Advantage Coons in the Northwest Ferry debate

A proof is a proof as a former Prime Minister once famously said, and with a ferry in dry dock and sitting there a little longer than first expected and with north coast travellers scrambling to make alternate travel arrangements, we would have to give the scoring point this time around to North Coast MLA Gary Coons.

The MLA and Liberal Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon have been involved in a good old fashioned spit war through the pages of the Daily news the last few weeks or so. With the rhetoric heating up with each passing episode for instance here and oh lets go here as well.

With the removal of the Queen of Prince Rupert from service last week due to a seal problem resulting in it’s visit to a Ketchikan dry dock this week, the Transportation Minister has apparently kept to a rather low profile on matters concerning the Ferry system.

So on your scorecard at home, its advantage Coons; find out how he scored the go ahead point from Wednesday’s Daily News which featured his thoughts on the Ferry system as their front page story.

(Don’t forget you Podunkian newshounds, every Wednesday and Friday you can access the Daily News content site and read all the daily stories free of charge and in their entirety)

Loss of remaining ferry draws ire of MLA Coons
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Pages one and five

A further two-day delay on repairing the North Coast’s only ferry is yet another glaring example of why B.C. Ferries needs full public oversight, says North Coast MLA and ferries critic Gary Coons.

“This is another reminder of the importance of our marine highway system — it’s as important to coastal and island residents as highways are to Interior residents,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you are from the central coast, the gulf islands, Powell River or Haida Gwaii, it is the only affordable means to access vital goods and services.

“Whether it is for medical specialists, work, school, cultural or sporting events, vacations or visiting friends and family this is not just for convenience.”

B.C. Ferries announced yesterday the Queen of Prince Rupert would be out of service until Nov. 26, two days longer than planned. The ferry is being sent to Ketchikan, Alaska, to have a leaky engine seal repaired but another vessel is already in drydock there, creating the delay. To make matters worse, a private barge service that was set-up for commercial operators while the ferry is out of service won’t be made available during those extra two days. B.C. Ferries told The Daily News last Friday that they are not in the position to offer alternate service to those who need it.

“I would expect that B.C. Ferries Services and (Transport) Minister (Kevin) Falcon would be concerned about ‘making customer service part of company culture’ and that there would be ‘zero tolerance for poor customer service’ as these were key points in the company’s May 2003 ‘Strategic Plan’,” said Coons, adding that B.C. Ferries President David Hahn praised his company’s bottom line as being ‘very positive’ after the ferry sank.

“But our office was told that B.C. Ferries flew people with reservations after the sinking of the Queen of the North but ‘did not have to’.”

The ferries critic said it was an interesting contradiction from Minister Falcon’s March 26 speech.

In that speech to BCAA, Falcon declared: “B.C. Ferries President Hahn has been instructed to bring forward a plan for restoring service to communities on the Northern routes.

“This is an arterial highway for the coastal communities, not something just for convenience.”

“Perhaps Falcon needs to ‘instruct’ Hahn again to have a plan for our marine highway as it is not something just for convenience,” said Coons.

“The government doesn’t have a plan to ensure that basic transportation services are maintained. They dragged their feet in purchasing a replacement vessel for the Queen of the North.

“Is there a contingency plan for extended service interruptions?”

Those who were depending on the ferry to get medical services will have to turn to the Ministry of Health for travel assistance if they can’t afford to get to their appointment. Students from Queen Charlotte Secondary School were forced to miss last week’s volleyball zones in Kitimat, and the women’s and master’s competition for this week’s All-Native Qualifying Tournament have been cancelled. However, the teams will all be invited to the All-Native Basketball Tournament in February.