Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN - Increasing demand on BC Ferries system, limited supply of space, aging infrastructure and consumer expectations are all factors that need balancing


This summer has been a particularly difficult one for people who rely on the BC Ferries.

For people who just need a ferry to get home, or to a long-anticipated medical appointment, or work, or an endless number of other reasons, the excuses about a complex governance structure created by one government and maintained by another government, are unacceptable.

Missed medical appointments and an overall lack of certainty are really difficult for people to manage. It wears on people and I have a great deal of sympathy for the many exasperated and frustrated folks who rely on ferries.


Demand on the service is growing, and this summer they have been failing to keep up on many routes. However, it’s not every route and every sailing.

The challenge is meeting the peak demand.

Many suggestions for improving the system have been sent to BC Ferries and copied to my office. It’s important that you continue to direct your correspondence to them, and include me, and the Minister of Transportation. I will always advocate with both the corporation and government for a better service.

Increasing demand on the system, limited supply of space, aging infrastructure and consumer expectations are all factors that need balancing. The recipe for a perfectly running system year-round is always changing. In my opinion, the way they are currently structured too much of this is left to chance.

Improving the system
Getting on the ferry has always been a gamble. Show up and go, first come, first served. In most instances everyone who wants to get on a specific sailing is successful.

In recent years BC Ferries has added a reservation system on some routes to increase the certainty. Consumers reserving a spot on a specific sailing have had to pay a premium, which in my mind is the opposite of how it should be. Earlier this year BC Ferries announced that they are changing their reservation system this coming fall.

An expanded reservation system might allow for people to better plan their trips on and off the Southern Gulf Islands, limiting the amount of time needlessly wasted waiting for ferries. In addition, it might help BC Ferries plan to deal with higher than usual volumes if they knew it was trending that way well in advance. In addition, they are exploring variable pricing models to encourage more manageable traffic patterns.

I believe we can address the issues around uncertainty and limit missed appointments. While an expanded reservation system might not completely do away with the high volumes, we are seeing this summer, it will help everyone be able to plan better.

So, on this I would like to know your opinion:


Would you support an expanded reservation system for all trips on and off the Southern Gulf Islands? What are your thoughts?





Adam Olsen ... is a Green Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands.

Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH -- Focus on the nine things I mentioned. That’s what will allow the Conservative Party to win the next election

IMAGE CREDIT:   Darryl Dyck, the Canadian Press. I thought I had already made up my mind who I would be ranking on my ballot, in the Conservative Party of BC leadership race; now I am not so sure.  That means that, at least for me, and perhaps many others, it’s a good thing voting hasn’t already taken place. There were initially only one or two of the candidates that I thought might be a little too right of centre for my liking, now it seems that list is growing. I consider myself more closely aligned with what used to be called a Progressive Conservative, regardless, I feel more than comfortable within the Conservative Party of BC.  Some, however, in messages to me on my political Facebook page, have been rather, shall we say, a bit mean-spirited in comments they’ve made about my ‘purity’ as a conservative. To tell you the truth, I really don’t care! Some leadership candidates, in comments made online, have also been raising the issue of who is a pure enough conservati...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more