6319 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

perhaps reporters and headline writers should not write stories and headlines "at first glance" then.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 12 April 2020 - 11:28 AM.

[Mike K.]

Helps called ferry passengers “reckless.” - https://twitter.com/...4880553985?s=21

[tanker]

Anyone who trusts reporters hasn't been interviewed by one.

[Victoria Watcher]

The number of people taking BC Ferries between the mainland and Nanaimo or Swartz Bay on Easter weekend dropped by 92 per cent, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix.

 

Dix said that figure capture people travelling between Tsawwassen, Swartz Bay, and Nanaimo between Thursday (April 7) and Sunday (April 12).

 

According to the health minister, 14,633 travelled along those routes in 2020, compared to 173,284 in 2019.

 

 

https://www.vicnews....island-down-92/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 April 2020 - 01:54 PM.

[UDeMan]

The media always exaggerates everything. Yet you never hear them apologize or retrack their statements.

[vortoozo]

The media always exaggerates everything. Yet you never hear them apologize or retrack their statements.

 

What do you mean? CHEK had someone at the ferries on Friday and their conclusion after speaking with people in line was that most were there for legitimate essential travel. What would they need to retract or apologize for?

[Mike K.]

Mayor Helps called those travellers reckless: https://twitter.com/...4880553985?s=21

She said so because the media said people were flocking to the Island. The headline she was quoting was “Highways, ferries filled with weekend travellers despite requests” courtesy of the TC.

[vortoozo]

Not all media is the TC.

 

Here's the Globe & Mail's coverage:

https://www.theglobe...er-calms-fears/

 

Don't see anything they should apologize for there either.

[UDeMan]

Go watch ctv news, chek 6 news, global and cbc news from friday

[vortoozo]

Go watch ctv news, chek 6 news, global and cbc news from friday

 

The report I mentioned above was from CHEK on Friday - they interviewed people in line and all that they spoke with were travelling for essential reasons.

[Victoria Watcher]

ferries rescind lay-off notices as they will try for wage subsidy.



https://www.timescol...sidy-1.24117385

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 April 2020 - 08:13 AM.

[Mike K.]

The report I mentioned above was from CHEK on Friday - they interviewed people in line and all that they spoke with were travelling for essential reasons.

To be fair, I don’t think anyone would openly admit travelling for non essential reasons when a camera is in their face after being called reckless by Victoria’s mayor.

People get shamed for looking at a product too long when in a store, or having their toddler with them when buying essential items at the grocery store. So now’s not the time to admit “well, we just wanted to hike the Juan de Fuca Trail.”

[spanky123]

ferries rescind lay-off notices as they will try for wage subsidy.



https://www.timescol...sidy-1.24117385

 

Interesting. Government entities are not eligible for the wage subsidy but BC Ferries is supposedly publicly owned.

[Matt R.]

I wonder if employers who have laid off staff and who may (or may not) be looking at paying out two weeks, more or less, notice soon are eligible to claim 75% of that termination pay back.

Matt.

[Victoria Watcher]

just reading this article.

 

 

 

 

B.C. Ferries is investigating what it says was a “misjudgment in ship handling” after the Spirit of Vancouver Island had a hard landing at Tsawwassen terminal on Saturday.

 

“There was no mechanical issue with the vessel,” B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said Monday.

 

 

https://www.timescol...ries-1.24121077

 

 

 

 

it says the spirit ferry is 26 years old.  seems like they were new just yesterday.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 April 2020 - 05:29 PM.

[Redd42]

 

it says the spirit ferry is 26 years old.  seems like they were new just yesterday.

 

Feel old now? 

[kxl]

Never mind.

Edited by kxl, 20 April 2020 - 08:51 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

In the meantime, the corporation is paying 75 per cent of the wages for about 600 furloughed regular employees, along with benefits.

 

“They stay at home because there is no work for them,” said Collins. “These are marine professionals — they are hard to find. So we want to keep these people close.”

 

Another 500 casual employees have been laid off. B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union is contesting the layoffs, saying it was blindsided by the cuts. The moves violate contract provisions about notice and options, it said.

 

That argument is scheduled to go to arbitration.

 

B.C. Ferries sails the coast under a fixed contract with the provincial government.

 

Both parties agreed to severely reduce the minimum service levels last month for a period of at least 60 days.

Service has been cut by about half, based on what was then a 70 per cent decline in fare revenues. It’s since dropped further.

 

Fully qualifying for the federal money would stem about a third of the losses the corporation is sustaining.

Collins said the financial picture now is “unbelievable.”

 

During the banking collapse of 2008-2009, B.C. Ferries’ traffic slumped by about five per cent over 12 months.

“This time, we lost 80 per cent of our traffic in 12 days.”

 

 

https://www.timescol...ions-1.24121352

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 April 2020 - 05:12 AM.

[spanky123]

“They stay at home because there is no work for them,” said Collins. “These are marine professionals — they are hard to find. So we want to keep these people close.”

 

 

So where else are they going to find work, on cruise ships? If there is no work then they should not be getting paid. Why is it so hard for people who spend taxpayer money to figure that out? 

Edited by spanky123, 21 April 2020 - 08:05 AM.

[Bernard]

The Spirit Class ships were concieved of when the V class sjips were about 25 to 30 years old.  BC Ferries should be thinking about their plan for the replacements sooner rather than later.   Washington State Ferries ran into troubles letting some of their ship classes get way too old