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Post by Ferryman on Nov 15, 2006 16:08:37 GMT -8
By Jean Compton
Ladysmith Chronicle
Nov 15 2006
The Islands Trust has asked the Ministry of Transportation to treat its ferries as part of the highway system.
In a recent position paper, the Islands Trust Council asked the MOT to change the Coastal Ferry Act.
“The Islands Trust Council is not asking for special treatment for our coastal communities,” said Kim Benson, the council’s chair.
“We are simply asking for the province to contribute funding to our public ferry system on a similar basis as it contributes funding to other essential public transportation networks and infrastructure in B.C.”
Changes in the Coastal Ferry Act split the system into major and non-major routes, saying non-major routes are to move toward a greater reliance on a user-pay system.
The net result has been a 23.6 per cent fare increase between June 2005 and June 2006 on non-major routes, with a 11.5 per cent increase on major routes, said Benson.
On Nov. 1, another 4.4 per cent increase was imposed on non-major routes.
“It’s a part of the highway system. We feel it needs to be subsidized,” said Peter Luckham, a Thetis Island trustee.
He said arguments that people have chosen to live on an island, and as such should pay the full price of the ferry, is like saying people living on Vancouver’s north shore should pay the cost of the bridges linking them to Vancouver.
“It really isn’t a whole lot different,” said Luckham.
When Luckham first moved to Thetis 20 years ago, ferry fares were subsidized and considered part of the highways system.
He said ferry fares are having an impact on island residents on a fixed income and those who use the ferry to commute to or from the island to work. He said the province subsidizes a portion of the service, but not the fuel surcharge and that fuel is a key component in the rising charges.
Talks with the Ministry of Transport are ongoing.
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Post by kylefossett on Nov 15, 2006 17:34:00 GMT -8
why not your coast mountain bus lines buses are 84% subsidized. the ferries are only subsidized by a small percentage
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Post by Balfour on Nov 19, 2006 20:03:31 GMT -8
I think it's a reasonable idea.
The Islands are isolated and the only way on and off of them is via ferry. There are certain services that may be needed by the islanders that are on Vancouver Island and the mainland. If the ferry fares continue to rise then the ferry may become a barrier, rather than a link.
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Doug
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Post by Doug on Nov 19, 2006 22:51:13 GMT -8
The ferries are governed enough to keep fares down. It is essential, and that is why the fares rate low amongst the ferry operators of the globe.
However, as much as you think ferries are a highway, they are not. There is a body of water separating you from the mainland, and you must pay the price for such separation. Whose choice is it to live on an island?
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Post by Gunny on Nov 20, 2006 10:15:28 GMT -8
Some routes are highways though, HWY 1 a.k.a. Route 2, 17 a.k.a. Route 1 are two that jump to mind. I think HWY 16 might be too.
Forgive me if I erred, I usually am bad with mixing up 17s and 19s(makes for fun getting back to UBC).
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Post by kylefossett on Nov 20, 2006 10:49:39 GMT -8
Whose choice is it to live on an island? well sometimes it is not a choice to live on an island. i know that saltspring gets alot of young rcmp members right out of depot. they have no choice. new teachers looking to get into teaching usually have to take what is available. the nurses at lady minto hospital are some other people that might not directly want to live on an island but they are going to where the jobs are. i have a lot of family living on saltspring island and for some of them they are there not by choice but because that is where the job is |
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Post by Scott on Nov 21, 2006 22:23:36 GMT -8
I agree with Kyle. Ferries are part of the highway system and should be subsidized by the government. Do people choose to live on an island? Sure they do. Do people choose to live in Squamish? Yeah, and the government pays for the road that takes them from Squamish to Whistler and from Squamish to Vancouver. One needs pavement, one needs a ferry... I don't think either should be up for profit-taking. Sure, a ferry is going to cost more, so it's acceptable for people to pay some cost. How about people living in Richmond? We have to pay for their bridges... bridges that cost millions of dollars and have to be repaired.. and likely replaced every 80 years or so. We gladly pay for that. If they let the prices go up, the islands will be for the rich only. The rest of us will have to live in Prince George.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Nov 21, 2006 22:32:51 GMT -8
Good points, John. Canada is a nation of extremities; people have always 'chosen' to live in far flung places, and a lot of our history is tales of connecting those places. It's never been a part of our national character to penalize people for not situating themselves conveniently.
