BC Ferries is coming to Town - Meaden Hall - Salt Spring Island - May 3rd, 2022 - 2:45 PM to 4:00 PM
Fellow Petitioners and Patrons of Route 6 - BC Ferries is coming to Meet our 10 Member appointed Salt Spring - Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) on Tuesday May 3, 2022 between 4:30PM and 7:00 PM for the first time in 2 1/2 yrs on Island. For those in Crofton and the Mid Island Communities that means the 12:55 Sailing from Crofton and those from Sidney & the Greater Victoria Area the 1:00 PM from Swartz Bay at the latest, otherwise the 11:00 AM to be safe.
Mr. Darin Guenette, Manager of FAC’s Community Relations Strategy & Community Engagement has graciously offered to hold an Informal Meeting with all Ferry Patrons from 2:45 PM to 4:00 PM at Meaden Hall - The Legion (across from the Country Grocer). This is a golden opportunity to voice your opinion on the level of Ferry Service provided to our Community of 11,700 Residents. The time of day is inconvenient for most, especially those who are trying to run a business venture. However we do appreciate this gesture of BC Ferries engaging the Salt Spring Community during their current internal crisis.
Quote - "We are actually coordinating a ‘neighbourhood drop-in’ session prior to the FAC meeting on May 3. The idea is a handful of BC Ferries reps will be in the room with some information boards (stats/plans for all three SSI routes, general BCF info, etc), providing anyone who wishes to come by to learn and have discussions with us. This will not be a town hall type format, but rather small group, around-the-boards type session.”
BC Ferries has suggested to Minister Rob Fleming - Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure that capacity is up a whopping 45% from the MV Quinitsa by introducing the MV Quinsam on April 13, 2022, that is technically a correct statement. However, the salient point they fail to mention in the same sentence, capacity of the MV Quinsam is up 3% or 2 vehicles more than MV Bowen Queen used on Route 6 for the last 3 Summers and traffic nightmares we have witnessed. With ferry traffic up substantially by 19% on Route 6 from June to October 2021 compared to the same time frame in 2019, pre pandemic levels. It appears our own FAC, BC Ferries and sadly the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure are going to allow this Public Safety Issue and inconvenience to continue for all Patrons for the Summer of 2022. It’s simply more of the same, BCF is allowed to continue to create Parking Lots out of our Roadways, creating one way traffic gauntlets at the risk to Public Safety. This is all counter to the Agreement between the Islands Trust and Ministry of Transportation signed November 1992.
Minister Fleming, we can’t begin to tell you how 2000+ Ferry Patrons/Petitioners/Ratepayers are disappointed with your attitude towards Public Safety. When introducing Bill 7 in February and the Amendments to the Coastal Ferries Act you stated on behalf of the BC Government in the Legislature - "and is to oversee the strategic direction in support of the public interest, including the public’s interest in safe, reliable and affordable coastal ferry services in British Columbia.”
The message is unequivocally clear to BC Ferries, their appointed SSI-FAC, our Elected Officials - the CRD Director, our two Islands Trust Trustees, MLA Adam Olsen, Minister Rob Fleming and the BC Government. With the pending Ferry Traffic Gridlock at Crofton, Vesuvius Bay and Fulford Harbour this Summer, the Public Safety issue continues unabated.
The way forward - The Fix for Route Six - Using Two Ferries with On the Hour service at Crofton and Vesuvius it mitigates traffic gridlock on our Roadways, allowing for unimpeded two way traffic. It puts vehicles onto the Ferries instead of making Parking Lots out of Roadways. The side benefit is mitigating ferry traffic at Fulford Harbour by migrating traffic to Route 6. It’s a very cost effective solution to enhance Public Safety at all three Ferry Terminals this Summer at minimum cost. The Fix for Route 6 achieves exactly what BC Ferries is doing at Nanaimo - Gabriola Island - Route 19 during peak demand times of day, by introducing frequency. Since the introduction on April 12, 2022 this year it looks like the Fix is In for Route 19. The difference compared to Route 6, it doesn't cost $100 Million Dollars with 2 New Ferries plus infrastructure costs. We have 2 - 40 year old serviceable vessels ready to address the matter for the Summer of 2022.
Premier Horgan the Patrons and Ratepayers of Route 6 kindly request you address this matter on behalf of all British Columbians and Federal Ratepayers.
Respectfully submitted - The Patrons of Route 6
Vesuvius Bay - Crofton, BC