Ferry shutdown costly

July 17 Editorial

Over a thousand vehicles a day go back and forth between Gabriola and Nanaimo during the early spring and into summer. That’s what the traffic statistics from BC Ferries itself show.

This is an average. Some days will have more than that, and some less. It’s a graphic example of how disruptive a terminal closure could be if BC Ferries doesn’t find a way to get vehicles off Gabriola when the terminals are being worked on.

On the other end of the route, Duke Point can be used as an interim terminal while Nanaimo Harbour is worked on.

BC Ferries is currently saying it is cost-prohibitive to find a solution to Descanso Bay being closed to vehicles.

1,000 vehicles a day for six weeks amounts to $630,000, if every vehicle were being paid for with an Experience Card.

And that’s just what BC Ferries will be losing in fares, if the project takes only six weeks, not eight.

This doesn’t account for how much businesses will be losing if they cannot access goods or services critical to operating on Gabriola. It doesn’t account for people having to live in Nanaimo for six to eight weeks because they require medical care and can’t chance their travel on a water taxi or barge.

BC Ferries says it will be doing public consultation prior to finalizing plans. It needs to do more than that. There has to be a solution, because losing that much service, at the start of the busy tourist season, is cost prohibitive to Gabriolans.