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Post by BreannaF on Dec 28, 2009 23:38:13 GMT -8
Looking around the news the last week or two, it seems like there is an endless number of news stories listing the top-10 of this-or-that over the past decade. So, I was starting to think of what the top-10 BC Ferry stories of the past decade would be. I'm sure we could come up with a list like this.
Just to start, it seems to me that the top news item of the 00's would have to be the sinking of the Queen of the North. I can't think of a more dramatic event than that.
Beyond that, a few of the other stories that come to mind include the following (in no particular order):
* BC Ferries chooses Flensburger over local yards or other companies worldwide to build four new ferries.
* Four delightful new ferries arrive from Germany to join the BC Ferries fleet.
* BC Ferries retires four V-Class ferries.
* The Pacific Cats spend the decade tied up, then are finally sold to someone who might actually use them for something.
* The Queen of Oak Bay trying to dock in the marina? A pickup truck driving off the Quinsam? But I don't know how notable those events really are. What do you think?
* Some event at the head office or government level that I'm not remembering?
* When I was brainstorming, I thought about Duke Point/Rte 30 being built, but that would be late 90's.
I'm sure a lot of events could go on a list like this. A top-10 of the decade would likely have items from both the early and later parts of the decade. Who can add to the list?
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Post by Scott on Dec 29, 2009 0:16:51 GMT -8
Some more:
"Privatization" of BC Ferries and all that came with that: the Coastal Ferry Act, a Ferry Commissioner, David Hahn, news logo and colors, higher fares - some of these could be "top stories" by themselves.
I think the union came close to striking about 5 or 6 years ago... a few months before I was married I think. It's too late for me to research that right now;)
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 29, 2009 1:09:48 GMT -8
So, I was starting to think of what the top-10 BC Ferry stories of the past decade would be. I'm curious to know if the various detail-orientated ferry-nerds count their decade years from 0-to-9 or 1-to-10. I count from 1 to 10. Same thing with centuries and millennia. So I think that the biggest ferry story of this decade could happen in year 2010. ;D |
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Post by Barnacle on Dec 29, 2009 11:44:03 GMT -8
Queen of the North, perhaps?
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Post by hullnumbers on Dec 29, 2009 15:56:34 GMT -8
I agree with Barnacle, The Queen of the North sinking was a big story that changed BC Ferries. A historic event.
Here is my list of top 10 stories of 00.
1. The first ferry (Queen of Sidney) built for BC Ferries is retired
2. Pacificat ferries are put out of service
3. Queen of Victoria being scrapped
4. BC Ferries buys ferry from Utah.
5. Queen of Oak Bay loses power and plows through the marina at Horseshoe Bay
6. Man jumps off ferry
7. Queen of the North sinking
8. The MV Sonia is bought by BC Ferries and comes to BC to replace the sunken Queen of the North.
9. 4 ferries built in Germany for BC Ferries
And 10. (May not happen) BC Ferries plans to have a route from tsawwassen to Prince Rupert. I hope this route happens.
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Post by Ferryman on Dec 29, 2009 17:55:52 GMT -8
BCF employees did in fact go on strike in December 2003, a matter of months after privatization. I remember this clearly, because service was cut on every single BCF route for a few days. The Queen of the North was in the middle of refit at the time, and needed a crew to take her from the Esquimalt Graving Dock to Deas. But with everyone on strike, she was towed to Ogden Point to wait out the strike. I remember taping the strike footage on the News, so I'll have to dig it out now that Santa has given me an adaptor for my laptop to upload VHS footage to my computer.
Also in 2003 was the Queen of Surrey fire. A situation that could have been alot worse, considering the events that happened during that incident.
Another thing was the SAREX (Search and Rescue Excercise) in 2006, when the Queen of Nanaimo was pulled from service to be used as a large scale training exercise for the Coast Guard.
