Don’t like ferries, live somewhere else. You are not held hostage, what a joke. Ferries cost a lot to run, I don’t want to pay for 90% empty ferries running late so you can go watch a hockey game.
By the way you “build a road” people, look on google earth at the terrain between the sunshine coast and squamish. There is no road that comes close, you were lost buddy. You were up the Ashlu looking into Jervis Inlet. With the continuous deficits we are running you want to spend half a billion on a highway and its maintenance for the small population of the sunchine coast??? The road would then take you an hour and a half to get to Horseshow Bay on the most dangerous road in the province. Sheeeesh!
Ferries are better now than ever, I have been riding them regularly since 1962. The food is pretty good for what it is, the safety record is exemplary, (except those two union-protected idiots who ran one ferry aground) their scheduling is good considering they are operating man-made machines across open exposed waters, the number of people they handle, and the pressures from all sides to do something different. I agree witht he person above that the workers are in general overpaid. Table cleaners and people pointing to a lane to wait in are not earning their wages.
Let’s see…. what else….
Hmmm you think the NDP will do a batter job? Yes they will build your hydrofoils!! Just like the fast cats. 600 million dollars wasted because Glen Clark would not listen to the experts, buddied up to his union pals and fired anyone who opposed him. He shoud be in jail for that, but no…..you want to vote for his #1 advisor in the next election. Ask Adrian Dix why he supported the fast cat fiasco.
This is great…next….
Have you tried the Vancouver transit system? Get off the ferry, pay $3.50 and you can go all the way to the airport. Why bring your car? Make less trips. Tell your kid No you can;t play on a “rep” team, and you cut out many trips per year. He’s not really going to make the NHL anyways.
Passenger ferry to Vancouver, Oh that again. Haha.
So build and operate and subsidize another vessel to reduce the income from the existing route, to drive soem people to vancovuer hwo many times perday? Try keeping your schedule on a stormy day, small boat, 6 ft waves, logs in the water, people barfing all over……have a good time.
Chat with you all later!!!
Im not surprised by the comments here blaming BC Ferries, truly it is not there fault, they are doing what is mandated to them by the Coastal Act, that Act was put in place by Christie Clarks political party. Recently Christy Clark announced literally millions of dollars to widen the highway from Alberta to Vancouver, but offers nothing to get past Vancouver itself? Christy Clark her sitting government is the problem, not BC Ferries, BC Ferries is mandated by the Coastal Act, they are just doing what her government is telling them too, blame her, and her party. I have always thought this was a funny thing, Christy Clark, and her Cabinet, Translink as well have all been recently saying, Roads cost money, and the new Port Mann will be tolled to recoup that money, they also claim that under laws and regulations, they can toll our National Highway because there is an alternative route around it, this is very true. Now this is the funny part, the Inland Ferries is free, there is also a route around it, and not only did they just build a multi-million dollar ferry for this route, it still remains free, yet you poor suckers are going to pay a toll on your main artery, oh and just to rub salt in your wounds, here is a link to the Inland Ferry Scheddule, click it and look at what is written in larger letters, this is on BC Province’s own website, so keep this in mind Christy Clark is the one currently slamming this in your face and laughing at you. http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/marine/ferry_schedules.htm
It would seems that many people have come to live on the Sunshine Coast with unrealistic expectations about the cost and convenience of commuting to work elsewhere. You know the locavore concept? Well, be a locaworker and if it takes a city to support and/or amuse you then live in the city. The Sunshine Coast is what it is – take it or leave it.
tired of the long waits and high fares, when i have to go into town for a doctor for my wife or myself i should get sum sort of boarding priority, just tired of it all, do not go to vancouver much anymore, we need lower fares and better service
I found this while looking about on the web. Can anyone vouch for the validity of whats writen here?
http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2010/12/christy-clark-spins-and-lies-on-her.html
Everything in that post is true…This post..
http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2010/12/christy-clark-spins-and-lies-on-her.html
…The trans-scrpit from CBSC, the letter from Debra Marshall, and the debenture, all true…I am the Powell River Persuader..
