6319 replies to this topic

[lanforod]

Cadillac makes an e-bike?

 

Don't know about Cadillac, but Mercedes-Benz does: https://nplusbikes.c...-e-team-ebikes 

[todd]

Don’t they both do aircraft engines?

[Victoria Watcher]

Ferrying to VANCOUVER ISLAND! (+ road trip to Tofino)

 

 

May 2022 VIDEO:    https://youtu.be/l3qQt0-W0J4

 

 

 

 

One of the places we have been dying to revisit for years is Vancouver Island! We drove Brisket (our van) onto his first ferry EVER and made the 1 hour, 40 minute cruise to Nanaimo on the island’s east side and then road tripped across the island to Tofino, making some beautiful stops along the way!

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 June 2022 - 04:01 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Commuters beware: The 6:20 a.m. BC Ferries's Queen of Surrey sailing leaving Langdale has been delayed because of a police incident, June 24. 

 

The RCMP attended the scene and led one person off of the boat. A passenger announcement said that a "stowaway" had been on board "passing himself off as a member of the crew and evading the crew."

 

"So this person likely joined the vessel this morning or possibly even last night, to be determined," said the announcement.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ncident-5514348

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 June 2022 - 06:59 AM.

[max.bravo]

Victoria subreddit commentary on Mark Collins performance as CEO amid ongoing sailing cancellations

https://www.reddit.c...not_being_held/

r/VictoriaBC - Why is BC Ferries CEO Mark Collins not being held accountable for his failures while taking more than $500,000.00 salary?

BC Ferries continues to cancel sailings. They continue to blame staff shortages yet announce they have hired 500 new employees and are hiring back unvaccinated employees.

Am I alone in thinking this is a failure in leadership? The CEO makes a $500-600,000 annual salary. Are we not paying for a business leader enough to forecast demands and operate an essential business smoothly? I have a hard time understanding where the accountability lies and why there has been questioning of why we are in a staff shortage. Are we just to accept that its because of Covid recovery? I think that is ludicrous. The ferries continued to sail, albeit with certain amenities shut (pacific buffet, SeaWest Lounge) but from my recollection there was no reduction in service?

Also, the hiring of 500 new employees seemed reactionary to the problem rather than planning ahead for (another) busy summer season and a busier travel industry with more international visitors.

Why is Mark Collins not being held accountable for his failures while raking in 1/2million in salary??

[lanforod]

Excellent questions. 

[max.bravo]

Here’s my winning idea for bc ferries to solve all its problems.

1) get the province and the feds to fund a new bc ferries naval academy where they can train new hires for all federally-regulated positions from Oiler to Master. Make tuition free with a guaranteed return of service to the company.

2) get the province to fund purpose built housing projects for these employees and their families nearby each major terminal or where ever it’s difficult to find employees. Free or subsidized housing for a guaranteed return of service.

3) stop the casual on call culture. Hire permanent positions with known schedules.

Basically make bc ferries run like the company logging town. Maybe they could even have a medical clinic for ferry families.

If we’re gonna keep calling bcf an essential service let’s start doing what it takes to keep it running.

Edited by max.bravo, 24 June 2022 - 07:53 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Open the terminals to competition. Like an airport.

[Mike K.]

Logging towns are in one location, but BCF has ports everywhere. Managing additional services could get very tricky.

[max.bravo]

Logging towns are in one location, but BCF has ports everywhere. Managing additional services could get very tricky.

I don’t think there are crew shortages in Port McNeill and the other minor outposts. If so land would be cheap to develop for company lodging.

I’m mostly thinking of Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen, Horseshoe Bay, and Departure Bay.

Maybe Salt Spring needs its own little BCF town too. 3 terminals to staff on the island alone.

[max.bravo]

Open the terminals to competition. Like an airport.

This was the idea behind privatization in the first place. The wording to enable this is still in the coastal ferry act and coastal ferry services contract.
Problem is that no major ferry service in the world has ever been sustainable without some level of government subsidy. There are different ways to structure the model but if it’s passenger transport then fares alone aren’t enough to make it feasible. Ships are just too expensive and the industry is too regulated for private operators to risk it.

[Victoria Watcher]

Coho?

[max.bravo]

Coho?

It’s one ship between major centres. not a ferry service/network. Even bcf is profitable on individual major routes.

Also being a USA vessel they need about half the crew bcf does.

Edit: google coho black ball government funding and you get a bunch of instances of them receiving public subsidies over time.
Government and ferry service and inextricably linked. Even private ones

Edited by max.bravo, 24 June 2022 - 08:37 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

BCF is profitable on the major routes. The same routes they have staff shortages on.

[Matt R.]

I don’t think there are crew shortages in Port McNeill and the other minor outposts. If so land would be cheap to develop for company lodging.

I’m mostly thinking of Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen, Horseshoe Bay, and Departure Bay.

Maybe Salt Spring needs its own little BCF town too. 3 terminals to staff on the island alone.

Ferries has plans to expand the Fulford terminal allow for more parking, because right now there are usually dozens of cars parked just on the roadway waiting, as the lot is full. However, there is one piece of property they can’t seem to buy, and it’s simply a matter of a few bucks. In the decade they’ve been planning this, that little piece they need has gone up, way up, in value and it’s redevelopment is inevitable.

Most of the people on the ground are normal, but I guess senior management just can’t get it together.

[lanforod]

The simplest and far more sustainable solution is for the feds to lower the stupidly high crew requirements for BCF.

[max.bravo]

Ferries has plans to expand the Fulford terminal allow for more parking, because right now there are usually dozens of cars parked just on the roadway waiting, as the lot is full. However, there is one piece of property they can’t seem to buy, and it’s simply a matter of a few bucks. In the decade they’ve been planning this, that little piece they need has gone up, way up, in value and it’s redevelopment is inevitable.

Most of the people on the ground are normal, but I guess senior management just can’t get it together.

If it’s the old house beside fulford terminal, there are archeological reasons why that property wasn’t purchased… First Nation bones

[Matt R.]

Lots of rumours around that, for sure.

[Victoria Watcher]

A rebound in domestic travel ­coupled with pandemic relief funding allowed B.C. Ferries to post a $34-million profit for the 2022 fiscal year ended March 31, according to figures released Friday.

B.C. Ferries reported its traffic, revenue, earnings and expenditures were all up compared with the previous year, though its numbers were still well off pre-pandemic results.

https://www.timescol...funding-5517746

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 June 2022 - 10:16 AM.

[Nparker]

My tax dollars helping to ensure BC Ferries declares a profit while simultaneously being unable to provide consistent service. Well done at all levels. /s