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Doug
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Post by Doug on Nov 21, 2006 22:35:44 GMT -8
Whose choice is it to live on an island? well sometimes it is not a choice to live on an island. i know that saltspring gets alot of young rcmp members right out of depot. they have no choice. new teachers looking to get into teaching usually have to take what is available. the nurses at lady minto hospital are some other people that might not directly want to live on an island but they are going to where the jobs are. i have a lot of family living on saltspring island and for some of them they are there not by choice but because that is where the job is The province is booming right now.... Not saying that you shouldn't like your job or anything, but there are opportunities all over the province. |
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Post by kylefossett on Nov 22, 2006 15:29:23 GMT -8
well sometimes it is not a choice to live on an island. i know that saltspring gets alot of young rcmp members right out of depot. they have no choice. new teachers looking to get into teaching usually have to take what is available. the nurses at lady minto hospital are some other people that might not directly want to live on an island but they are going to where the jobs are. i have a lot of family living on saltspring island and for some of them they are there not by choice but because that is where the job is The province is booming right now.... Not saying that you shouldn't like your job or anything, but there are opportunities all over the province. so you tell that to the family that has young kids in school that would be disruptive to move. just because the province is booming it does not mean that there are jobs for everybody. the industries that are booming are select industries |
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Doug
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Post by Doug on Nov 22, 2006 16:25:16 GMT -8
The province is booming right now.... Not saying that you shouldn't like your job or anything, but there are opportunities all over the province. so you tell that to the family that has young kids in school that would be disruptive to move. just because the province is booming it does not mean that there are jobs for everybody. the industries that are booming are select industries Still, most industries that you could find on the islands, you could likely find on the mainland. |
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Post by kylefossett on Nov 22, 2006 17:01:36 GMT -8
but you would still have to pack up your family and move them from where they are comfortable.
if everybody moved to the mainland then who would be your doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery clerks, mechanics, construction workers etc.
like somebody stated earlier why is it that john smith in prince george does not have to pay extra to have his roads cleared of snow in the winter but jim doe needs to pay high rates for the ferries. they both choose to live where they live.
doug when you have finished school and are looking for a career then i hope you do not go looking for one on the islands because then you might actually realize my point
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Doug
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Post by Doug on Nov 22, 2006 17:04:43 GMT -8
but you would still have to pack up your family and move them from where they are comfortable. if everybody moved to the mainland then who would be your doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery clerks, mechanics, construction workers etc. like somebody stated earlier why is it that john smith in prince george does not have to pay extra to have his roads cleared of snow in the winter but jim doe needs to pay high rates for the ferries. they both choose to live where they live. doug when you have finished school and are looking for a career then i hope you do not go looking for one on the islands because then you might actually realize my point But you and I both know the bottom line is ferries cost money to run. Roads not near as much. |
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Post by kylefossett on Nov 22, 2006 17:34:35 GMT -8
yes ferries cost money to run but this goes to my point earlier about subsidizing. bc ferries is subsidized roughly 23% where as your local transit is subsidized roughly 84%. buses cost money to run just like ferries, why do we subsidize them to a greater degree then the ferries. i have an option if i want to take the bus from Surrey Central to Cloverdale or take my car. i have no option but to take a ferry from crofton to vesuvius
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Post by Scott on Nov 22, 2006 20:51:12 GMT -8
Even rich people need people to scan their groceries, run their libraries, cut their lawn, take care of their kids, dig their ditches, wait on them in restaurants, deliver their parcels, stock their convenience stores, even run their ferries;) Companies on the Islands need labourers, shippers, secretaries, gas attendants, servers, caretakers. These people make anything between minimum wage and a living wage. They're not rich. They are neccessary. If you tell all these people to move to Prince George or Cranbrook.. then you can turn all the islands into a National Park because no one will live there.
Like Kyle said, all transportation is subsidized. Ferries are subsidized as stated, around 23%. Transit is subsidized about 84%. Roads are subsidized.. well, almost 100%. People on the islands pay taxes just like everyone else does, so they should expect at least some return for that. I'm not saying ferries should be free, but they should get a healthy subsidy.
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