Derek Kilbourn
Sounder News
Wednesday, April 30, will see BC Ferries transition away from using Ferry Advisory Committees as a way to engage with ferry-dependent communities.
This past Friday, the provincial corporation launched Let’s Connect, a new community engagement framework which the company says will guide how it connects with the communities BC Ferries serves, ensuring that engagement is consistent, purposeful, and accessible.
Steve Earle, Chair of the Gabriola Ferry Advisory Committee said members of the Gabriola FAC, along with those from several other FACs around the coast, met with BC Ferries on Friday evening [April 25] to listen to a presentation on their vision for future communications with ferry-dependant communities.
He said the new Let’s Connect plan, called is full of unintelligible corporate jargon, like ‘closing the circle’, ‘purpose-driven engagement’, and ‘region-specific information.’
Earle said BC Ferries said, “that their goal is to “strengthen relationships across the coast while supporting local regional contexts.”
“The only thing that is clear to me, as the chair of the soon to be defunct Gabriola FAC, is that there will be fewer opportunities for meaningful communication from ferry communities to BCF and from BCF to the communities in the future than there was in the past. BCF has made it very clear that they do not want to talk to or listen to community organizations.
“Gabriola will not be silenced. A Gabriola FAC will continue to exist in some form.”
He said the very popular FAC website (https://gabriolafac.com/) will remain in place.
“We encourage everyone who has an issue with any aspect of our ferry service, on board the vessels or in the ferry lineups, to reach out through the Contact Us link.”
Ritinder Matthew with BCF Communications said the new engagement framework, “marks an important milestone, and we’re now moving into implementation. It directly reflects what we heard during the consultation phase and offers a clear, inclusive, and accessible way for people to help shape decisions at BC Ferries. The new model officially takes effect May 1, 2025, and you can find both the full framework and a summary of how we got here online.”
Matthew said the the consultation process included online surveys (with more than 2,700 responses, primarily from minor route travellers), in-person sessions, one-on-one conversations, and in-depth research into engagement best practices.
“This gave us a strong combination of reliable data and real-world community insight. Importantly, the framework is designed to evolve over time — we’ll continue to track participation, diversity of input, response and follow-up times, and community feedback, so we can adjust and strengthen our engagement efforts as we move forward.”
She said BC Ferries is moving from a standing committee structure (FAC) to a model that brings ferry users and community voices directly into conversations tied to specific projects and priorities.
This approach, she said, ensures local knowledge continues to shape planning and decision-making.
In-person tools like roundtables, open houses, pop-up sessions, and site visits will be used to complement online options like surveys, live webinars, and virtual workshops.
“People can also sign up for project updates or express interest in joining future feedback groups through our engagement platform at www.bcferriesprojects.ca”
Changes are expected to begin right away, with several projects already preparing to use the new approach — including upcoming life extension and electrification work at Descanso Bay.
“It’s a phased transition, and we’re committed to making engagement accessible, transparent, and connected to community needs throughout.
“We’re grateful for the role the FACs have played in building strong connections over the years, and we’re committed to carrying that spirit forward.”
On the main site for Let’s Connect, the company states, “BC Ferries aims to build greater clarity and shared understanding by being transparent about what’s on the table for discussion and what might be fixed or non-negotiable. The goal is not to overpromise, but to meaningfully include public input wherever there is space to shape decisions.”
Topics that BC Ferries may continue to still engage communities on include:
• Infrastructure projects
• Service and schedule changes open for input
• Policy and program design (e.g., fare pilot programs, accessibility initiatives)
• Long-term system considerations
• Route-specific short-term operational changes, when tied to funded projects or seasonal planning
• Enhancements to customer experience when part of planned improvements (e.g., terminal amenities, wayfinding, digital tools)
Topics to be addressed through different channels are:
• Individual complaints, trip-specific concerns, or missed sailings
• Safety rules and vessel operations
• Real-time operational decisions (e.g., loading, staffing, delays)
• Unionized staffing or labour relations issues
• Weather-related disruptions or emergency response
BC Ferries states these are not part of public engagement processes but may still be addressed through other channels, including customer service, operations, or regulatory bodies.
Trustee Susan Yates, who has been sitting on the Gabriola FAC on behalf of the Islands Trust, said that during the FAC meeting on April 25, “we asked if local organizations like our Transportation Society could help with FAC issues but BCF was not open to any kind of organizational communication going both ways.
“They kept talking about ‘big projects’ for which they would engage the community. I specifically asked them about the everyday service we depend on but they made it clear that concerns regarding regular service and safety issues are not relevant to their new plan.
“Lastly, I made it clear that as an elected representative, I depend on FAC to inform me about developments and concerns regarding ferry service in our ferry-dependent community.”
Yates said Vanessa Craig, Gabriola’s representative on the Regional District of Nanaimo Board, had reminded BC Ferries that Gabriola is not a municipality with council members for BCF to engage with regularly.
Yates expressed concern that as the meeting progressed, staff from BC Ferries would respond to questions with saying, “put it in the chat field.”
Yates said, “several attendees posted serious requests and comments similar to ours in the chat field, and we asked whether BCF would answer these; we don’t know if they will.”
Sheila Reynolds with BC Ferries Communications said, “we will continue to engage directly with communities using a variety of in-person and digital methods. This includes local residents, businesses, local governments (including Islands Trust, regional districts, MLAs and other government representatives), as well as other interest holders.
“The new project feedback group process will also help to ensure there is a balanced, informed participation that reflects local context and includes a wide range of voices.
“Each regional community page includes a sign-up form where residents, customers, businesses, and other groups can express interest in joining short-term feedback groups.
“When a project requires a feedback group, BC Ferries will use the pool of people who have expressed interest to bring together diverse, informed, and affected voices for input on key questions at defined points in the project.
“We’ll be building diverse groups based on interest, lived experience, and connection to the issue at hand. People can express interest in specific projects directly or be recommended by local organizations.”
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