The Forum Staff

[Scott]

The "staff" members of this forum are the volunteers who help to moderate discussions, design the layout, and generally make sure this online forum runs smoothly. I really do appreciate (and hope you do too) the time and effort these members dedicate to making this a successful forum.

Our jobs as moderators on the forum could be compared to the ocean's impact on climate. You would learn in a basic physical geography class that, because of the properties of water, the ocean has a moderating effect on climate; protecting coastal regions from the extremes of heat and cold. It is our job to keep discussions from becoming overheated and if neccessary, keep the forum from becoming too cold or uninteresting. That means we will still share our opinions and different views on most subjects.

The ocean also keeps the air clean and fresh, and the moderators are familiar with the rules of this forum and will enforce them. You may not always like us, but we're trying our best and we're open to suggestions from all members.

The following are the staff members of this forum (display names subject to change):

Administrator
Scott

Global Moderators
Kahloke
Mike C.

Moderators
Curtis
Mike
SS San Mateo

Social Media Team
Coastal Skier
Dane
Snowy Ferries

Up until now, to many of you we've just been "usernames" and perhaps you don't know anything about us. At least a few of us think that it would be good and proper for each staff members to just write a little "bio" just so you have a little idea of who we are and perhaps lend a little more legitimacy to this forum. This is optional, but I will start it off. This thread will be locked, so only staff can post, and I'd recommend we keep it at one post each.

[Scott]

I'm Scott, the Administrator of WCFF.

I have been a part of this forum since the day of its creation. Previous to that, I was an active member of the defunct Yahoo group.

Ferries are in my blood...

My mother and father both work for BC Ferries and first met while working on board the Queen of Surrey on Route 2 back in the early-eighties. As a youngster, I spent a lot of time with my parents at Departure Bay. I carry many fond memories, especially times spent in the old bistro and the times spent aboard the ships when they were out of service. My father retired in May 2010 after 36 years with BC Ferries.

I have sailed on all vessels currently in the BCF fleet, as well as many of the retired vessels. I have also sailed on every route in the system.

I am probably best known for my photography, which is used extensively by BC Ferries and local and international media.

A small sample of my photography in-use...



Besides my interest for ferries, I am also very passionate about music. I am a piano major, having completed jazz studies at VIU in 2009. I work locally as a session/freelance musician and travel internationally as an accompanist.

If you have any questions for me, feel free send me a private message through the forum.

[Balfour]

My real name is Jordan. I have been a member here since 2004 and a staff member on this forum since January 2006. I was searching for pictures and information on the Queen of Victoria when I stumbled upon this forum and eventually I joined and became very active. Back then I was in my last year of high school and I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Fast forward to 2012, I work as a Civil Engineering Technician for a small engineering firm in North Van and I teach skiing part time on Mount Seymour. I enjoy traveling, anything to do with transportation and the adrenaline rush from skiing down a good powder covered mountain.

Ferries have been a part of growing up for me. I've taken many trips on the V class and the S class to Victoria to visit family, many trips on the Queen of Surrey on scout trips to Camp Byng, and for many trips to the Gulf Islands, and to get to Tofino. I've enjoyed many sunshine breakfasts and many times watching the scenery go by while the wind blows through my hair. A trip on the ferry gives me time to think about stuff. It relaxes me in a time of stress.

In May 2007, a friend and I took a trip across Canada stopping on Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Hailifax, Ottawa and Jasper. We mostly took the Train and it really is the best way to travel on land. You can walk around, hang out in the lounge/observation car, and a very good meal for a very low price. The trip ended off with a train trip through Northern BC and down the Inside Passage on the Northern Adventure.

I really enjoy the adrenaline rush from Skiing. I've been skiing since I was 14 and already I'm a professional skier. I hold my Canadian Ski Instructor's Alliance Level 2 certification and I have been teaching on the north shore mountains since 2004. I've enjoyed many trips to Whistler/Blackcomb, and a couple of trips to the Rockies and even 1 trip to Whitewater near Nelson. My most memorable trips are both trips to the Okanagan, Grad Ski Trip to Big White and my trip to Silver Star in 2007. Both trips involved the best snow, the best steeps, and the biggest hangovers.

So there's the story of me. If you need to contact me, just send me a PM through the forum.

[Low Light Mike]

My forum username is Flugel Horn, by my wife calls me Mike.

I joined in August 2004, shortly after I took my first & only inside-passage trip on the Queen of the North.

I joined up, after finding the site while looking for pictures, and stumbling upon John's "Ferry terminal" site and discussion board.

I'm a lifelong Nanaimo person, and so I've grown up with ferries.

I'm also a lifelong detail-orientated person, with an unusual memory capacity for all that detail. Looking back now, I can see how my Father cultivated that detail-keenness in me. Dad was a book-nerd, who also enjoyed building his own Heathkit radios and being a radio-ham. He was also a black & white photographer with his own darkroom.

When I was in grade-3, Dad gave me a child's world-history and world-geography book. That was my start. I read through those books numerous times. Add the set of Colliers encyclopedias to the mix, and I was finding research and reading very interesting.....and the detail was sticking to my brain.

