Mayors of Gibsons and Bowen Island issue ‘urgent' demands on ferry reliability
The mayors of Gibsons and Bowen Island have written to British Columbia's premier demanding 'urgent action' on ferry reliability.
The two communities are both heavily reliant on ferry service out of Horseshoe Bay, and have both dealt with recent headaches.
On Monday, a vessel serving the Sunshine Coast route had mechanical problems that left passengers stranded for hours and resulted in multiple sailing cancellations and the deployment of water taxis.
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Mechanical issue leaves BC Ferries passengers floating
In February, Bowen Island went without ferry service for several days when its ferry dock was damaged in rough weather.
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The company has also faced a recent litany of mechanical woes across vessels serving its major southern routes.
'We've had very severe ferry service issues, both on the Sunshine Coast and Bowen Island,' Gibsons Mayor Silas White told Global News.
'We've seen a deterioration of service on Bowen Island over the last number of years,' added Bowen Island Mayor Andrew Leonard.
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Bowen Island ferry remains out of service
'Despite repeated attempts to get their attention, to see operational changes, to see capacity changes and to see them address the issues our residents are facing … we haven't gotten a meaningful response.'
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The mayors say Premier David Eby committed in 2023 to making BC Ferries a 'top priority,' but that they continue to deal with unreliable service that is affecting both residents' travel plans, health and livelihoods.
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The letter makes four demands of the provincial government.
The mayors want an 'accountable governance table' that would include local governments alongside BC Ferries leadership and regulators.
They also want more transparency on BC Ferries operational data, including real-time and historic performance metrics, along with immediate service improvements on their two routes, including better vessel redundancy and a timeline for vessel and terminal upgrades.
The mayors are also calling for the reinstatement of 'meaningful community engagement' to replace the disbanded Ferry Advisory Committee.
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Queen of New Westminster ferry out of service until October
Along with the demands, the mayors say they want a meeting with Eby and Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth.
Global News is seeking comment from the provincial government.
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BC Ferries is in the midst of launching a major vessel replacement program, with new diesel-battery hybrid ferries to replace the aging Queens of Alberni, New Westminster, Coquitlam, and Cowichan, which are the oldest major ships still in use.
The company applied to procure five vessels, but the independent British Columbia Ferries Commissioner approved four.
The company is aiming to have the first of the new vessels in service by spring 2029.
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