Improved cycling facilities, more places for pets and more greenspace are on the wish list for a refurbished Swartz Bay ferry terminal.
Other ideas suggested are a basketball court, climbing wall, pub and lounge, a small skate park and outdoor entertainment.
The suggestions are included in a summary of information collected through Phase 1 of B.C. Ferries’ public engagement program for the North Saanich site. More than 1,000 people have taken part in the process, which has included an employee workshop, pop-up booths at the terminal and online input.
There have also been stakeholder workshops to bring together local governments, nearby residents, businesses and others.
“We were definitely very happy with the participation levels,” said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Tessa Humphries. “I think it speaks to the importance of the terminal on the Island.”
No budget for the refurbishing has been established and no construction is expected until 2021. The project will take a number of years to finish.
Phase 2 of the engagement program is underway using information gathered in Phase 1. It will include a stakeholder and public drop-in session on July 19 at the Mary Winspear Centre 6 to 8 p.m., pop-up booths at the terminal July 20 and 22, and a pop-up booth aboard Spirit of Vancouver Island July 23, on the 7 a.m. sailing to Tsawwassen and 9 a.m. sailing to Swartz Bay.
More online opportunities for comment will be available July 19 to Aug. 9 at bcferries.com/swbvision.
Concept options for the terminal will be developed, then in Phase 3 — from August to September — a preferred option will emerge and the community will be invited to weigh in again.
After more analysis, the preferred option should be in completed form by the end of the year.
Swartz Bay terminal is the ferry system’s second busiest, after Tsawwassen, and sees 35 per cent of all B.C. Ferries passengers go through it — more than seven million people each year.
The terminal, which dates from 1930, sits on 22.7 hectares just north of Sidney. Improvements over the years have included the addition of the Lands End Café building in 1959, construction of a control tower in 1992, an overhaul of the terminal building in the mid-1990s and expansion of the vehicle waiting areas in 2007.
Here are some of the public comments on various topics contained in the Phase 1 summary:
• Better food services — “Better, healthier food, embrace local products and vendors.”
• Improved outdoor areas — “More greenspace for pets and people to enjoy, plant more trees to create shade.”
• Improved waiting areas — “It would be nice to have an observation area to see the ferries coming and going.”
• Interpretive and cultural features — “Interactive educational signage about Coast Salish history and culture.”
• Market area — “Keep the market feel instead of having just stores like Tsawwassen.”
