A Vancouver-based company is developing a new bus and ferry service to connect Powell River to the rest of Sunshine Coast and Lower Mainland.
Fly Burton, owner of Holland Canada Line Inc., said he has a plan to run a bus and ferry service in the area to be called YVR Clipper, not to be confused with the Victoria Clipper ferries.
Burton recently announced on yvrclipper.com that he plans to develop links from Sunshine Coast to Vancouver and Vancouver Island. He is looking for investors to operate a system that will include a foot-passenger ferry between Saltery Bay and Earls Cove and a bus to Langdale. Burton said he wants to create a coastal foot-passenger system with Gibsons as its main hub.
“It’s a wide-open market,” said Burton, in reference to the collapse of intercity bus service on the Sunshine Coast after Malaspina Coach Lines ceased operations in September. Burton said part of the problem for the failed bus line was loading the bus onto the ferry. “It’s expensive,” he said.
Transportation service between the Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast would incorporate water-taxi-type vessels that can transport 40 to 48 people and then connect with a bus on the other side of Jervis Inlet, said Burton. He expects a round-trip ticket between Powell River and Horseshoe Bay could be $90 to $95.
Another company, Pacific Ferries, began a passenger-ferry service on Wednesday, January 27, between the public dock at Gibsons Landing and Horseshoe Bay. The first three days were offered for free to gauge interest.
The first steps for Burton is to establish the Lower Sunshine Coast bus, then move into setting up the marine connections. Until that happens, passengers would still have to rely on BC Ferries to travel to Earls Cove. Burton added he would like to work with a local shuttle service to get riders from Powell River to Saltery Bay.
“We feel it’s going to be fairly easy to cover Earls Cove to Langdale,” he said.
Burton anticipates the bus would run as an express and make only a couple stops along the way to Gibsons to pick up freight. He said he would like to have the bus on the lower coast operating in the next couple months, with the ferries coming after.
Burton said he is looking for Powell River residents to contact him to hear what kind of service they would find useful. Burton can be contacted at [email protected].
Meanwhile, City of Powell River councillor Maggie Hathaway told council at on Thursday, January 21, she had contacted Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services to inquire about the status of two handyDart buses retired last year.
Hathaway believes the two buses are in good working order, though unusable because of an order from the provincial government. Hathaway said she hopes the city can take ownership of the buses and then lease them to a private operator that could work on setting up a replacement bus service.
“There’s a viable business to be had there,” said Hathaway, “and people in Powell River who need the jobs.”
Hathaway is expecting to hear back from minister Amrik Virk whether or not the buses can be sold to the city. According to Bruce Long, general manager at Augusta Recyclers, the company currently has possession of the buses and is under orders to scrap them. Long added he has never witnessed the provincial government reverse a scrapping decision.
Hathaway said she encourages local businesspeople to look into replacing the previous bus-line service, as it does not fall under the mandate of local government, and residents are in need of the service, especially during summer tourist season.
Another businessperson looking into establishing a service is Edmonton tow truck operator Mark Nuttall. Despite letters of support from Powell River residents this fall, Nuttall is finding the process tougher than expected.
“It’s still on my mind,” he said, “but there’s lots of hoops; it’s like a circus.”
Nuttall was unable to say when he could have his business in operation. “I wish I could say, but I really don’t know.”
Pam Krompocker, executive director of Powell River Community Futures, said her agency would be open to discussing potential startups with entrepreneurs. She said she thought a bus service could work, but just like anyone looking to start a new business, a business plan would need to be created first.
Community Futures, she said, needs to see evidence the business is viable with sufficient ridership to offset the overhead costs associated with transportation on the coast.
