qathet Regional District board will accept an invitation to meet with BC Ferries representatives to speak about engagement with local government.
At the August 7 regional board meeting, Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander said the regional board had sent a letter to BC Ferries saying it was not satisfied with the level of engagement the ferry company has with qathet Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee.
“They [BC Ferries] have reached out and said they want to meet with us,” said Brander. “We should send a letter saying we’d like to meet.”
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said he was totally in support. He said in correspondence from BC Ferry Services board chair Joy MacPhail, it states that ferry representatives would reach out to regional district corporate officer Michelle Jones to discuss a meeting time and venue that works best for all. He asked if that had occurred.
Jones said she had not been contacted.
Brander said the regional district should probably get the ball rolling, then, to either meet at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention in September, or separately.
City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott, who is also the regional district’s representative on the ferry advisory committee, said she was in favour of a meeting with BC Ferries representatives. She said when a meeting is established, there should be a comprehensive list of items to bring forward.
Brander said the ferry advisory committee has issues to bring forward to BC Ferries and his thought was that the focus for the meeting should be on issues of concern for the regional board.
The board voted unanimously in favour to accept an invitation with BC Ferries representatives.
In the July 8 correspondence to the BC Ferries board of directors, Brander wrote that on behalf of the regional district board, he was writing to express strong support for Town of Gibsons’ position on the need for changes in BC Ferries’ approach to community engagement in ferry-dependent communities.
Brander stated that BC Ferries must improve its community engagement efforts, ensuring ferry-dependent communities are actively involved and heard. He added that BC Ferries should establish dedicated engagement with local governments of ferry-dependent communities, fostering collaboration and two-way communication.
“The inconsistency of service and lack of effective communication between BC Ferries, local governments and ferry advisory committees has caused unnecessary hardship for families and businesses in our region,” stated Brander. “The ongoing poor performance from BC Ferries has become a pressing issue in our coastal community, and we urge BC Ferries to take a leadership role in repairing and strengthening relationships with our residents and governing bodies through regular updating to local governments.”
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