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Post by WettCoast on Sept 27, 2010 17:25:36 GMT -8
There is no service notice yet, but expect to see one posted soon re service to Bella Coola and BC's central coast.
Highway 20, which connects Bella Coola with Williams Lake in the Cariboo, has apparently suffered extreme damage in the section between Anahim Lake and the western terminus at Bella Coola. News reports are saying that it will be weeks, perhaps months, before the highway is usable again. They also indicate that the BC Emergency Program is in discussion with BC Ferries re upgrading service into Bella Coola in the interum.
To make matters worse the valley's airport, located at Hagensborg, has a runway that is not only washed out in places but is currently under water.
Virtually everything moving in and out of the Bella Coola valley does so over the highway. Getting people, groceries, and other goods into the valley will need to involve improved ferry service.
So this brings up questions...
1 - Can the NorEx or NorAd use the dock at Bella Coola?
2 - Is the Nimkish able to provide the level of service that may be required? I ask this in consideration of this vessel's small size, slow speed, and complete lack of 'creature comforts'.
3 - Could they bring back the Wack? That would certainly have an impact on refit schedules on the South Coast.
4 - Might BCFS have to keep the NorEx in service beyond the end of this month? She is scheduled to go into layup at the end of this week.
BC Ferries has an important role in emergency preparedness along our west coast. Are they up to the challenge?
Update: Does not BCFS get the Nimpkish crew in/out of Bella Coola by flying them in?
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 27, 2010 18:02:02 GMT -8
Thanks to member Wett Coast Kidd for alerting us to this issue and the possible involvement of BC Ferries or other marine transport companies.
I've moved WCK's post to this thread.
- this thread is where we can discuss possible ferry solutions, possible barge-company solutions, and the disaster in general.
At this point, I've put this thread in the "general discussion" page. Once the proposed freight-service solutions become apparent, we may move this thread to a more relevant spot on this forum.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 27, 2010 18:20:43 GMT -8
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Post by fargowolf on Sept 27, 2010 18:26:57 GMT -8
I personally believe that commercial freight operators will be providing connections to the outside world from Bella Coola. Food and fuel would be barged in, along with all required pieces of equipment, both heavy and light. To local residents, it's not a big deal. They've dealt with it in the past, and are dealing with it now.   Probably telling us "young uns" about the last time it happened.  Residents of the Valley are quite capable of being self sufficient for days. As far as the Nimpkish is concerned, I would expect that BC Ferries is prepared to send a crew in if they are asked to do so by the Govt. or emergency services. |
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Post by Scott on Sept 27, 2010 18:48:01 GMT -8
Maybe the province could requisition the Queen of Prince Rupert:)
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mrdot
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Mr. DOT
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Post by mrdot on Sept 27, 2010 19:19:38 GMT -8
you know thats not a bad idea! the QPR is better suited to the north coast, even in its present condition, than the wack, and with tlc probably better than norad. and to think we once could build that kind of tonnage on this coast! mr.dot.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Sept 27, 2010 21:51:18 GMT -8
personally believe that commercial freight operators will To local residents, it's not a big deal. They've dealt with it in the past, and are dealing with it now. Probably telling us "young uns" about the last time it happened. Residents of the Valley are quite capable of being self sufficient for days. Huh? Better check your news sources. This is the worst flooding in the valley's history. People have had homes and businesses decimated, and long time residents confirm they've seen nothing like it. Current ferry schedule has the Nimpkish doing connecting south and northbound sailings every couple of weeks. That will be nowhere near enough, but the ferry sits idle most of the time so there is room to increase sailings. Is Tachek available right now? That's another option. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 28, 2010 6:07:30 GMT -8
Is Tachek available right now? That's another option. Tachek is currently on the Port McNeill runs. Quadra Queen II is still having her life-extension done. - I'm not sure how long the QQII will still be in the shop. |
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Post by Nickfro on Sept 28, 2010 8:22:54 GMT -8
Don't they fly the Nimpkish crew into Bella Coola each week for their sailing? If the airstrip is under water, that may become an issue. I guess seaplane can be an alternative air transportation source for the crew. This is all if the crew got out of there this weekend before the flooding occurred.
