On Wednesday morning, community leaders attending the Union of BC Municipality’s (UBCM) annual convention in Whistler voted unanimously in support of a resolution requesting the province of British Columbia to reverse changes made to ferry services and fares in April 2014.
The request is based on data collected in a study on the socio-economic impacts on changes to the ferry system called, “Boatswains to the Bollards.” The study was conducted by an independent consultant hired by the UBCM, Peter Larose.
Prior to the vote, Larose spoke to a crowd of delegates, mostly from ferry dependent communities, in defense. The provincial Minister of Transportation, Todd Stone, wrote a four page letter to the UBCM stating his disagreement with the report’s findings. In particular, Stone said that report did not factor in the economic downturn, a fluctuating Canadian dollar, fewer visits from the US, increased fuel prices, and reduced business travel as impacting traffic on BC Ferries.
Larose says that he used statistical controls to ensure those factors were not to blame for the downturn in ferry traffic.
“Every other form of transportation in British Columbia saw growth between 2003 and 2013,” says Larose. “If external factors were to blame, it wouldn’t just be BC Ferries that saw a decline.”
Bowen Island councilor Tim Rhodes says that he is ecstatic about outcome of the UBCM vote on this issue.
“We are hoping, that moving forward the ministry will start to work with coastal communities on short term mitigations and long-term transportation solutions.”
