Between sewage, water system problems, and repaving delays, Bowen has faced quite a few infrastructure challenges lately. An even bigger problem may be ahead of us: running out of ferry capacity.
The ferry was packed this summer. According to data I just obtained from BC Ferries via a Freedom of Information request, ~30% of sailings in July were full, and ~54% of sailings above 70% capacity. Furthermore, there are apparently no plans to upgrade the capacity of the route.
BC Ferries seems to consider the route and terminal capacity adequate because — in 2017 — they forecast traffic would grow at a median annual rate of just 0.8%. However, the 2021 Canadian Census shows Bowen’s population grew an average of 2.95% annually 2016-2021.
If our population and ferry traffic continue to grow at nearly 3% per year (roughly 50 new households per year), then in a decade we will be a third larger, and will have outgrown the Queen of Capilano as well as the Cove’s ferry line vehicle capacity. Just last month, BC Ferries revisited their forecasts, and now seem to be predicting next fiscal year’s vehicle traffic at 17% higher than this year.
None of the 161 pages I received from BC Ferries gave any clue as to how we can accommodate a massive surge in traffic. While there are some plans to upgrade the amenities of the Snug Cove terminal, there are apparently none to actually increase capacity of the terminal or the route.
When BC Ferries reached out early this year to the municipality to ask about a rumoured 300 unit development, Daniel Martin (manager of planning) replied, “I don’t believe there are any proposal [sic] that size currently approved. The last major development we approved was for Grafton Lakes in 2017 which is around 150 units and is slowly being developed.”
Mr. Martin then promised to let BC Ferries know of any new applications above 100 units. There seems to be a major disconnect between the 0.8% rate of growth BC Ferries has been planning for versus the municipality’s reality.
Bowen is a wonderful place, and we should welcome as many people as we can without harming the natural environment or quality of life that make it so special. Unfortunately, there’s no solution in the works to address ferry capacity, and coming up with one will likely require quite a bit of time, money, and effort. I hope the new council considers this carefully, and doesn’t let development get ahead of our infrastructure.
For those who are interested, I have posted the raw data and my analysis at bowenferry.com
- Travis Beals