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Post by lmtengs on Sept 28, 2010 14:58:23 GMT -8
Is the R.J Breadner available right now? Can't she still handle cars? Maybe the company that owns her could rent BCF's port Hardy berth and run between there and Bella Coola.
Either that, or have the Prince Rupert Airport ferry run both it's normal route, and the Nicola's route, then bring the Nicola down to Bella Coola.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 28, 2010 15:22:12 GMT -8
Is the R.J Breadner available right now? Can't she still handle cars? Maybe the company that owns her could rent BCF's port Hardy berth and run between there and Bella Coola. Either that, or have the Prince Rupert Airport ferry run both it's normal route, and the Nicola's route, then bring the Nicola down to Bella Coola. Remember that any of the Nicola quadruplets can only handle 1 short lane of overheight trucks. They are small ferries with only room for say 2.5 trucks? |
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Post by Nickfro on Sept 28, 2010 15:36:29 GMT -8
I'd wager that no BC Ferries will get involved in this matter. Tugs and barges will most likely carry the load. After all, you can fit more cargo on a barge than you can a BCFS minor vessel. It's also gotta be cheaper to run a tug than the 'Wack from a fuel and crewing standpoint, and BCFS won't want to disrupt its refit schedule if it truly doesn't have to.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2010 15:40:10 GMT -8
Here is the latest news reports from The Canadian Press are saying (I wonder which BC Ferry is going to be heading to Bella Coola?):
Officials look for ways into B.C. flood areas
Published: September 28, 2010 6:50 p.m.
Emergency officials are looking for alternate routes in and out of a handful of tiny B.C. coastal communities cut off from the rest of the province by torrential rains.
Chris Duffy, with B.C.'s Provincial Emergency Program, says B.C. Ferries has added a ship to move people in and out of the isolated community of Bella Coola on the province's Central Coast.
Bella Coola is now only accessible by water, with its road washed out and its airport flooded.
Further south along the coast, Duffy says about 90 people are still evacuated from their homes in Kingcome Inlet, where the rains have heavily damaged the town site.
They make up most of the 140 people in total who've been evacuated from various coastal communities as a result of the flooding.
Duffy's office is urging people to get their claims for compensation in quickly now that Premier Gordon Campbell has promised financial assistance to those who have been affected by the floods.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 28, 2010 16:08:01 GMT -8
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Post by lmtengs on Sept 28, 2010 16:21:10 GMT -8
Remember that any of the Nicola quadruplets can only handle 1 short lane of overheight trucks. They are small ferries with only room for say 2.5 trucks? I think Nimpkish'll do fine. |
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Post by Scott on Sept 28, 2010 16:59:49 GMT -8
Evacuation to Bella Bella... that's kind of funny Does this event sort of emphasize the importance of ferries on this coast? People always talk of building a bridge to the island and getting rid of the ferries. But what if an earthquake hits, or some other disaster, and knocks the bridge out for weeks or months or more? Then you won't have the ferries or the dock infrastructure to deal with hundreds of thousands of people stranded on Vancouver Island because their bridge is gone. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 28, 2010 17:18:20 GMT -8
Evacuation to Bella Bella... that's kind of funny McLoughlin Bay is the transit-exchange for the Central Coast. |
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Post by lmtengs on Sept 28, 2010 18:25:57 GMT -8
Evacuation to Bella Bella... that's kind of funny Does this event sort of emphasize the importance of ferries on this coast? People always talk of building a bridge to the island and getting rid of the ferries. But what if an earthquake hits, or some other disaster, and knocks the bridge out for weeks or months or more? Then you won't have the ferries or the dock infrastructure to deal with hundreds of thousands of people stranded on Vancouver Island because their bridge is gone. Wouldn't the ferry berth infrastructure get knocked out before bridge infrastructure would, though? At least bridges are built to be earthquake resistant. Tsawwassen, Langdale, and Little River Terminals would liquefy in any sizeable quake, and at any other terminals, I betcha the berthing structures would either collapse or undergo serious structural damage. |
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Post by Mike on Sept 28, 2010 19:09:18 GMT -8
Evacuation to Bella Bella... that's kind of funny Does this event sort of emphasize the importance of ferries on this coast? People always talk of building a bridge to the island and getting rid of the ferries. But what if an earthquake hits, or some other disaster, and knocks the bridge out for weeks or months or more? Then you won't have the ferries or the dock infrastructure to deal with hundreds of thousands of people stranded on Vancouver Island because their bridge is gone. Wouldn't the ferry berth infrastructure get knocked out before bridge infrastructure would, though? At least bridges are built to be earthquake resistant. Tsawwassen, Langdale, and Little River Terminals would liquefy in any sizeable quake, and at any other terminals, I betcha the berthing structures would either collapse or undergo serious structural damage. I imagine a berth would be much easier to reconstruct quickly, compared to rebuilding a bridge. |
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Post by lmtengs on Sept 28, 2010 19:33:47 GMT -8
Yeah, but I think a bridge would withstand a larger quake than a ferry berth.
