Citing frustration with the process and not wanting to be associated with even the whiff of cutbacks to mid-Island ferry service, four members of the Hornby Island-Denman Island Ferry Advisory Committee have resigned.
The resignations came after B.C. Ferries last week floated the idea of cutting back on smaller routes along the coast, including service between Hornby Island and Denman Island.
“There are a lot of questions about how quickly we will rebound, but I don’t think there is a pressing need right now to make a decision,” said former committee member Daniel Arbour, a director of the Comox Valley Regional District. “After five years of profit, I question why they feel there is a rush to make adjustments which disrupt service and the capacity of coastal communities to rebound.
“It just doesn’t feel like [B.C. Ferries] is a partner in the economic recovery right now.”
Arbour said he understands B.C. Ferries is losing money — it says it is losing about $1 million a day — but he suggested that against the backdrop of years of profit and a massive capital budget there has to be room to find savings and not disrupt life and the economy on the islands.
He said he hasn’t been told where else and how deep B.C. Ferries is cutting, and he suggested they have done no analysis on the effect of cutting the route between Hornby and Denman.
“If they have done the proper analysis then show it,” he said.
Doug Chinnery, Hornby Fire Department chief and former advisory committee member, said the only savings to be had by cutting a midday run between the islands would be less than $50 in fuel.
At the same time, he noted the loss of that run would hamstring the community, cause disruptions on construction projects — a housing development, arts council centre and school are in various stages of development — and further compound the economic hardship of the pandemic.
“All this hardship for $35-$50 a day? Is it worth it? I’d say no,” he said. “The cancellation of these sailings downloads a much larger cost onto our communities than the amount that you are saving and shows disrespect for the work that we did in 2017-18 to have these routes reinstated.”
B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said the corporation is still in the process of working with communities to identify the most underutilized sailings to be removed from schedules.
“It’s unfortunate that several members of the Denman-Hornby Ferry Advisory Committee have chosen to resign. We value the contributions made by these volunteers,” she said. “During this pandemic, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions regarding service, such as suspending the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay service for two months. We do need to find savings to preserve the ferry system.”
Arbour and Chinnery were joined in resigning by George McRae from Denman Island and Grant Scott, Hornby Island trustee.
“This was so outrageous there was no way I was going to have my name associated with it,” said Chinnery. “It feels to me like this is a fairly transparent attempt to lobby the government to get more money.
“It feels like they are holding coastal communities hostage and have them do the lobbying for them.”
Chinnery believes B.C. Ferries is banking on an outcry from the islands and coastal communities to reach the ears of purse holders in Victoria and Ottawa.
B.C. Ferries has been working with the Canadian Ferry Association to push Ottawa for federal help, asking that the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program cover provincial and municipal Crown corporations, agencies and entities like B.C. Ferries.
Arbour said he would like to know why the federal and provincial governments have not stepped up to help B.C. Ferries when other groups have received subsidies and handouts during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“At the end of the day it seems coastal communities will bear the brunt of what seems to be erratic decision making,” he said.
Marshall said B.C. Ferries expects to finalize schedule adjustments in the coming days.