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Post by lmtengs on Dec 31, 2009 11:54:49 GMT -8
For me, I'd say:
1: Entire Pacificat "scandal"
2: 4 new ferries to be built in Germany
3: BCFerries privatization
4: Queen of the North sinking
5: Newbuild program in itself
6: Queen of Oak Bay forgets how large she is; finds new parking spot in local marina
7: Ugly new greek ship enters service
8: Pacificats sold to Abu Dhabi
9: V-class and Sidney Class ferries retired
10: Queen of Surrey Fire
And to Flugel Horn:
I count decades 0-9. Zero is the smallest number and that means it should come first. If you count back far enough, all the way to year 0, and you counted decades 1-10, then year 0 would be on it's own, that, at least to me, makes no sense.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 31, 2009 12:02:40 GMT -8
And to Flugel Horn:
I count decades 0-9. Zero is the smallest number and that means it should come first. If you count back far enough, all the way to year 0, and you counted decades 1-10, then year 0 would be on it's own, that, at least to me, makes no sense. I wonder how many people think that the counting of years started with Zero. I thought that most people would have started with 1. Regarding your belief in a "year zero", you will want to challenge and edit these 2 Wiki articles that are contrary to your belief: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decadeen.wikipedia.org/wiki/1======== ps: when you listed your top-10 items in your post, why did you go from 1 to 10, instead of 0 to 9 ? ;D |
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Post by lmtengs on Dec 31, 2009 15:40:44 GMT -8
I wonder how many people think that the counting of years started with Zero. I thought that most people would have started with 1. I'm Christian, and of course us christians believe in Jesus, and as far as I know, the year counting went like this: 10BC, 9BC, 8BC, 7BC, 6BC, 5BC, 4BC, 3BC, 2BC, 1BC, 0, 1AD, 2AD, 3AD, 4AD, 5AD, 6AD, 7AD, 8AD, 9AD, 10AD, etc... So, I start my 'decade counting' from year '0' to year '9AD' as one decade in the Common Era, but before the common era, I use '10BC' to '1BC' as a decade. It might not make much sense, but that's how my head works.  ps: when you listed your top-10 items in your post, why did you go from 1 to 10, instead of 0 to 9 ? ;D Because that's the more widely used method of "top-ten" write-ups. |
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Neil
Voyager 
Posts: 7,185
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Post by Neil on Dec 31, 2009 16:44:48 GMT -8
I'm Christian, and of course us christians believe in Jesus, and as far as I know, the year counting went like this: 10BC, 9BC, 8BC, 7BC, 6BC, 5BC, 4BC, 3BC, 2BC, 1BC, 0, 1AD, 2AD, 3AD, 4AD, 5AD, 6AD, 7AD, 8AD, 9AD, 10AD, etc... So, I start my 'decade counting' from year '0' to year '9AD' as one decade in the Common Era, but before the common era, I use '10BC' to '1BC' as a decade. It might not make much sense, but that's how my head works. Historically, whether you're Christian or secular, there was no year '0', B.C. or A.D. The first year was '1', so every decade and every century begins with '1' as the last digit. It's fine to talk of the '60s, for instance, and mean from '60 to '69. I do it myself. But I recognize it's not historically correct; it's just how we look at popular culture. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 31, 2009 17:22:13 GMT -8
as far as I know, the year counting went like this: 10BC, 9BC, 8BC, 7BC, 6BC, 5BC, 4BC, 3BC, 2BC, 1BC, 0, 1AD, 2AD, 3AD, 4AD, 5AD, 6AD, 7AD, 8AD, 9AD, 10AD, etc... Check your history books, or Wiki, and let us know if you still believe in the zero-year stuff. ps: Jesus' year of birth is generally understood to be 4-BC. And of course it was no were near December 25th. Look into that too, while you're at it. |
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Post by cohocatcher on Dec 31, 2009 19:45:03 GMT -8
The Romans of the time did not have the concept of zero in their numbering system. It was not until later when Arabian mathematics came into the picture that zero became known and understood. Thus in ancient Roman times counting started at I, then II, etc.
Flugel Horn is totally correct!
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Post by Northern Exploration on Jan 1, 2010 9:04:15 GMT -8
as far as I know, the year counting went like this: 10BC, 9BC, 8BC, 7BC, 6BC, 5BC, 4BC, 3BC, 2BC, 1BC, 0, 1AD, 2AD, 3AD, 4AD, 5AD, 6AD, 7AD, 8AD, 9AD, 10AD, etc... Check your history books, or Wiki, and let us know if you still believe in the zero-year stuff. ps: Jesus' year of birth is generally understood to be 4-BC. And of course it was no were near December 25th. Look into that too, while you're at it. And the numbering didn't start until a long time afterwards and then was worked backwards with the information at hand. |
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Post by lmtengs on Jan 1, 2010 11:43:48 GMT -8
ps: Jesus' year of birth is generally understood to be 4-BC. And of course it was no were near December 25th. Look into that too, while you're at it. Yes, I know. Jesus was born in March. Unless it's May... I forget which. And about the year zero, i'm going to discuss that with the pastor at my church... |
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Post by BreannaF on Jan 2, 2010 3:06:35 GMT -8
A few years back, one of my middle-school-age Sunday School students was pretty sure they had heard that Jesus was a Capricorn. Other than that revelation, I'm pretty sure that none of us are absolutely sure about the answer to that one. (Although, yes, I am aware of the existence of scholarly study of the subject.) Anyway, when I suggested above the idea of a list of the news from the decade, it was simply a response to the popular media who seem to think that the decade of the 00's really did just end. And to put a BC Ferries spin on it. I won't comment on the relative intelligence of these followers of pop culture, or on the accuracy of their beliefs of the premature end of the decade. I just give them the benefit of the doubt, and presume that they are using a fiscal decade for calendar accounting purposes. ;D Any interest in the topic at hand? ---------------------------------------------------------- Edit: I'm sorry if anyone took this post in the wrong tone. I was really thinking about adding a bit of levity to the discussion, but that last line does just sound kinda mean. Sorry. I really was smiling when I said it all.  |
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,185
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Post by Neil on Jan 2, 2010 11:53:23 GMT -8
If the importance of a story is determined by how many people it affected, then I'd say the biggest BC Ferries story of the decade was the steadily escalating fares, which had, and continue to have, a large effect on residents, businesses and tourism all up and down the coast. The decision to build in Germany also had a large effect on our economy, for the better or worse, depending on your point of view.
The 'Oak Bay ploughing into the marina certainly was dramatic, but it affected virtually no one outside of a few boat owners. Even the sinking of the 'North, with its tragic loss of life, probably didn't have as wide an influence, and is now little more than an historical footnote, with little ongoing repercussion. Retirement of the Vs went virtually unnoticed outside of ship enthusiasts.
I agree with the historian (can't remember who) who said we tend to place too much importance on events that are dramatic and easy to notice, and not enough emphasis on quieter developments that sometimes tend to have a more lasting and profound effect on more people.
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