Keats and Gambier island residents can breath a little easier as it appears B.C. Ferries and the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) are poised to reach an agreement on access to the Langdale ferry terminal.
SCRD chief administrative officer John France announced that a deal was imminent in his report at the March 11 board meeting. France said a proposed new dock would run parallel to the current float and B.C. Ferries would likely cover most of the costs.
West Howe Sound director Lee Turnbull beamed from the board table as France delivered the news. Previous updates on the negotiation indicated the SCRD and West Howe Sound residents would be responsible for most of the cost of a new dock or float.
SCRD manager of transportation and facility services Brian Sagman, who has been working with B.C. Ferries to find a solution since the company announced it would be closing access to the Stormaway float last year, said the deal is a good one for the SCRD.
"The real dramatic change this has is that B.C. Ferries is willing to undertake this project at their expense," he said. "As part of their proposal, they would construct it, they would maintain it, and they would also put in place a series of marker buoys that would regulate access to the new float so boats wouldn't be cutting right in front of the ferries."
Sagman said he is still working with B.C. Ferries to reach an agreement on liability protection to transfer some responsibility to the SCRD.
B.C. Ferries media relations officer Deborah Marshall said while the deal has not been finalized, it does look promising.
"There are some outstanding issues with the user agreement that we're working through with the Sunshine Coast Regional District," Marshall said. "Everything is trending really well. We're just not quite there yet. We've been making some great strides."
