Times Colonist - April 17, 2014
B.C. Ferries officials are keeping a close watch on South Korea, hoping to learn whatever they can about the tragic ferry sinking and how it could have been prevented.
“We certainly are listening and wanting to understand what happened here, because this is a very significant tragedy,” said Jamie Marshall, B.C. Ferries vice-president of fleet operations. “Our hearts go out to the families of the crew and passengers on board.”
Information that comes out of the sinking will be applied to B.C. Ferries if at all relevant, Marshall said.
The South Korean ferry capsized Wednesday while carrying 475 passengers and crew, including more than 300 students on an outing. There were still about 270 missing passengers as of today, and bad weather was hampering further rescue efforts. Twenty-five people had been confirmed dead.
Marshall noted that the ferry involved was built in 1994. “It’s about the same vintage as our Spirit-class vessels, so very modern technology.”
B.C. Ferries is part of the Canadian Ferry Association and shares information with other members as much as possible, Marshall said. It also connects with other shipping concerns through worldwide affiliations.
“We are all governed by what’s called the International Maritime Organization, which is a body that governs all shipping in the world,” he said.
Marshall said B.C. Ferries also has a program where employees are encouraged to come forward with safety concerns.
“We learn from all the small near misses and incidents, so we avoid things like what happened in the tragedy and disaster with the Korean ferry.”
Despite all the things that can happen, the vessel itself is rarely at fault when an accident occurs, Marshall said.
“Eighty per cent of marine accidents are related to human factors.”
In 2006, the B.C. Ferries vessel Queen of the North sank after hitting rocks off Gil Island. Navigator Karl Lilgert was convicted on two counts of criminal negligence causing death and sentenced to four years in prison. The charges arose from the deaths of passengers Gerald Foisy and Shirley Rosette, who have not been seen since the vessel went down.
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LNG Fuel Forum North America
6 - 7 March 2014, Miami, Florida
Converting to marine LNG: Evaluating the commercial, design and operational implications
Key highlights for 2014 include: LNG availability update, U.S. Coast Guard & Transport Canada regulations, Training requirements for LNG competent crew, Viking Grace Fuelling Operational Case Study, Interactive LNG Design Workshop, Interactive Champagne Roundtable Discussions, Marine LNG Technical Showcase, Two Networking Drinks Receptions, Interactive Delegate Poll
For more information and to register visit: http://www.informamaritimeevents.com/FKT2648CFOAWL
CFA members enjoy a 20% discount! Use the code FKT2648CFOAWL when registering to apply your preferred rate.
Feb 12, 2014
Troy Media
CALGARY, AB, Feb 12, 2014/ Troy Media/ – This is a tale of two coasts. On the East, an economically depressed region that continues to use federal dollars to subsidize a ferry service deemed to be essential. On the West, a province whose economy is quite healthy by comparison is ending the subsidies of its “essential” ferry service and shifting to a user-pay model.
On the East Coast, the line item had barely a mention under “infrastructure” in the federal Conservative budget released Tuesday. It reported that $58 million will be allocated over two years to support the operation of ferry services in Digby, N.S.-Saint John, New Brunswick, Wood Islands-Cariabou, N.S., and Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec-Souris. Prince Edward Island.
On the West Coast, a chorus of protest is growing as business and local politicians detail the impact of the increasing ferry costs is having on their services and communities. The difference is stark and begs the question. If it’s sauce for the goose . . .
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The British Columbia government has launched a campaign to get its elaborate and expensive ferry system costs under control. The multi-year strategy which lasts until 2016 involves phasing out subsidies and cutting back services in underused areas. West Coast residents, who have become accustomed to affordable commuting, hate the change.
The Victoria Times Colonist examined the impact, and cited the results of several studies:
Housing starts in ferry dependent communities have dropped by 40 per cent in the past five years, according to a study by the Institute of Chartered Accountants. While Vancouver’s tourism sector is growing, the islands’ tourism is withering. A 2012 exit survey of tourists leaving Vancouver Island found most of the people said they would not return citing the high cost of the ferry trip.
The extent of ferry usage in Canada may surprise landlocked Canadians, like us prairie-dwellers (although there are a few ferries scattered across the Prairie Provinces). The Canadian Ferry Association reports in a 2013 study that there are 284 ferries across the country, and they transport 40.7 million passengers and 1.8 million vehicles a year. Of the total, 41 ferries operate on the Atlantic side of the country, and 62 operate off the coast of B.C.
The report concludes, “Results of this survey have demonstrated that ferry operators continue to make deep contributions in driving Canada’s economy, building Canadian communities and meeting the transportation needs of Canadians every day.”
We live in an age when, thankfully, governments think twice about wasteful spending. If public money goes intosubsidizing a ferry service, then it is right and reasonable to ask whether each one of those routes is in fact necessary and whether it is being operated in the most efficient manner.
The turmoil in B.C. is about those issues – someone has finally asked whether all of those ferry routes have to be underwritten by taxpayers across the province and the country. If some services must be subsidized, then let’s not assume they all do.
On the East Coast, there are important observations to be made. As much as ferries are the lifeblood of certain communities, residents must also be aware that there are limits to the provinces’ and country’s capacity to keep the ferries running. Once a service is deemed essential, costs begin to incrementally creep up. It can’t continue forever.
And when governments feel pressure to cut budgets, they start asking hard questions about just how essential those services are.
If East Coasters can stay focused on the must-haves of transportation and avoid the temptation to take ferry services for granted, then they might one day avoid the trauma and turmoil that is hitting the laid-back residents at the far end of the country.
Read more, click here.
The Canadian Ferry Association is pleased to welcome aboard Concept Naval as our newest Industry Participant member!
The Canadian Ferry Operator's Association's November / December 2013 Newsletter is now available online.
The Canadian Ferry Association is please to welcome aboard Damen Shipyards as our newest Industry Participant member!
CFOA has launched an online map of ferry services across Canada. The interactive map gives a clear illustration of the pan-Canadian nature of the ferry sector in Canada and provides users with information on Canada’s ferry routes by region, the operator’s CFA membership, and route type.
The ferry route map can be accessed here.
CFOA has released a report highlighting the key contributions that ferry operators make in driving Canada’s economy, building Canadian communities and meeting the transportation needs of Canadians every day. See why the ferry sector will remain a major part of Canada’s transportation and economic infrastructure in the years ahead.
The full report is available in PDF format here.
The Canadian Ferry Association is pleased to announced our latest Industry Participant Member, the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers' Union. Welcome aboard!
Our sincere thanks all of our delegates, sponsors and exhibitors for making CFA 2013 such a resounding success. The conference allowed us to connect with businesses and industry leaders from across the ferry sector and showcased the industry’s role in driving the Canadian economy. Register now for CFA 2014 in Quebec City!