A report released today shows that B.C. Liberal hikes to ferry fares are causing economic damage across the province, say the New Democrats.
“This new report does the work the government should have done years ago. It connects the dots between fare hikes, falling ridership numbers, and the loss of economic activity and tax dollars,” said New Democrat ferries spokesperson Claire Trevena.
“The conclusion that it reaches is that the B.C. Liberal policy for ferries is a complete and utter failure. And that means a failure for the whole of the province, not just coastal communities and those dependent on ferries.”
The report, Boatswains to the Bollards: A Socioeconomic Impact Analysis of BC Ferries, was commissioned by the Union of B.C. Municipalities and the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities. The report found that due to skyrocketing fares between 2003 and 2013, B.C. Ferries lost out on a 19 per cent growth in passenger volume, which would have added $2.3 billion to the provincial GDP, and $609 million to federal, provincial and local government tax revenues.
“The report shows that these policies have been hurting the province for years, and as time goes on, it will be increasingly challenging to get our ferry service back on track. Transportation Minister Todd Stone needs to have a serious look at these findings before he continues to defend his reckless cuts to services and hikes to rates,” said Trevena.
“Thousands of British Columbians have told this government that ferry services have become increasingly unaffordable and unsustainable. Now, after this report, I hope they will finally listen. It’s time to move away from policies that are devastating communities and costing our province money, and towards an approach that finally recognizes our ferry routes as integral parts of our highway system.”
Categories: BC Ferries
IN-SIGHTS 
The report might be very correct, however the lieberals won't be giving it any consideration, no matter what the cost to taxpayers and communities. They're right, they checked with the Fraser Inst. and they're right, so we will continue to go down the shitter.
The province voted them into office. Now they can live with it,. If the province suffers for it, perhaps people will give more thought to voting next time and to whom they vote for.
Any one in an economics 101 class could have told them, increasing the ferry rates at the speed they did would reduce traffic and have an impact, but they, that may well be just what the lieberals wanted.
the lieberals have made a mess of the B.C. Ferry system, and I wasn't going to spend a nickel on it, that I didn't have to. My travel went from once every couple of months, to a couple of times a yr. For many it simply became too expensive to take the ferry for a weekend or vacation.
People who came to B.C. as tourists simply avoided the ferries or took the Washington State one.
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I loved living on the Island for somewhere around 24 years. We had such good neighbours and many friends. However. the cost of seeing our family on the mainland became so prohibitive that we eventually decided to sell out and return to the mainland. It is a sad commentary that the elected officials of our wonderful province ignore the value that Vancouver Island presents, both in life style as well as economic benefits through tourism and life style.
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Coastal Communities mostly voted NDP last election. It's payback time.
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I agree Kim and running the ferries into the ground so they can give it away to one of their cronies.
Time for all of BC to secede.
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Coastal Communities mostly voted NDP last election. It's payback time. Think again. The NDP wouldn't be able to deliver.
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The BC Liberals have all but destroyed tourism in BC and the vast amount of tourists are bulk tours from China; pass through going on cruise ships or tony skiers from abroad.
Our tourist infrastructure is decrepit and it seems the Liberals only want to push their corporate friends establishments and businesses.
I have several friends who have stopped coming to BC to holiday and the common refrain is too expensive and BC is boring.
BC Ferries is another of a long list of once great BC icons, virtually destroyed by the BC Liberals.
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We left for the same reason, traveling to visit our children in Vancouver and Kelowna became too costly.
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Time to build a bridge to VI
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Not going to happen in our lifetimes. From the transportation ministry: A Potential Fixed Link to Vancouver Island
“There are no fixed bridges in existence today that would meet the conditions present in Georgia Strait. Prince Edward Island’s $1-billion Confederation Bridge is only 12.9 kilometres long and is set in water 35 metres deep with a rock bottom. In comparison, a fixed bridge across British Columbia’s Georgia Strait would be 26 kilometres in length and in water up to 365 metres deep. The Tagus River Bridge in Lisbon has the deepest conventional bridge foundation in existence in water depths of only 79 metres. That is far shallower than what would be required for a floating bridge between Vancouver Island and British Columbia’s mainland. Greece’s Rion Antirion Bridge, which was completed in 2004, faced challenges quite similar to those in Georgia Strait. It too is in a high seismic zone and must contend with an ocean bottom consisting of deep, soft sediments. However, this structure is only 2.8 kilometres long and sits in waters of only 65 metres. It cost an estimated $1213 million to complete and each of four main pier structures cost $146 million.”
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