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Post by Curtis on Jul 5, 2008 23:04:00 GMT -8
The way I see it, Starbucks could practically be aboard the CR instead of the Sitka Coffee Place. BCFS could join with Starbucks to have it aboard. The result, overpriced specialty coffee! (The Food isn't exactly cheap on the Ferries anyways) Plus it would give them an excuse to get Wi-Fi Aboard the Coastals. (Which I'm still not sure if there is yet)
Then again, if they did The Sitka Place would have the same qualities as any other Starbucks. Well, as long as people get their Coffee.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 22, 2008 8:20:15 GMT -8
news story re Departure Bay upgrade. www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=0163c178-9186-4387-8dec-31e52dd8f000=========================== Ferries behind on terminal upgradeBusiness owners say they'll be glad once the project is wrapped up later this month Darrell Bellaart The Daily News Friday, August 22, 2008 Long lineups continue to be a familiar site on Nanaimo's Stewart Avenue, two months after a $40.7-million renovation was supposed to be finished at the B.C. Ferries Departure Bay terminal. Contractors started a total makeover of the terminal late in 2007. It was slated to be finished in June, before the peak tourism season. Work includes a parking lot expansion to reduce lineups on Stewart Avenue. Traffic remains snarled, affecting businesses and residential traffic. While B.C. Ferries can't say why the work is so far behind schedule, officials say the worst should soon be over. "We will have just about everything done by the end of August," said Deborah Marshall, B.C. Ferries spokeswoman. That will be welcome relief to area businesses and residents. "It's going to be way nicer when the traffic has gone from there," said Michael Harrison, Brechin Community Association chairman, adding at its worst the traffic was backed up all the way to Townsite Road. Last year, B.C. Ferries announced major upgrades to the aging terminal, including a funky commercial quay with an espresso bar and shops to target tourists. The quay opened in July. Other improvements (including a new foot passenger building and parking for 835 vehicles, up from 550) are still under construction. Additional parking would hold two sailings' worth of traffic. The work can't be finished soon enough for staff at Nanaimo Marine Centre. Passengers routinely use the washrooms there, driving away customers. "They're nice people but they're not our customers," said Steve Vavrick, sales representative. "It does affect the bottom line, which these days for people in our business is very tight because we don't have Americans coming anymore. Between the dollar and fuel costs, it's greatly reduced." At Millers Pub, owner Steve Graham simply puts up with the situation. "Sometimes when you leave at the wrong time or come down the hill at the wrong time you have issues," Graham said. Marshall said she had no specific answers regarding the cause of the delays. The contractor won't face financial penalties for the delays and the project remains on budget. Next week the new foot passenger building will go into service and demolition of the old building will start. The project should be entirely finished "just after Thanksgiving," Marshall said. DBellaart@nanaimodailynews.com ========================== |
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Post by DENelson83 on Aug 22, 2008 9:17:46 GMT -8
And the first comment in response to that article on the same page says to simply close DPB altogether and run the TCH through Duke Point.
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Post by Balfour on Aug 22, 2008 16:11:46 GMT -8
I think the delays on the project are simply labour related. There is a massive labour shortage in this province right now. If there were enough people working on the project, this project would be completed by now. Unfortunately, contractors can't magically get people out of nowhere.
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Sept 3, 2008 19:44:05 GMT -8
Today the new Arrivals area at Departure Bay was opened.    Inside is very open and has a completely different ticketing approach to other terminals in the fleet. It is very similar to what you would find when checking in at an airport...  For future use, two stalls were added for rental car companies to possibly use...  Currently, the old building is now in the process of being torn down...  |
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Post by DENelson83 on Sept 3, 2008 19:46:04 GMT -8
KEWL, Scott! That new foot passenger facility looks just excellent! Even better than Duke Point!
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Ferryman
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Post by Ferryman on Sept 3, 2008 19:59:29 GMT -8
Wow! If you hadn't have mentioned that it was the new facility at Departure Bay, and the Queen of Cowichan wasn't in the backgroud of any of the pics, I would have thought it was an Airport!
It makes me sad to see the old building to come down though. That was one building that stayed almost the same for as far back as I can remember to the early 90s. I can remember what it was like before they put on the addition for the arrivals area, with the long walkway ending up right beside the ticket booths. The last time I was in there, the only major change I could find was the chairs that were just outside of the ticket booths. The old chairs were the ones we see on the V-Class, or C-Class pre-MLU. Even the signs at the ticket booths were outdated. I could still see "Tsawwassen" written on them, which wouldn't have been lit up since 1997 of course.
Ahh, more childhood memories now exist as nothing more than just thoughts.
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Post by DENelson83 on Sept 3, 2008 22:52:33 GMT -8
Well, since I am such a road sign nut in addition to my interest in ferries, the last time I was down at Departure Bay, I took pictures of some of the new terminal signage, and let me say it looks much improved. Approach from Brechin Road:  Approach from Stewart Avenue:  Entrance signage:    And as an aside, I found a little remaining trace of the past as well, as one of the signs still has the old dogwood logo on it.  |
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Post by DENelson83 on Nov 3, 2008 10:27:05 GMT -8
BC Ferries has put out a press release saying that drop-off area construction at Departure Bay is now complete. Can someone get some pictures to prove this?