Here another post you should read..
http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2011/07/premier-gordon-butterfly-campbells.html
Background info on latest consultation about ferry services:
http://islandtides.com/assets/IslandTides.pdf
This newspaper has many articles on BC Ferries!
Become Involved, Tell the Province we Belong
http://www.coastalferriesengagement.ca/index.html
All the comments here show that their authors are really and honestly concerned about our ferry system. However, only a few of them touch the real problems – affecting all runs, not just the Sunshine Coast. The following should be closely examined:
• Over 600 shore-side employees (probably close to 700) – counting only those with dedicated telephone numbers and in the company’s telephone directory (excluding terminal attendants needed to regulate the traffic at large terminals – they don’t have telephones). We may safely assume that most of these persons are also equipped with all the usual office paraphernalia (desk-top, lap-top, blackberry, some have spacious offices and vehicles, credit cards, etc.). That’s about 20 (twenty) office people per one ferry; some ferries have a crew of seven – some more, some less. What do they REALLY do ?
• The newly built posh head office in Victoria with all the “extras”.
• Another office in Vancouver at Canada Place – for what ?
• New and expanding beyond real needs, office departments with prime objective to create new positions (mostly for “own people”).
• Recently opened BCF’s own simulator training centre – all ferries operate between the same two or three terminals day after day – it is the best environment and possibility to train the crews. Additionally, there are simulators at the PMTC in Vancouver capable and sufficient for this purpose.
• Opened in 2010 own traffic and security centre in Victoria equipped with the latest technology – INCLUDING live cameras situated at various land points and “monitoring” the ferries live. What used to be the responsibility of marine superintendents has been taken over by this “centre” and the superintendents relegated to the menial admin tasks.
• Human Resources (and other) offices at several terminals – fully staffed and duplicating each other.
• The above (shore staffing) leads to the expanded bureaucracy producing ever more rules, orders, memos, meeting, conferences, trainings, field trips, presentations, consultations, phoney programs coordinated by lay people, etc.
• The new, German-built “coastal-class” ferries – big, awkward, fuel-guzzlers that carry not more vehicles than the older C-class. We needed a few small, economical “feeder” boats that would supplement the C-class during peak season and substitute them during low season (80% of the year) like the old V-class (sold ??).
• Salaries and bonuses of the shore personnel – what responsibility has an office person (comparing to, for example, a captain of the ferry) to justify, at first, his/her employment and, secondly, his/her salary and lifetime benefits for this person and family. And see the titles of some of these shore managers !
• It is not a rocket science: if a company is faltering on a verge of bankruptcy (bankrupt) the first question we ask is about the quality of its management. It then would be worthwhile to examine the real qualifications (and connections) of all the “key” personnel of BC Ferries and the board members – also generously rewarded for their “work”.
• These are only the main points – a closer investigation (if one really could implement “access to information”) would reveal more “stunning news”.
• We are hearing about planned sailing cuts to save money; somehow we don’t hear about closing some offices or shrinking some departments. Applying this concept one may come to the conclusion that the best and most economical solution would be to stop all the ferry traffic for good and keep only the offices and the people on the payroll.
• We hear continuously about the fuel cost – but it is a smoke screen. If the planned sailing cuts are implemented there will be SOME saving in fuel consumption and overtime – true – but the crews will still be fully paid; they are on fixed salaries, loans, interest must be paid, ships’ maintenance and re-fits must be performed, terminals must be manned and serviced, offices will be maintained. Maybe, just maybe, those few passengers on those cancelled sailings would cover or at least offset partially the cost of the fuel burnt during these passages.
Without any hope the above will ever be addressed, let alone changed,
Peter Worth
Online Complaint Form
Confirmation of Receipt of Ombudsperson – Online Complaint Form:
Date/Time:
2012-11-15
Salutation:
Mr.