I remember my parents pointing out details on our family vacation road trips, such as the story of Hope-Slide, the history of the Sumallo Lodge, the names of the provincial parks, etc etc. (we did lots of Nanaimo to Penticton road trips....so I really got to know Hwy-3 very well).

For those trips, we would usually take Route-2, which would have been V&B class ships, the original Q-Surrey, and then the brand new jumbo C-Class.

Once or twice, we were forced to take the CPR ship, because of a BC Ferries strike. I fondly recall roaming around on the Princess of Vancouver.

Fast-forward to the 1990's and I can see further evidence of my ferry-interests:
- in the early 1990's, I'd do some business work on Saltspring. I found myself going to Ruckle park, to sit and watch the ferries go by (including Tachek).
- in the early 1990's I also recall driving with my girlfriend (now wife) from Powell River to Saltery Bay, just so that I could see the "new ferry" come in and dock. (the Capilano).

So that's evidence that I was a ferry nerd. Joining this forum here just made it official. ;D

My career is in accounting and auditing, and so the same attention to detail and memory skills that make me a ferry-nerd also help me in my work.

As a Global-Moderator here, you can see evidence of my skill-set and temperament as a financial statement auditor in my housekeeping work on this forum. When you're paying attention to precision all day long, it's hard to ignore that on this forum. So I bring that fine-detail work here too. Yes, I'm learning to temper that as necessary, but I do fill a needed housekeeping role here.

It pretty difficult sometimes to find the balance between pickyness and clarity-control. Pickyness for the sake of pickyness is pointless, there has to be a purpose to moderating things. A clean board is easier to read, easier to navigate, and easier for people to participate in.

One of my other roles on this forum is to ensure that there are topics and content for discussion. I like to post articles and headlines that I think others will be interested in. So my role is to post things to stimulate discussion......not that there's a lack of discussions issues available, but I do like to add things to the mix.

On a personal note, I likely come across as having a sense of humour, or so I should, as I'm a bit crazy that way. But there are a few things that I'm very serious about, in a deep way. One of those is my interest in Canadian history, and my respect for veterans and for our elders. As a Canadian, Nov.11 is one of my most important days. Another thing that I'm very serious about is my faith. Like some others here, I'm a Christian, and I fellowship in a local church. In my church, I participate on our music team, playing horns (trumpet and flugel horn).

For ferry riding, I made the decision this year that I wanted to do more "for the fun of it" trips as a foot passenger. Using Duke Point as my parking base, I've done 3 day-trips this year that involved multiple routes/ships and lasted 12 hours or more for the day's total. I decided that it is a very good thing to spend time on the water, and to see areas such as Active Pass and the Georgia Strait from the water. So BC Ferries is my yacht service, where I can settle into a series of trips during the day. If I can do this 5 times a year, that's super.

On this forum, I enjoy learning from all the posts. And I enjoy getting to know the members, or just to try and "figure them out". It's sometimes a psychology lab here, and sometimes I get sidetracked by trying to pull someone's personality out of the closet, to see what it really is..... ;D

Thanks for being here on this forum. Happy sailing.

[Kahloke]

As the newest member of the staff, I guess I should introduce myself, although I believe everyone knows me. My name, if you don't already know, is Brandon Swan. I joined the forum in August, 2007, so that still makes me a bit of a newbie, and certainly the junior member of this staff. Those of you I have met on the various Voyager trips know some of my history but I'll do a little explaining here.

I grew up on Orcas Island as many of you know, hence the username. As such, I have been riding ferries my whole life. I've always had a fascination and love of our ferries for as long as I can remember. In the San Juans, Kaleetan was our big boat and always my favourite when I was a child. It seemed to be only me who had the "ferry" bug in my family. My parents just viewed it as a necessary means for getting to and from the island, so I'm not entirely sure why I developed such a passion for these boats.

Nowadays, I live in Poulsbo, and commute to Seattle via Bainbridge Island and WSF's Jumbo Mark II's, so I have the pleasure of riding ferries every day. Over the years, I have managed to ride every WSF vessel, and I have been on every route in the WSF system. I'm slowly working my way through the BC Ferries and routes. I've added to those experiences over the last couple of years with some of the forum's group trips, and I am certain more will come.

[Mike C]

Hi everyone,

Some of you may have noticed that I have recently been promoted. Yes, it is true, and not just a V5 glitch, where we were all mods for 2 hours on the first day

My name is Mike, and I live in southern Greater Vancouver.

About me: I attend school at Langara College, and will likely be continuing my studies at UNBC in Prince George for regional urban planning, specifically in transportation. My hobbies include photography, skiing, cycling, swimming, and pretty much anything transportation. You can find me on the top of the mountain the morning after a dump of snow, or on my bike on a sunny day in June.

My connection to ferries: I have family in the Comox Valley, and spent a significant amount of time on BC Ferries' Route 30, on the Queens of Alberni and New Westminster. Our place in the Valley also overlooks Route 17, so I have fond memories of jumping in the waves of the Queen of Sidney and kayaking out and watching the Burnaby turn around (at a safe distance of course!). So my ferry fondness is deeply rooted.

My feet are now firmly in Delta, BC.