The sudden sacking of ferry advisory committees has a context [“BC Ferries decision frustrates qathet Sunshine Coast FAC chair,” December 5].
BC Ferries is claiming that a new digital system will be more inclusive and that a survey supported their decision. Neither users nor ferry advisory committee members have seen this alleged survey.
Another viewpoint is that BC Ferries is reacting to the failing grade the 13 FAC chairs gave the company last May for not collaborating meaningfully to resolve escalating service problems. In response, commissioner Eva Hage wrote the company a lengthy directive emphasizing the fundamental significance of the ferry advisory committees in guiding decision making and instructing the company to significantly improve its community engagement activities.
However, instead of following her instructions, BC Ferries continued to suspend community engagement events and then, without warning, sacked the ferry advisory committees.
How then can we taxpayers and ferry dependent-residents trust that a digital system will be an improvement over an ideal democratic system of problem-solving? Or how can ferry dependent communities expect our service issues to be resolved?
Sharon Small,
Denman Island
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