I'm not a supporter of the Georgia Strait Bridge proposal, but then again, there are a few pluses...
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 28, 2010 20:29:28 GMT -8
There is now a service notice out re 'emergency service' between BC & BB. This service lasts for three days. As of Saturday, Oct 2nd, service returns to 'normal'. In itself, I don't think that this ferry service is enough, as the predictions for Highway 20 say that it will be weeks, maybe months, before it is again passable. Perhaps, as some suggest, most groceries & goods will be moved in and out by barge. |
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Quatchi
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Post by Quatchi on Sept 29, 2010 21:39:14 GMT -8
I think barging stuff in would be cheaper than the ferry option. They may just be using the Nimpkish until they get a barge service sorted out.
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Post by fargowolf on Sept 30, 2010 16:59:21 GMT -8
Here is the latest news reports from The Canadian Press are saying (I wonder which BC Ferry is going to be heading to Bella Coola?): Officials look for ways into B.C. flood areas Published: September 28, 2010 6:50 p.m. Emergency officials are looking for alternate routes in and out of a handful of tiny B.C. coastal communities cut off from the rest of the province by torrential rains. Chris Duffy, with B.C.'s Provincial Emergency Program, says B.C. Ferries has added a ship to move people in and out of the isolated community of Bella Coola on the province's Central Coast. Bella Coola is now only accessible by water, with its road washed out and its airport flooded. Further south along the coast, Duffy says about 90 people are still evacuated from their homes in Kingcome Inlet, where the rains have heavily damaged the town site. They make up most of the 140 people in total who've been evacuated from various coastal communities as a result of the flooding. Duffy's office is urging people to get their claims for compensation in quickly now that Premier Gordon Campbell has promised financial assistance to those who have been affected by the floods. At this point, the ONLY access would be by water. So freighters, tug/barge operations and maybe even landing craft. There are no other roads out of the Valley. The bridges that washed out, west of Aniheim Lake, are over small creeks, so will be quickly replaced, once the water level drops. I'd be more concerned about "The Hill" that leads down into the valley from Heckman Pass. As for which ferry it MIGHT be (going by the story), that's anyone's guess. If one of the smaller vessels is used, essential cargo would likely just be loaded on to the vehicle deck, then taken to the dock in Bella Coola. Some areas are probably accessible by helicopter, as the water has receded, though by how much, remains in question. |
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 30, 2010 19:35:29 GMT -8
Here is an update on the current situation in the Bella Coola valley. Day 3 of emergency ferry service goes tomorrow, then service returns to the regular seasonal service level. All service into Bella Coola is with the little Nimpkish. There is also a tug & barge service which is bringing in fuel and some groceries. CBC's Daybreak North show has had a lot of coverage on the situation in the Bella Coola valley but unfortunately nothing is posted on their website. I would really like to know what capability BC Ferries has in facilitating emergency response along the BC Coast. I gather that had there been a real need for a larger vessel BC Ferries could not have responded as both the NorEx and NorAd are unable to use the dock at Bella Coola (can anyone confirm or refute this?). They could have made the Wack available, however. Furthermore, most will know about the emergency response capability of AMHS's vessel the Kennecott. Should we have such a vessel available on the BC Coast?
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Post by Scott on Sept 30, 2010 19:46:32 GMT -8
Wouldn't it be more the responsibility of the Coast Guard or the Canadian Navy to have emergency response capability? Or is BC Ferries still our "navy" until the Fed's figure there are some votes to win/lose?
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Probably telling us "young uns" about the last time it happened. 
Residents of the Valley are quite capable of being self sufficient for days.
