by Kyle Wells [email protected] BC Ferries Commissioner Gord Macatee and Deputy Commissioner Sheldon Stoilen attended meetings in Powell River and on Texada Island last week to hear from coastal ferry users their concerns, opinions and potential solutions.
The meetings are part of a comprehensive review of the Coastal Ferry Act by the BC Ferry Commission. The review is in response to rising ferry fares, public outcry and to legislation passed in 2010 that requires the commission to “consider the interest of ferry users,” a requirement Macatee hopes to better define through consultation with the public.
“There have been other reviews done of the ferry corporation but they haven’t been about the comprehensive nature of the governance and legislative oversight,” said Macatee. “It doesn’t happen often and I don’t think we would see another review like this for probably another eight years, so I just want people to realize this is a unique opportunity.”
Travelling to as far away as Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii, Mayne Island and many ferry-dependent communities in between, the commissioners are focusing on explaining to communities what they are doing and listening to all feedback available. Macatee spent most of his time at the two meetings in Powell River, one for stakeholders and one for the public, scribbling notes and listening to people, often responding only when asked to.
At the public meeting on Thursday, September 8 around 200 people gathered in Evergreen Theatre, Powell River Recreation Complex. Resident after resident approached one of the two microphones set up in the theatre, telling Macatee of their frustration with the ferry service, relating stories of diminished trips outside of the community or infrequent visits from family due to cost, and expressing what they would like to see change. Rounds of applause followed the many calls for the ferries to be returned to government control, as well as comments over the high compensation and bonuses for BC Ferries’ executives.
Many concerns were raised at the meetings, including the safety of service, the reliability of schedules and services, the aging fleet, the effect of high ferry fares on the local economy, home docking, over-length pricing, the concept of resident user cards, the fact that inland ferry service is free, and the lack of preferred loading for Powell River residents on the Horseshoe Bay to Langdale route and other service areas.
“Fundamentally, we would like to be treated with respect and we get the feeling that BC Ferries basically looks at us like we treat our sailings like they’re a luxury and they’re not,” said Patricia Martinuk. “These are not trips for fun, these are trips of necessity...This is not a luxury for us, this is our livelihood, these are our lives at stake here.”
Pat Hull, past president with Powell River Chamber of Commerce, spoke at both the public meeting and the one held for stakeholders earlier in the evening. During the stakeholders meeting he said nitpicking over slight service improvements, although important, will not drastically affect the financial situation of the company. He said only an increase to the government subsidy will result in lower rates.
“I applaud anything you can do to encourage more efficiency,” said Hull. “There’s great ideas here to improve the ferry service itself, but in the long run I don’t want it to be just a big shell game that keeps us from driving that political point that this has got to be subsidized to a greater will.”
Lee Mackenzie received perhaps the loudest round of applause of the night. She spoke first, like many, of having to reduce visiting her family on Vancouver Island because of the ferry cost. She believes BC Ferries’ management is being paid too much and that the answer to ridership woes is not to cut sailings and drive up prices.
“When a restaurant is losing patrons it doesn’t improve its bottom line by cutting the menu and then raising the prices on the few items that are left,” she said.
Texada Island came up often in the meetings, not only on Texada but in Powell River. Complaints over the rising costs of ferries and the, for many, undeniable correlation with the island’s declining population were expressed to the commissioner. Lyn Adamson, Career Link director, delivered a warning that what has happened on Texada is the “canary in the coal mine” for what will happen to Powell River.
Ken Barton, Texada’s representative on the Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee, explained to the commissioners at the stakeholders meeting that millions of dollars have come from the island through mining operations and now many feel they are being unfairly stuck with high ferry fares that are crippling the community. He said many families are moving from the island to find more opportunities for their children, while elderly people are leaving for improved access to medical services or extended family.
During the public meeting Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons walked on stage to deliver to Macatee 2,570 letters from upper Sunshine Coast residents with complaints and recommendations regarding the ferry service. Macatee said during the meetings that all written comments are welcome and will be considered.
Macatee started both meetings by explaining the commissioners are not employees of BC Ferries or of the provincial government but are independent appointees. This did not prevent the commissioners from being at the receiving end of some frustration from the community.
At the stakeholders meeting Macatee addressed an opinion often expressed during the public meeting: the idea of scrapping the Coastal Ferry Act altogether and returning the operation of the ferry service to the ministry of transportation and infrastructure. Macatee said that while nothing has been decided yet he is “not inclined” to recommend such an option. He believes that one of the reasons for the act in the first place was to remove ferry service from the influence of political decision making.
“I don’t personally think governments are that good at running businesses,” said Macatee. “I think fixing the thing would be better than going backwards...I won’t recommend it unless I am convinced by people who use the system it is actually the best solution and it would produce a better outcome than what we’re seeing.”
As a part of the review, the commission has hired an international company to examine price-cap regulations around the world, along with comparable ferry systems and their regulations. The company has been asked to come up with suggestions on possible recommendations.
The commission will take the information from the company, and the ideas and concerns heard at public meetings, and submit a report with recommendations to the provincial government sometime before January, 2012.