First Name:
Robin
Last Name:
Tremblay
Email:
docoldfart@hotmail.com
Current Address:
6849 Cranberry Street
Powell River, British Columbia
V8A 3Z3
Current Phone:
604-414-0441
Work Phone #:
604-414-0441
Fax #:
Best time to contact you:
9 am to 9pm
Please enter any contact restrictions:
none
How did you hear about our office?
all sources
1. Which authority (ministry, municipality, school, college, or hospital, etc.) is your question or complaint about?
Provincial Government – Ministry of Transportation
2. Who have you dealt with at the authority?
None
3. Summarize your request for information or your complaint. List any steps you have taken to try to resolve it:
I wish to file a formal complaint againts the Ministry of Transportation of the Province of British Columbia for political interference with the operations of BC Ferries, a private corporation.
4. Did you file an appeal or apply for a review? If yes, when was the last appeal or review and what was the result?
5. Why do you believe the actions taken against you were unfair?
It is my belief that the Minister of Transportation is politically interfering with the daily operations of BC Ferries, a private corporation. This Ministry has for the last 10 years maintained that the Provincial Government of British Columbia can not interfere with the Operations of BC Ferries as it is a private corporation. Under the Coastal Act, it does not state that this Ministry has any say other than a voting share. Currently the Minister for Ministry of Transportation is conducting meetings on behalf of BC Ferries, in which it is requesting information into the financial situation, financial operations, and financial functions of BC Ferries, yet is not a board member and is not on staff of BC Ferries.
It is my complaint that the Minister has overstep their legal authority in this matter, and is politically interferring with a private corportation that it has no authority over under the Coastal Act.
6. Describe the result or outcome that you seek.
I wish that this office investigate the Ministry of Transportations legal authority to over-ride The Coastal Act, its legal authority to interfer with the financial operations of a private corporation that is BC Ferries, and that this Minister has the legal authority to hold meetings on behalf of BC Ferries without its boards approval or BC Ferries approval. The outcome I seek from the Ombudsmens office is to answer my complaint in the proper manner.
7. If you consider the matter urgent, explain why.
I consider this matter urgent as these meetings are currently taking place under this Ministry and by the current Minister of Transportation, and should the Ombudsments Office find my complaint is valid, the proceedings currently underway should cease and desist.
The thing about a elected council is that the Mayor is only but one person, there are 6 others who are sitting Councillors. Within a vote the Mayor can have 2 votes under circumstances, but if the 6 other Councillors vote againts what the Mayor wishes, the Mayor is out of luck. So the trick within all this is to find out of the 7, who is in for a new road, or to take the Province on my making a vote at the next Meeting of Municipalities for joining of them to remove, modify the Coastal Act. Whether it be a road from Langdale to Sechelt or not, 7 votes are what matters, not just one by the Mayor, the Mayor does not have over riding powers unless it is a split vote.
So I commute on a daily basis to West Vancouver. I have no choice as my husband was offered a good job over here on the Sunshine Coast.
As an ex pat Brit I love the SC coast but HATE the ferry service and along with 7 other friends who have left because of the ferry want to do the same.
As some one with a University education (UCL London) I cannot believe the Ferries are run as a supposed money making company.
The Ferries and certainly the Sunshine Coast route is just an extension of the Main Highway – yes Main Highway
As such it should be part of the highways system and provide an adequate service – profit should not even enter into the equation.
There is NO country in the world that does not subsidies its highways. So why is it in BC Canada that that the main highway is meant to run at a profit as part of an independent for profit company.
This is where the problem Lies and the Coast will die unless the ferries are treated as part of the Highway, the service is improved and costs are kept to a minimal.
If this does not happen the Sunshine Coast and everything North will cease to chosen as a place to live and more importantly grow with a mix of young and old who are encouraged to choose this as a place to call home no matter where they work.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO SOMETHING NOW TO SAVE THE COAST; THE FERRY IS THE HIGHWAY AND NO HIGHWAYS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RUN AT A PROFIT. (Unless they are a toll rd. and then there is the choice of another route)