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Post by lmtengs on Oct 16, 2009 23:00:05 GMT -8
As many of you know, there is still a section of the Nanaimo Terminal building under construction. What will be in that area? In the old building in that spot there was a cafe, some seating, and an outside deck. Any similarities in the new one?
I'm just crossing my fingers (and toes) that they put in an outside deck there again.
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Oct 17, 2009 8:52:09 GMT -8
As many of you know, there is still a section of the Nanaimo Terminal building under construction. What will be in that area? The area still under construction is the new foot passenger seating area. It should be completed sometime before the start of the new year... |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 3, 2009 17:44:57 GMT -8
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Post by Ferryman on Dec 3, 2009 18:14:49 GMT -8
I was looking at this new waiting room about two weeks ago. It doesn't look like it's any bigger inside from what the old waiting room was like. If anything it looks smaller. But I shouldn't complain, I'm glad to see it finally being wrapped up because its been a very long year since there was a proper waiting room to sit in.
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Post by lmtengs on Dec 3, 2009 18:31:06 GMT -8
I was looking at this new waiting room about two weeks ago. It doesn't look like it's any bigger inside from what the old waiting room was like. If anything it looks smaller. But I shouldn't complain, I'm glad to see it finally being wrapped up because its been a very long year since there was a proper waiting room to sit in. It may be smaller, but of course there's the new quay behind it that increases the space. |
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Post by Dane on Dec 6, 2009 18:48:43 GMT -8
I was looking at this new waiting room about two weeks ago. It doesn't look like it's any bigger inside from what the old waiting room was like. If anything it looks smaller. But I shouldn't complain, I'm glad to see it finally being wrapped up because its been a very long year since there was a proper waiting room to sit in. Hey Chris will you be there anytime soon? I would love to see photo's, if you had a chance! |
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Post by Ferryman on Dec 6, 2009 20:48:37 GMT -8
Shoot! I was down at Departure Bay TODAY for a quick little footie round trip on the Cowichan, and only just got home just a short time ago. I didn't bring a camera with me unfortunately because it was a very spontaneous trip.
There was more progress inside of the lounge since I was there 2 weeks ago. They're starting to layout the row of seats. The interior design is the same as the sections that are already opened up. There is vending machines and washrooms along the side of the room that would face the Quay. There's a large outdoor courtyard area as well, in the area that runs beside the current temporary setup of the tent walkways. I could see this being used for the little stands that sell misc. souvenirs, much like the stands you see at Swartz Bay, and even Langdale.
It's looking really nice, and when it's all done, you won't recognize the Departure Bay ferry terminal as that retro themed terminal at all anymore.
The foot passenger walkways are also in the process of being renovated right now. They are simply just putting new paneling over the existing walls, and it's looking like it will resemble the looks of the walkways at Tsawwassen.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 9, 2009 20:32:59 GMT -8
I will be doing some fun ferry trips tomorrow, and I will take some pictures of Departure Bay then, and will post them tomorrow night (likely in the "ferry terminals thread" in the main discussion page).
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 10, 2009 19:51:21 GMT -8
Photos of Departure Bay terminal, on December 10, 2009: Exterior, from the vehicle drop-off zone:  Looking down towards the berths:  The new self-serve kiosks:  Looking down the hallway from the Quay to the new passenger waiting area:  Outside is still construction zone, and the tarp-tunnel is still used:  Looking at the new passenger waiting room:   |
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Post by Ferryman on Dec 10, 2009 20:02:09 GMT -8
Thanks for the photo report, Mr. Horn. I can point out even more progress just in the past 4 days there, and it's looking great in my opinion. Interesting to see that it looks like they closed off the Overhead walkway, and using Berth 3 so footsies have less of a hike to the Main car deck. It also looks like they about to continue the new concrete finish around the existing elevator structure judging by the rebar grid that's beginning to wrap around the building. I'd bet that this new area will be open in a week from now, maybe sooner if they really wanted.
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Post by Kahloke on Dec 10, 2009 20:38:14 GMT -8
I agree - good pictures. It's nice to see an update on this terminal. It looks like BCF is going to self-servce kiosks just like WSF did a few years ago.
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Post by lmtengs on Dec 11, 2009 11:02:25 GMT -8
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Post by DENelson83 on Dec 11, 2009 13:10:57 GMT -8
Yay! The waiting area at Departure Bay is starting to look excellentawesome!
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Post by Mill Bay on Dec 11, 2009 13:22:00 GMT -8
Nah, I think I actually preferred the long wooden tunnel they had during the construction period. The murals on the outside of it were a lot more interesting to see than some gleaming new wall of glass, ha-ha.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 16, 2010 20:09:53 GMT -8
Departure Bay terminal, in the evening on a clear January 16th.   |
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Post by princessofvanfan on Mar 17, 2010 21:21:31 GMT -8
Can anyone tell me why Departure is still in use? Why not consolidate Nanaimo ops at Duke Point? I'm sure the people who live in the vicinity of Dep. Bay would be thrilled with that.
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