Rebuilding trust and looking for answers

Two weeks have gone by since the sinking of the Queen of the North at Gil Island and the story is still the major source of conjecture, rumour and worry along the North coast. With the vital tourism season fast approaching, local tourist officials are worried about the possible impact of the sinking and the trust the public may have in the Ferry system. Added onto that worry, was an unsubstantiated story released last week that a criminal investigation had been launched into the events of the early morning of March 22nd.

As things turned out late last week, that is not quite correct at the moment there is no active criminal investigation into the incident. This was something that surely must have come as a relief to the President of B. C. Ferries who has more than enough on his plate at the moment.

For the moment, the Transportation Safety Board is still the lead investigator into the sinking and the promise of a quick report is not something to look forward to. It would appear that it will be over a year before the TSB is prepared to provide answers to the many questions that are out there at the moment.

While the investigation continues along its path, the Ferry Corporation is continuing its plans to rebuild the transportation system along the North coast and to the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The Daily news did a good job of keeping us up to speed on developments with two stories from Monday’s newspaper, Podunkicized below for your information gathering.



MINISTER LOOKING TO BUOY FERRY TOURISM
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, April 3, 2006
Page One

The provincial government and Northwest politicians are joining together in an effort to send out the message that B. C. Ferries are a safe way to travel.

Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon, Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond and Masset Mayor Barry Pages met late last week to discuss concerns following the sinking of the Queen of the North.

Key to the discussions was the desire to prevent any damage to this summer’s tourism season.

“They (Pond and Pages) have legitimate concerns,” said Falcon on Friday, noting the area relies on tourism as an industry.

“It’s not helpful when people are casting aspersion (on the ferry service).”

While he couldn’t reveal any plans just yet, he said his ministry is looking closely at the issue.

“We will work to get the word out to people who have booked tours that B. C. Ferries is still open for business,” he said.

Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond said it’s critical that a positive message be sent to the market.

We talked at some length about the concern we have for confidence in the tourism industry and the need for there to be an aggressive marketing campaign to create that confidence.

“We have a superb ferry system and a world-leading ferry system,” he said.

They (B. C. Ferries) understand the importance of meeting consumer confidence and we are optimistic they will be able to attract people to the region. We need to send a positive message to the market.”

The discussions came a day before newspapers, radio and TV stations across the country ran a story alleging the RCMP has launched a criminal investigation into the incident, including examining possible charges against the company. The story later proved false.

Meanwhile, Falcon said he personally will visit Hartley Bay, the community that rescued passengers and crew after the ship went down.
“I hope to get up to Hartley Bay as soon as possible to arrange a visit,” he said. “The only reason I haven’t been up there is because I’ve been working day and night to manage the situation from Victoria.”

“I want to personally go and let them know in the sincerest possible way that we won’t forget their efforts.”

The mayors and minister also discussed the impact the loss of a northern vessel is having on the residents of the Queen Charlotte Islands.

“We both expressed our concern about the current situation and the real impact on people – things like milk and groceries,” said Pond.

B. C. Ferries is in the process of finalizing plans to restore passenger and vehicle service to customers on the North Coast.

A return to regular operations has been tentatively set for April 15, when the M/V Queen of Prince Rupert is expected to sail from Port Hard to Prince Rupert, with a stop at Bella Bella. Service to Skidegate on the Queen Charlottes is expected to resume on April 16.

In the meantime, service between Bella Bella, Shearwater, Klemtu, Ocean Falls and Bella Coola is continuing with the M/V Nimpkish.

As well, a tug and barge service has started between Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Islands for commercial vehicles to ensure a steady supply of goods to North Coast communities, however this service cannot accommodate private vehicles or passengers at this time.

B. C. Ferries is also continuing its search for the best possible passenger vessel to run along the Inside Passage during the summer tourist season.

B. C. FERRIES BOSS LASHES OUT AT REPORTS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday April 3, 2006
Page One

It is far too early to determine whether a criminal investigation into the sinking of the Queen of the North is warranted, say Prince Rupert RCMP, despite media reports across the country on Friday to the contrary.

Sgt. John Ward said the RCMP is working within the legislative framework that includes the Canadian Shipping Act, the Coroner’s Act and Criminal Code, to determine if there are any grounds to begin a statutory investigation – but it’s still too early to say if a criminal investigation is warranted.

Currently, the RCMP is conducting an “impartial investigation” into the two missing passengers.

Two passengers – Gerald Foisy, 46 and Shirley Rosette, 42 – are still missing and presumed drowned in the March 22 sinking of Gil Island in Wright Sound, southwest of Prince Rupert. Ninety-nine passengers and crew escaped.

The news was greeted with a mixture of anger and relief by B. C. Ferries president and CEO David Hahn, who lashed out at inaccurate reporting.

“It didn’t do anybody good to rush to judgment. The RCMP is saying it has to look within the various issues to see if there is anything it wants to investigate,” he said.

“They haven’t determined that they will or won’t, which I think is certainly what they should be doing.

“If they decide to, we will fully co-operate. There is nothing to hide here at all.”

The federal Transportation Safety Board is conducting the key inquiry into the matter, and B. C. Ferries has launched its own division-wide probe.

TSB spokesman John Cottreau said the federal investigation is entirely independent, and added TSB does not share its interviews with other agencies, including the RCMP.

Although there is no schedule for completion, the TSB is not expected to finish its work for at least a year, possibly longer.

However, Cottreau said any issues that need to be dealt with immediately would be made public before the investigation is completed.

“If a deficiency is found and the board determines it is a serious deficiency, it will act quickly,” he said.

The TSB team has completed its work in Prince Rupert, and its members have returned to their offices in Richmond, BC and Gatineau, Quebec.

Meanwhile, both B. C. Ferries and the B. C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union have requested privacy for those involved in the incident.

“B. C. Ferries and the BCFMWU are requesting that the public and media allow the passengers, crew and rescuers, who were involved in the incident, time to work through this traumatic event,” they said in a joint press release.

With files from Canwest News Services.